Which best describes your feelings on the MAC scheduling model?

[mrelegazna]

Maybe we can sort of consolidate this eternal debate.  I'm quite curious where the majority stands. 

[exit322]

I'd like to see what the dollars look like if you just go to the Saturday model.  Also wondering if some of these FAST channels and such wouldn't be able to bid for content in that regard.  It seems the MAC is starting to think a little outside the box, so I wonder if there's something to be done there.

 

The dollars WOULD be less, I'm sure.  But how much less?  What would attendance do for the MAC football schools if you didn't have these midweek games?  That's the key part...can that be made up by greater attendance throughout?

Edited Tuesday at 07:42 PM by exit322

[GP1]

5 hours ago, exit322 said:

The dollars WOULD be less, I'm sure.

Maybe, maybe not. I really don't know. I'd like to ask the Sun Belt about this. 

 

What I am confident of is the athletic department should benefit the athletes students alumni fans and general community around Akron. The current TV model does not accomplish this. Taxpayers support UofA and their access to the athletic department isn't as great as it should be, and that goes for all schools. 

[exit322]

22 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Maybe, maybe not. I really don't know. I'd like to ask the Sun Belt about this. 

 

What I am confident of is the athletic department should benefit the athletes students alumni fans and general community around Akron. The current TV model does not accomplish this. Taxpayers support UofA and their access to the athletic department isn't as great as it should be, and that goes for all schools. 

 

The Sun Belt has bigger names than the MAC; they probably don't have to play on Tuesdays to get a decent enough deal.  While attendance itself isn't the perfect metric (and MAC attendance is hurt by the midweek stuff), the MAC had five teams (Buffalo, CMU, Ohio, Toledo, WMU) that averaged at least 15,000 fans (the latter three averaged 20,000) announced.  The Sun Belt had six over 20,000 (App State, GA Southern, JMU, Marshall, Southern Miss, Troy) and one (App State) over 30,000.

 

Your second point, however, is 100% spot on.  The midweek games reduce that access for the fans locally, and that's really the last thing any of the MAC teams need.

[kreed5120]

A couple things. The Sun Belt still plays some midweek games. Not as many as the MAC, but they still get played.

 

Also, the Sun Belt has much less competition, particularly in sports, compared to the Midwest schools in the MAC. The reality is if Richard in Richfield has the option of either going to the Browns game on Sunday or Akron game on Saturday, he's going to the Browns. Most people don't have the ability to commit an entire weekend to make an all day event out of both. Schools like Marshall, Troy, Arkansas State etc don't face those same challenges.

Edited yesterday at 01:19 PM by kreed5120

[exit322]

11 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

A couple things. The Sun Belt still plays some midweek games. Not as many as the MAC, but they still get played.

 

Also, the Sun Belt has much less competition, particularly in sports, compared to the Midwest schools in the MAC. The reality is if Richard in Richfield has the option of either going to the Browns game on Sunday or Akron game on Saturday, he's going to the Browns. Most people don't have the ability to commit an entire weekend to make an all day event out of both. Schools like Marshall, Troy, Arkansas State etc don't face those same challenges.

 

I stand corrected.  They do have the handful of midweek games, more Thursdays but yes, they do.

 

If those schools don't give the people a reason to come on Saturday, they'll still find something else to do even if they don't have an NFL game on Sunday.  So I don't think that holds much water.

[kreed5120]

4 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

If those schools don't give the people a reason to come on Saturday, they'll still find something else to do even if they don't have an NFL game on Sunday.  So I don't think that holds much water.

 

What cow tipping?

 

But seriously yes, I agree you still have to put a product on the field that is worth someone committing ~5 hours of their day or more. I just feel that threshold is much less in rural places like WV than it is in places like Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit etc. 

[exit322]

17 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

What cow tipping?

 

But seriously yes, I agree you still have to put a product on the field that is worth someone committing ~5 hours of their day or more. I just feel that threshold is much less in rural places like WV than it is in places like Cleveland, Buffalo, Detroit etc. 

 

Yard work, shopping, watching TV, etc etc etc.  Any number of things.  If there's not a reason to go to the local college game, there's any number of excuses that can easily be given even if there's no NFL team nearby.

 

Also I'm originally from Knox County.  Cow tipping isn't that far away from Akron...

[kreed5120]

51 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

Yard work, shopping, watching TV, etc etc etc.  Any number of things.  If there's not a reason to go to the local college game, there's any number of excuses that can easily be given even if there's no NFL team nearby.

 

Even so those things don't fit the fix that sports/concerts does. Much of the things you listed are reasons why I said people are unlikely to make an all day event out of both attending Akron games and then also attending Browns games. Adults have responsibilities so there is only so much time they can carve out for personal entertainment. People in Cleveland, Detroit, Buffalo still have to do all those mundane things you mention and the free time they have they have many more options of how to spend it.

 

I grew up in a small city and people went to the high school football game on Fridays because that was the only thing to do. Stadium seated maybe 6k and the population of the city at the time was ~9k-10k. Every home game the stadium was probably 80% full. As I grew up I realized that everyone attending the local high school game wasn't the norm in other cities, particularly the larger ones.

 

You can pretend that Jonesboro, Arkansas has all the alternative entertainment that Cleveland, Detroit, or Buffalo does, but it doesn't. The same way that Cleveland has less competition than a city like LA or NYC. I never said a product still wouldn't be important to attract people. Just that people in Jonesboro are more likely to go watch a 5-7 college football team than someone in Cleveland because frankly there are fewer big events for them to attend.

 

I'm not saying the product doesn't have to be good to get people to show. I'm saying the more competition you have to attract people the higher the threshold is needed to get them. I would think that would be fairly obvious. I'm not sure exactly what you can dispute about that.

Edited yesterday at 02:48 PM by kreed5120

[Blue & Gold]

 

[kreed5120]

3 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

 

 

IMO making rivalry weekend the first Saturday in October is something the MAC should fight for with the next TV deal. If they make it a point of emphasis I can see it being something ESPN or whoever agrees to. 

[ZippyRulz]

if they have the ability to schedule a second meeting it seems they could just get the November date changed(?) Then again if Toledo leaves the MAC they could just play early season OOC.

Edited yesterday at 07:14 PM by ZippyRulz

[exit322]

49 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

IMO making rivalry weekend the first Saturday in October is something the MAC should fight for with the next TV deal. If they make it a point of emphasis I can see it being something ESPN or whoever agrees to. 

 

I don't hate the idea of playing twice, and also...this is a great idea.  Heck, could even make it a Week 1 one thing if they wanted.

[AkronAlumnus]

I think the MAC should keep midweek games, but handle them smarter. The exposure from being the only games on is real and valuable, and it’s become part of the conference’s identity.

 

That said, it shouldn’t fall on the same team(s) all year. Rotate which teams play those weeknight slots so the burden—and the spotlight—is divided up between week nights and weekends.

[exit322]

4 hours ago, AkronAlumnus said:

I think the MAC should keep midweek games, but handle them smarter. The exposure from being the only games on is real and valuable, and it’s become part of the conference’s identity.

 

I mean...as much as I hate the midweek games, this isn't wrong.

[MangoZip]

5 hours ago, AkronAlumnus said:

I think the MAC should keep midweek games, but handle them smarter. The exposure from being the only games on is real and valuable, and it’s become part of the conference’s identity.

 

That said, it shouldn’t fall on the same team(s) all year. Rotate which teams play those weeknight slots so the burden—and the spotlight—is divided up between week nights and weekends.

Agree, while it sucks on many levels I hear so many people mention how they love watching the “MACtion” mid week games in November. It really does give MAC teams a certain level of national exposure. Has it really changed anything for those institutions? Probably not, so the impact is definitely debatable. 

[Captain Kangaroo]

There’s four wheels on a wagon, so I think the Zips and flashes should meet 4 times per year on the gridiron.

 

If the season series ends 2-2, they can play a 5th “bowl game”. The first half is played at Kent Roosevelt, and the second half moves to Hoban’s field. Play the OT at Fawcett. It’ll be a Tik Tok sensation, which is all that really matters.

[GP1]

The number of people deciding between going to a Zips game on Friday/Saturday or a Browns game is irrelevant. The greater Cleveland MSA is 3.7 million people. I'm not asking much out of a day after Thanksgiving game. I would be thrilled with 15,000 of those 3.7 million people showing up to watch them play the second least appealing MAC team in Buffalo. It's a fraction of the population. 

 

Don't get me started on yardwork being a significant factor either. It's two hours work at the most for everyone except the worst of procrastinators on the day after Thanksgiving. Someone with this personality deficiency will show up at 5 PM for a noon kickoff. Good grief. You could start raking at 8 AM and be to the game by noon if you lived in Summit County. 

 

There are so many problems that contribute to poor late season MAC attendance, it's hard to pinpoint one. The lack of vision by the conference is malpractice. Worst of all, this isn't going to change any time soon. 

[exit322]

7 hours ago, GP1 said:

The number of people deciding between going to a Zips game on Friday/Saturday or a Browns game is irrelevant. The greater Cleveland MSA is 3.7 million people. I'm not asking much out of a day after Thanksgiving game. I would be thrilled with 15,000 of those 3.7 million people showing up to watch them play the second least appealing MAC team in Buffalo. It's a fraction of the population. 

 

Don't get me started on yardwork being a significant factor either. It's two hours work at the most for everyone except the worst of procrastinators on the day after Thanksgiving. Someone with this personality deficiency will show up at 5 PM for a noon kickoff. Good grief. You could start raking at 8 AM and be to the game by noon if you lived in Summit County. 

 

There are so many problems that contribute to poor late season MAC attendance, it's hard to pinpoint one. The lack of vision by the conference is malpractice. Worst of all, this isn't going to change any time soon. 

 

I'm not saying they're reasons that make sense or that are particularly defensible.  Because I agree with you, they're not.  I'm just saying if the Akrons of the world aren't giving people a reason to care, they're going to make that decision.

 

But as I've said a few times...they got their best crowd of the year for a Tuesday night Kent game in awfully cold weather.  I do legitimately have hope they're turning that side of it around a little bit.

[ZipForNow]

For most people, the Zips will always be their fourth favorite team:

1. Browns or Steelers

2. Buckeyes

3. HS Football team

4. Zips

 

This was true even in the Bowden years. Exciting, bowl-winning team still did not draw fans.

 

What is the solution? It will be interesting to see if Goodrich can crack this nut.

[exit322]

39 minutes ago, ZipForNow said:

What is the solution? It will be interesting to see if Goodrich can crack this nut.

 

That's certainly his hardest challenge, 100%.  I don't know if he can solve it, but I do have some hope.

[kreed5120]

Ianello killed any momentum Akron might have had with a new stadium. Building a consistent winner at Akron is going to be challenging when programs like Miami (OH) are reportedly going to be spending $6-$8 million in NIL moving forward.

 

Even if we have success it doesn't mean people will show. Akron basketball averaged 2,147 this past season (8th in the MAC) despite winning the MAC tournament 4 out of last 5 years and having the winningest season in program history. I get football is more popular. I just don't see how it can consistently attract 15k+ when the basketball program can't even get 3k.

[Let'sGoZips94]

On 3/25/2026 at 2:28 PM, Blue & Gold said:

 

 

According to a guy on Reddit, Steinbrecher met with Toledo's Deputy AD who made those comments and scolded him over them. I hope Whelan (the Deputy AD) told Jon he can kiss his butt if he takes issue with the comments. Steinbrecher is a spineless rat that has been horrendous for the MAC. I'm surprised he had enough time to meet with Whelan while he gets dog walked everywhere by his Power Conference owners. 

[exit322]

25 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

According to a guy on Reddit, Steinbrecher met with Toledo's Deputy AD who made those comments and scolded him over them. I hope Whelan (the Deputy AD) told Jon he can kiss his butt if he takes issue with the comments. Steinbrecher is a spineless rat that has been horrendous for the MAC. I'm surprised he had enough time to meet with Whelan while he gets dog walked everywhere by his Power Conference owners. 

Yeah if that conversation happened, hopefully the Toledo guy told Steinbrecher "I can schedule my other four games however I want, thank you very much."

[GP1]

6 hours ago, ZipForNow said:

For most people, the Zips will always be their fourth favorite team:

1. Browns or Steelers

2. Buckeyes

3. HS Football team

4. Zips

 

This was true even in the Bowden years. Exciting, bowl-winning team still did not draw fans.

 

What is the solution? It will be interesting to see if Goodrich can crack this nut.

What's the solution?  Well, if this is the case, stop competing against NFL teams, OSU and high school football. Akron already doesn't play on Sunday. HS football is on Fridays. Make Akron football benefit the athletes, students alumni fans and general community around Akron. Make game day a great experience for everyone. Play on a date and at a time that is most convenient for people to attend games. Produce a game that people will be willing to miss or schedule around the OSU vs Purdue,Northwestern, UCLA, Illinois, Iowa, yes.... Penn State is trash, Minnesota, Michigan State, Rutgers, Maryland, Ball State and Kent games.