2026-2027 Schedule

[RoyalBlu]

On 4/10/2026 at 12:08 PM, infofan said:

My understanding was Akron played at YSU in an exhibition game last november with the expectation theyd play an exhibition at Akron next year. both schools splitting the proceeds even to go toward their respective NIL funds.  As for horizon league games weve played Milwaukee, Ft Wayne, Oakland,  NKU, as well as Wright St.  Dont know what the issue is with Cleveland and Ytown, but with budget issues these "local" games seem to make sense for all teams involved

 

 

Wasn't that long ago Akron-YSU-CSU-Kent played a rotational DH via Coaches For Cancer. It died when - as I understand it - game film was not shared as agreed upon between at least two of the programs. Considering Kent has continued to play CSU, the possibility exists some combination of Akron-YSU-CSU may have sent popcorn but not video.

 

Just guessing.

 

[kreed5120]

Yeah, no interest in scheduling YSU or CSU. Both are generally on par with the cupcakes this board often complains about scheduling.

 

IMO the only Horizon League teams consistently good enough to schedule H&H with are NKU and Wright State. In the past we have bought home games against Detroit Mercy and Oakland. I feel YSU and CSU are historically similar caliber programs.

[csims0917]

I’d just want to go to an easy to get to road game 

[exit322]

4 hours ago, csims0917 said:

I’d just want to go to an easy to get to road game 

Well right, and playing annual games against local rivals home and away would create another game that matters at least a little bit.

 

And since we're all mid majors whose ceiling is the Round of 64, who cares if they're "beneath us" or some crap.

[clarkwgriswold]

I'd gladly give up Penn State- Shenago, Concord, Heidelberg, etc.... for CSU or YSU.

[kreed5120]

3 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I'd gladly give up Penn State- Shenago, Concord, Heidelberg, etc.... for CSU or YSU.

 

The MAC going to a rumored 22 conference games means 3 OOC games will already be eliminated. The reason I said 3 instead of 4 is because the NCAA increased the number of games teams are allowed to play by 1 for the upcoming season.

 

My hope would be those would be the games eliminated already. If we can only play 10 OOC games moving forward with 3 of them being an early season tournament and 2 being the SunBelt-MAC challenge, that leaves only 5 other games we can schedule moving forward. Of those 5 one has to think 1-2 would be against a high major. That leaves 3-4 other games.

[zippy5]

11 hours ago, clarkwgriswold said:

I'd gladly give up Penn State- Shenago, Concord, Heidelberg, etc.... for CSU or YSU.

Same, if they'd play at the JAR each year 

[exit322]

2 hours ago, zippy5 said:

Same, if they'd play at the JAR each year 

 

Every other year is fine.  It won't hurt Akron's standing as a mid major to travel to Youngstown or Cleveland every other year to help build a rivalry.  Especially when it provides a likely road win in the non league.

Edited Monday at 02:51 PM by exit322

[zippy5]

1 hour ago, exit322 said:

 

Every other year is fine.  It won't hurt Akron's standing as a mid major to travel to Youngstown or Cleveland every other year to help build a rivalry.  Especially when it provides a likely road win in the non league.

Hard pass

[kreed5120]

7 hours ago, exit322 said:

 

Every other year is fine.  It won't hurt Akron's standing as a mid major to travel to Youngstown or Cleveland every other year to help build a rivalry.  Especially when it provides a likely road win in the non league.

 

We already have plenty of regional rivalries with Kent, Ohio, and Toledo. All of which are better programs than YSU or CSU. If you want to establish a OOC rivalry with another mid-major we should target a Wright State, NKU, or maybe renew a rivalry with Marshall. All of which are historically better programs than YSU or CSU.

Edited Monday at 10:17 PM by kreed5120

[tpsjugglerdude]

On 5/22/2026 at 5:46 PM, RoyalBlu said:

 

Wasn't that long ago Akron-YSU-CSU-Kent played a rotational DH via Coaches For Cancer. It died when - as I understand it - game film was not shared as agreed upon between at least two of the programs. Considering Kent has continued to play CSU, the possibility exists some combination of Akron-YSU-CSU may have sent popcorn but not video.

 

That's pretty flawed logic. Kent or CSU could have been the culprit with one of the other 3. 

[exit322]

20 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

 

We already have plenty of regional rivalries with Kent, Ohio, and Toledo. All of which are better programs than YSU or CSU. If you want to establish a OOC rivalry with another mid-major we should target a Wright State, NKU, or maybe renew a rivalry with Marshall. All of which are historically better programs than YSU or CSU.

 

Sure, there's spots for them as well.  They're not nearly as local, but adding Wright State, NKU, and Marshall to YSU and CSU fills out a lot of the nonconference schedule with games that at least have something to bring to a local fanbase.  You figure the MAC-Sun Belt challenge probably stays, so even with a 22-game league schedule if they do that, you've got 3 games left after that to do whatever with.

[RoyalBlu]

With 22 league games ... hopefully 2-3 high-major road games ... 2 Sun Belt games .. 1 DIII ... the rest should be 250-plus KENPOM games. If a couple of those are Horizon League road wins, that improves the metrics along with the W-L column. 

 

Looking at it another way; that's 11 home MAC games, 1 home Sun Belt game, 1 home D111 and at least 2-3 HBCU/Horizon home games. That's 16 home games which should be worth a minimum 13 wins in a down year and 16 in a good year. That leaves four road wins for a 20-win season.

 

That down year means 3 home MAC losses but along with a .500 MAC road season still means 19 wins going into the MAC Tournament.

 

AND THAT'S A DOWN YEAR.

 

If YSU/CSU helps get more Joe Akrons to by a few more tickets. That's worth it. 

[zippy5]

3 home MAC losses? When was the last time that happened?

[zippy5]

Let me break this down for you. We are very clearly a tier or two or three above csu and ysu. We're all fighting for scraps when it comes to support and fanbase after the big dogs like OSU, and maybe competing for some recruits here or there though I'd like to think we're recruiting a different tier than them as well. Playing them home and home legitimatizes them in the eyes of the local crowd and puts us a little more on the same tier in their eyes. Not to mention if we happen to lose once or twice. It's just not worth that, there's more to lose than gain by scheduling away games there

[clarkwgriswold]

From a purely selfish perspective, I'd like to attend away games at CSU or YSU.  I'm not going to to Wright State or Marshall for a game.

 

That being said, I trust the staff to figure out what is best for the program.  They know a hell of an lot more than us when it comes to scheduling and the impact it can have on the program.  As such, I have to assume there are valid reasons certain teams are not on the regular season schedule.

[Let'sGoZips94]

22 hours ago, exit322 said:

 

Sure, there's spots for them as well.  They're not nearly as local, but adding Wright State, NKU, and Marshall to YSU and CSU fills out a lot of the nonconference schedule with games that at least have something to bring to a local fanbase.  You figure the MAC-Sun Belt challenge probably stays, so even with a 22-game league schedule if they do that, you've got 3 games left after that to do whatever with.

 

Wasn't there a rumor that the challenge has a questionable future? 

[kreed5120]

33 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Let me break this down for you. We are very clearly a tier or two or three above csu and ysu. We're all fighting for scraps when it comes to support and fanbase after the big dogs like OSU, and maybe competing for some recruits here or there though I'd like to think we're recruiting a different tier than them as well. Playing them home and home legitimatizes them in the eyes of the local crowd and puts us a little more on the same tier in their eyes. Not to mention if we happen to lose once or twice. It's just not worth that, there's more to lose than gain by scheduling away games there

 

Exactly, OSU, as a high major, would never agree to a H&H with us since we're a mid-major. It doesn't make sense for us to schedule one with a low major like CSU or YSU.

[exit322]

29 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

Wasn't there a rumor that the challenge has a questionable future? 

 

There very well could have been.

[exit322]

16 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Exactly, OSU, as a high major, would never agree to a H&H with us since we're a mid-major. It doesn't make sense for us to schedule one with a low major like CSU or YSU.

 

Eh, you're either P6 or you're not.  And we're not.

[Let'sGoZips94]

25 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

There very well could have been.

 

This upcoming season is the last year of the agreement. Will be curious to see if there's an extension announcement over the summer. If not, it's likely over after this season. Quite frankly, I wouldn't hate to see it end. I don't know how much it benefits either conference as the top matchups have typically been lopsided NET wise. It would be better if they expanded it to include other mid major conferences to put more big fish in the pond. The goal should be for the top matchups to be Q1/high-end Q2 opportunities and that isn't happening enough.

Edited 2 hours ago by Let'sGoZips94

[kreed5120]

1 hour ago, exit322 said:

 

Eh, you're either P6 or you're not.  And we're not.

 

If that was remotely true then we wouldn't have trouble getting getting programs like Saint Louis, Memphis, Wichita State, Dayton, etc. to come to the JAR. 

[RoyalBlu]

46 minutes ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

This upcoming season is the last year of the agreement. Will be curious to see if there's an extension announcement over the summer. If not, it's likely over after this season. Quite frankly, I wouldn't hate to see it end. I don't know how much it benefits either conference as the top matchups have typically been lopsided NET wise. It would be better if they expanded it to include other mid major conferences to put more big fish in the pond. The goal should be for the top matchups to be Q1/high-end Q2 opportunities and that isn't happening enough.

 

I think there is merit to this idea: Add another conference to the mix either C-USA or Missouri Valley. The key game in the two-game series is the February game as that one puts the highest ranked KENPOM teams at that time in a pool the creates hed-to-hed matchups. The challenge will be figuring out home vs. away. Of course, just like Bracket Buster the back end teams won't want to be bothered with playing these ... BUT FOR THE GOOD OF THE GAME/MID-MAJORS this could be a plus. 

[exit322]

1 hour ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

 

This upcoming season is the last year of the agreement. Will be curious to see if there's an extension announcement over the summer. If not, it's likely over after this season. Quite frankly, I wouldn't hate to see it end. I don't know how much it benefits either conference as the top matchups have typically been lopsided NET wise. It would be better if they expanded it to include other mid major conferences to put more big fish in the pond. The goal should be for the top matchups to be Q1/high-end Q2 opportunities and that isn't happening enough.

 

That would be a better use of it.  A handful of the non-P6 leagues getting together to make sure the best matchups happen (especially in the case one of the conferences is down in a two-league conference challenge).

[exit322]

27 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

If that was remotely true then we wouldn't have trouble getting getting programs like Saint Louis, Memphis, Wichita State, Dayton, etc. to come to the JAR. 

 

If we're not good enough to get Dayton to come to Akron, then why are we trying to big time Youngstown State and Cleveland State?

Edited 1 hour ago by exit322