Zipgrad01 Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 What basis do you have to say that we could pick up a game in 5 minutes if we drop OSU? Do you think it would be against a national program such as OSU? A lot of you fail to realize how big a of a deal it is to play at the shoe. I know...call me a fanboy, whatever. But just look at the facts. 1. The university is getting their $375,000. 2. We will probably travel almost as many people to Columbus as we do for a normal home game (for the game or people just to party, tailgate, etc..). 3. We get to play in front of 105,000 people that normally wouldn't watch us. 4. We get to play in front of a tv audience of several million people, which we never get and we sure as hell wouldn't get if we drop them and pick up another team in 5 minutes.5. It is a convenient trip for our players and fans only being 2 hours away. 6. Playing against the one national program in the state that "most people follow" makes Akron seem more big time.7. Huge for many of the players that have always wanted to play in Ohio Stadium and it is their chance to stick it to the Buckeyes for not recruiting them.8. More UA students and Alumni are going to watch this game on tv than almost any other game. Why? Because they are excited to see how we stack up to OSU.Like it or not, scheduling OSU is the biggest possible game we can ever schedule because it can do more good for our program than anyone else. Well, as long as we are normally competitive with them. I went to the 2001 game and a lot of Buckeye fans had a ton of positive things to say about the Zips after that game. You start winning over some of the local fans and all the sudden you start getting a following. That is how you start building a fan base in Ohio. Our base now is roughly a 4 or 5 county area. It would be nice to get at least a secondary following in other parts of Ohio. Doing so could help get that 2nd level player that gets passed up by OSU come recruiting time. OSU is and should be our benchmark whether people like to admit it or not because in Ohio we will always be measured against them by 90% of the football watching community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1 Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 What basis do you have to say that we could pick up a game in 5 minutes if we drop OSU? Do you think it would be against a national program such as OSU? A lot of you fail to realize how big a of a deal it is to play at the shoe. I know...call me a fanboy, whatever. But just look at the facts. 1. The university is getting their $375,000. 2. We will probably travel almost as many people to Columbus as we do for a normal home game (for the game or people just to party, tailgate, etc..). 3. We get to play in front of 105,000 people that normally wouldn't watch us. 4. We get to play in front of a tv audience of several million people, which we never get and we sure as hell wouldn't get if we drop them and pick up another team in 5 minutes.5. It is a convenient trip for our players and fans only being 2 hours away. 6. Playing against the one national program in the state that "most people follow" makes Akron seem more big time.7. Huge for many of the players that have always wanted to play in Ohio Stadium and it is their chance to stick it to the Buckeyes for not recruiting them.8. More UA students and Alumni are going to watch this game on tv than almost any other game. Why? Because they are excited to see how we stack up to OSU. I didn't say we could pick up a game in five minutes, I said OSU could. We would end up playing Indiana State or someone like that.The eight points you make are good, but most could be said about us playing Penn State or Michigan. Evey big program has a huge stadium, every game is on TV now (Is our game on the Big Ten Network? If so, few will see it.), not all of the kids on the team are from Ohio and had a life long dream of playing at OSU. I would hope the players want to win every game regardless of the other team.There really isn't anything "special" about playing OSU or Michigan or Virginia or Penn State, etc. for Akron. In fact, it could be looked at as typical for our early season schedules. It's just another game against a BCS school where we will be outmatched against so they can make their alumni feel good and get us some money. I love Akron football, but I can't pretend the circumstances are more than what they are in this particular case. The NC State game was fun last year, but it doesn't make up for tanking in the MAC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad01 Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 We will just have to agree to disagree I guess. I feel playing OSU does mean more to the program because they are center stage in OHIO for that day. Ohio should be our target market if we are ever going to improve our fan base and grow as a program. Yes, we have players from PA and Florida, but PA and Florida is never going to be a solid fan base for Zips athletics.As for it being no different than playing any other BCS school.......Nobody in Ohio (except some people from Toledo) care about Michigan. It means more to play OSU. Being a UA grad, I have gotten a lot of comments from family and friends like "That is cool Akron is playing OSU this year. How do you think they will do? I heard about the stadium and it sounds like they are making progress as a program. I can't wait to watch them and see what they have." Those are the typical comments I get. Nobody cared at all when we played Penn State, Illinois or Purdue. That was just like playing anyone else. Why? Not many people in Ohio root for Penn State, Illinois or Purdue. Akron is now going against "their" team (OSU), so now their is an interest from the state of Ohio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad01 Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Had to laugh this morning when I was reading this article right before checking my email. Kind of funny how it applies to college football games just like I suggested throughout this thread. This is the part that made me laugh......"Perhaps you've been here: You snag a flight cross country -- and back -- for just $320, board the plane and notice a bunch of empty seats. You think: How can an airline afford this?A few months later, you repeat the trip on shorter notice. This time, you pay $1,200 for basically the same seat. You think: This airline is making a fortune off me.But here's the thing: Airlines are not crazy. They know exactly what they're doing. They just don't always tell customers." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-mann17 Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 4. We get to play in front of a tv audience of several million people, which we never get and we sure as hell wouldn't get if we drop them and pick up another team in 5 minutes. I just hope as many people as possible get to see it stupid Big 10 network and stupid TWC can't come to terms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad01 Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 No kidding. Most people will be hitting up friends that have directv or local bars. Luckily, I will be at the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w00t Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 Luckily, I will be at the game. Likewise. 13th row, 45 yard-line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad01 Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 How in the hell did you come up with those? Lucky!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akronad Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 I can;t believe he is a season ticket holder. He had to purchase them or knows someone with First Merit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w00t Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 The company I work for does a lot of business in Columbus and it's no secret around the office that I'm a huge UA fan. I asked the Regional Sales Manager to keep an eye out for tickets for me and that's what he delivered... free of charge no less. It was a happy day for me when he showed up with those tickets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipgrad01 Posted August 29, 2007 Report Share Posted August 29, 2007 I bet it was a happy day for you. I am envious as a I am up high in the end zone. Oh well, it is better than no seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cicero Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Talk about biting a hand that feeds you. Do you know how many scholarships 375,000 would pay for? 375,000 would also offset a bit of that stadium cost you guys are incurring. If you want the monies to go to some obscure Indiana or Michigan schools so be it, but I prefer it goes to in state MAC schools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziptrumpet87 Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 375,000 would also offset a bit of that stadium cost you guys are incurring.Actually not... the stadium is being financed by donations. The $375K goes toward the athletic operating budget if I'm not mistaken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cicero Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 375,000 would also offset a bit of that stadium cost you guys are incurring.Actually not... the stadium is being financed by donations. The $375K goes toward the athletic operating budget if I'm not mistaken. Either way though I would much rather the money go to Akron than the UTEPs or SMUs of the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akronad Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 You are correct, it goes to the operating budget. And for those of you that think, operating D1 programs is easy, think again. It costs in excess of several million to run D1 programs. That is why we take those so called 'money" games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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