Wagon Wheel Week (Game Eight)

[exit322]

 

As seen on FB

Edited Sunday at 09:49 PM by exit322

[dre22era]

12 hours ago, GP1 said:

Play games on a day of the week and a time convenient for people to attend, and they will. It's plainly obvious. 

 

I wonder how much longer the MAC will allow ESPN to destroy the league with weeknight games?  Probably a long time. 

Nobody wants to sit and watch a pathetic team who can only beat Robert Morris. 

If we ever win = people will come. 

[exit322]

8 minutes ago, dre22era said:

Nobody wants to sit and watch a pathetic team who can only beat Robert Morris. 

If we ever win = people will come. 

 

The crowds for the first three games will still be 4X the last three, though.  So even in relative terms, getting rid of the midweek garbage will help exponentially.

Edited Sunday at 11:06 PM by exit322

[dre22era]

12 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

The crowds for the first three games will still be 4X the last three, though.  So even in relative terms, getting rid of the midweek garbage will help exponentially.

Week night games are a lifeline to the MAC. 

Who cares to watch Akron or Kent games while Ohio State is playing?

In viewership the MAC can't compete against power 5 conferences which is why they play during the week. Also most Mid Major schools are commuter schools therefore campuses are a ghost town on weekends. Weeknight games help draw students to games. 

Edited Sunday at 11:20 PM by dre22era

[exit322]

41 minutes ago, dre22era said:

Week night games are a lifeline to the MAC. 

Who cares to watch Akron or Kent games while Ohio State is playing?

In viewership the MAC can't compete against power 5 conferences which is why they play during the week. Also most Mid Major schools are commuter schools therefore campuses are a ghost town on weekends. Weeknight games help draw students to games. 

 

Weeknight games provide some TV money at the expense of building actual fan bases leaguewide.  They're a big reason why every school that can possibly get out of the league is trying to.

[dre22era]

Who enjoys their school playing in the lost depths of hell of ESPN+ while the Big Ten, SEC and ACC hog up the major the network channels on Saturday. While Akron was playing at 1pm. Indiana vs Michigan, Miami vs Pitt, LSU vs Auburn. And then we also got destroyed by Canton McKinley vs. Massillon up the road. 

Again no ones cares to watch BAD FOOTBALL if there are other better choices. 

[kreed5120]

24 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

Weeknight games provide some TV money at the expense of building actual fan bases leaguewide.  They're a big reason why every school that can possibly get out of the league is trying to.

 

Ianello and Arth did more damage to Akron football attendance than these midweek games did if we're to be honest. Joe isn't helping the matter either. 

 

If Akron was as consistently good as Toledo or WMU instead of being a borderline playoff caliber FCS team more would attend.

[GP1]

25 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Ianello and Arth did more damage to Akron football attendance than these midweek games did if we're to be honest. Joe isn't helping the matter either. 

 

If Akron was as consistently good as Toledo or WMU instead of being a borderline playoff caliber FCS team more would attend.

I would argue that the weeknight games are not only the worst thing to happen to Akron, but the entire MAC. The only people who think they are good for the schools are the athletic directors, and they are the same clowns who will destroy their school to make it to a bigger school. 

[exit322]

27 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Ianello and Arth did more damage to Akron football attendance than these midweek games did if we're to be honest. Joe isn't helping the matter either. 

 

If Akron was as consistently good as Toledo or WMU instead of being a borderline playoff caliber FCS team more would attend.

 

They didn't help, for sure.  But Kent's been generally as consistently bad as us and just had 12,375 paid (and what, 5,000 students?  that whole section was full) because the game was on a Saturday versus the announced 8,501 (which was probably not over-inflated) for two teams fighting for a possible bowl bid last year on a Tuesday.

 

But yes, it is both items.  Gotta get the coach right (and "right" is getting a guy who can build his team up and rally the community even if just a little bit.  No one's asking for or expecting a coach to consistently be 9-3 at Akron) and get these effing games off of Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

[ZippyRulz]

All of the G6 conferences play some weeknight games, starting at the beginning of the season. This is at the pleasure of the university administrations, to whom the ADs report.  If anything, it's better for us to have them at the end of the season when the weather gets worse and attendance will be affected regardless.

 

[GP1]

16 minutes ago, ZippyRulz said:

All of the G6 conferences play some weeknight games, starting at the beginning of the season. This is at the pleasure of the university administrations, to whom the ADs report.  If anything, it's better for us to have them at the end of the season when the weather gets worse and attendance will be affected regardless.

 

I'd rather not have them at all. 

[exit322]

1 minute ago, GP1 said:

I'd rather not have them at all. 

 

Yeah, sounds like an argument to go FCS to me...since they don't seem to be having to play those.

Edited Monday at 01:24 AM by exit322

[GP1]

3 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

Yeah, sounds like an argument to go FCS to me...since they don't seem to be having to play those.

Maybe we could forego weeknight games and stay where we are until the MAC and the rest of G6 conferences start their own division. 

[dre22era]

19 hours ago, MangoZip said:

Some of your points are valid but you proved your ignorance by saying a high school team could beat a D1 football team. At that point you lost all credibility- go back under your rock and never come back. 🤡

FYI 7 players from the 2025 Hoban squad are playing college ball including 1 at Ohio State. 

Unlike many of you casuals I can actually back up what i say based on knowledge. 

Newsflash: AKRON IS NOT A D1/FBS TEAM. Why? Because they can't beat a single FBS team. 

Our only win is against Robert Morris = A FCS Team. 

So I wish you and other clowns would go under a rock and never come back because yall are part of the damn problem. 

[exit322]

6 minutes ago, GP1 said:

Maybe we could forego weeknight games and stay where we are until the MAC and the rest of G6 conferences start their own division. 

 

I'm good with that too

[kreed5120]

21 minutes ago, exit322 said:

 

They didn't help, for sure.  But Kent's been generally as consistently bad as us and just had 12,375 paid (and what, 5,000 students?  that whole section was full) because the game was on a Saturday versus the announced 8,501 (which was probably not over-inflated) for two teams fighting for a possible bowl bid last year on a Tuesday.

 

But yes, it is both items.  Gotta get the coach right (and "right" is getting a guy who can build his team up and rally the community even if just a little bit.  No one's asking for or expecting a coach to consistently be 9-3 at Akron) and get these effing games off of Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

 

I don't have any disagreement that Akron-Kent should be played on Saturday. I've long said the MAC should make the first Saturday in October rivalry week.

 

It's still a very miserable Saturday attendance number compared to most, especially when you factor in it was a rivalry game.

 

If Kent is drawing 12k against their rival on a Saturday with perfect weather in October, how much more do you really think are going to show up for a random Saturday game against Buffalo or EMU on a cold, rainy day in mid-November when they're sitting at 2-8?

 

It doesn't move the needle as much as what you think it does. If anything all MAC schools building domes or relocating their campuses south of the Mason-Dixon line would help. Neither of which is practical. People by and large aren't going to sit in sub-freezing temperatures to watch poor football regardless of if it's a Tuesday or Saturday night. That's evident by how empty Cleveland Browns stadium is in December in years the team is sitting at 3-10.

[dre22era]

Again, who wants to watch 2 Bottom below .500 MAC teams play Rivalry or not?

Neither team is not worth the draw right now. 

"Winning" fixes that. 

 

[zipsfan33]

On 10/24/2026 at 9:44 PM, ZippyRulz said:

 

Gant had 162 yards rushing. Kyan Mason had 129 receiving. Roggow had a decent day passing except for the 1 pick. I'm not sure how much eligibility anyone will have left but then neither does the NCAA.

 

That pick is not on Roggow though it was in and out of the recievers hands. 

[MangoZip]

10 hours ago, dre22era said:

FYI 7 players from the 2025 Hoban squad are playing college ball including 1 at Ohio State. 

Unlike many of you casuals I can actually back up what i say based on knowledge. 

Newsflash: AKRON IS NOT A D1/FBS TEAM. Why? Because they can't beat a single FBS team. 

Our only win is against Robert Morris = A FCS Team. 

So I wish you and other clowns would go under a rock and never come back because yall are part of the damn problem. 

Ok, 7 are playing “college ball”, that means that about 60 are not. You are clueless. 

[GP1]

10 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

 

If Kent is drawing 12k against their rival on a Saturday with perfect weather in October, how much more do you really think are going to show up for a random Saturday game against Buffalo or EMU on a cold, rainy day in mid-November when they're sitting at 2-8?

I don't know. I would like to run a 25 year test (about the same time MACtion has been going on). During the test, MAC games will only be played on Saturday afternoons during the day. In addition, the athletic directors of each school will put all the effort into supporting these MAC games as they have in destroying the league over the past 25 years. Actually, we'll need more effort because they didn't put up any fight against ESPN and the obvious bad idea MACtion has been the past couple decades. 

 

I'm old enough to remember Akron vs Kent games when both teams were bad and there were 20k plus at the games. I know it can be done because it HAS been done. 

 

After this 25 years, we'll know. I'll 82 and close to death because that's about the age my parents died, but we'll know. 

[kreed5120]

18 minutes ago, GP1 said:

I don't know. I would like to run a 25 year test (about the same time MACtion has been going on). During the test, MAC games will only be played on Saturday afternoons during the day. In addition, the athletic directors of each school will put all the effort into supporting these MAC games as they have in destroying the league over the past 25 years. Actually, we'll need more effort because they didn't put up any fight against ESPN and the obvious bad idea MACtion has been the past couple decades. 

 

I'm old enough to remember Akron vs Kent games when both teams were bad and there were 20k plus at the games. I know it can be done because it HAS been done. 

 

After this 25 years, we'll know. I'll 82 and close to death because that's about the age my parents died, but we'll know. 

 

Even if you wish to make that argument that's largely overlooking the fact that home viewing is better than ever. There was a time if you wanted to watch Akron play you had to go to the game. Watching on TV wasn't even an option. Let alone watching in high definition on a 70" TV.

 

Not to mention ESPN has spent those 25 years brainwashing a generation into believing if you're not first, you're last. There isn't the same type of community there used to be in sports. When I was growing up in the 1990s going to a high school football game used to be the thing to do on a Friday night regardless of if you knew someone playing in the game or not. I don't know anyone who attends games now outside of my niece and nephew who are both in high school.

Edited Monday at 12:35 PM by kreed5120

[dre22era]

The Facts:

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) secured its first major national television deal with ESPN in 2000, although its path to national TV exposure actually began in 1999.

 

1999 — First major national exposure

On October 14, ESPN televised Marshall's 38–14 victory over Toledo. This was a key breakthrough for the conference, but it was a one-off broadcast rather than the result of a comprehensive conference-wide television contract.

 

2000 — First comprehensive TV deal

The MAC announced a multiyear agreement with ESPN in June 2000, covering the 2000–2003 period. It guaranteed at least five regular-season football appearances nationally and included the conference championship game on ABC.

 

2003 — The foundation of MACtion

A new five-year agreement expanded the conference's national exposure. Weeknight games became a regular feature, helping the MAC build a recognizable national television identity.

 

Here's the timeline:

• 1999: The MAC experimented with weekday conference games. ESPN also televised Marshall vs. Toledo on Thursday, October 14, 1999.
• 2000–2002: ESPN aired a limited number of MAC games, but weeknight broadcasts weren't yet a regular weekly feature.
• 2003: The MAC and ESPN established a more consistent midweek television schedule, with games on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday during November.
• 2004: The conference shifted its November schedule more deliberately toward weeknights to accommodate national television. This is often considered the beginning of the modern MACtion tradition.

One of our most memorable games ever was a nationally broadcast game played on a Friday Night at the Rubber Bowl in 2004. 

Akron 31, Marshall 28

Friday night · November 5, 2004 · ESPN2 · Rubber Bowl, Akron, Ohio

Charlie Frye led Akron to a dramatic come-from-behind victory over Marshall. The win was part of a five-game winning streak after Akron opened the season 1–4. Jason Taylor was honored that night for his accomplishments as a Zip.

Friday night football, ESPN2, Jason Taylor's recognition, and Charlie Frye leading the Zips to a win.

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 01:00 PM by dre22era

[ZippyDoo]

I would be willing to bet with the exception of the EMU game, the way the games have been handled this season most fans attending in person or even watching on tv at this point are either family, close friends of a player or cheerleader or band member, or the most die hard of fans like Marty.

 

Now that we are in to the Tuesday night games with nothing to play for it would be really hard to come up with any gimmicks powerful enough to draw interest to get people into the stadium unless it falls into the above categories.

 

There may be some that want to be there in person to see what new methods Moorehead can come up with to try and force Goodrich to fire him but at this point I don't think those people are even willing to come out.  If it hasn't happened by now it isn't going to.

 

I can't believe he still has an office today......

 

Seriously, we are not tied with Sac State in the standings at 1-7...  with our only win against RMU.  I can't remember who posted it earlier, but we are probably lucky we caught them early in the season because Moorehead probably would have tried to give that game away also.

Edited Monday at 01:02 PM by ZippyDoo

[exit322]

25 minutes ago, ZippyDoo said:

I would be willing to bet with the exception of the EMU game, the way the games have been handled this season most fans attending in person or even watching on tv at this point are either family, close friends of a player or cheerleader or band member, or the most die hard of fans like Marty.

 

Crowds weren't huge for the other two games, but it was more than just this.  Considering what Akron has been, the crowds have not been bad.

 

They're gonna be real bad those last three games though...

[GP1]

2 hours ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Even if you wish to make that argument that's largely overlooking the fact that home viewing is better than ever. There was a time if you wanted to watch Akron play you had to go to the game. Watching on TV wasn't even an option. Let alone watching in high definition on a 70" TV.

 

Not to mention ESPN has spent those 25 years brainwashing a generation into believing if you're not first, you're last. There isn't the same type of community there used to be in sports. When I was growing up in the 1990s going to a high school football game used to be the thing to do on a Friday night regardless of if you knew someone playing in the game or not. I don't know anyone who attends games now outside of my niece and nephew who are both in high school.

Then make it about more than the game. Involve the entire University. Involve the students and faculty in a more meaningful way. Involve the alumni in a more meaningful way. Involve the general community around Akron in a more meaningful way. The lie we were all told, and anyone who goes back long enough on this board knows I thought was stupid from the beginning, was the "exposure" lie. TV exposure isn't going to help a school like Akron. In person exposure would be awesome because people would get to see first hand what a great campus, student body and faculty the school has. ESPN isn't going to do that for us.  We need to do it ourselves. 

 

I know why I don't go to high school games and haven't for years. It has nothing to do with ESPN. The quality of football isn't good enough for me to spend my time on. The last time I went to a high school game I was so bored I left at halftime. The MAC is the lowest quality of football I will watch in person. I can stay home and watch better quality football on TV. I wish the NFL played on Friday and Saturday nights. It would be great to watch a Saturday afternoon Zips game starting in the afternoon, go get a nice dinner, and have an NFL game waiting for me when I got home.