The unofficial online home for fans of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

Not terribly surprising about the direction- Just hope it provides the lift the program needs to finally win. Actually I think this year is the one where we see some success in the program and it looks like he is savvy enough to begin positioning that as his first major accomplishment. Smart guy

Things sounded pretty bad if the program didn't even have a secretary. Now if he could just do something about the weather in November- I like the seat warmer idea someone suggested.

Nielsen Record Courier Interview

I like the thinking. When football gets going, that will improve the finances of everything on campus. Generally, the most recogniseable program on a university is football. When football is your most recognised program, the second most recogniseable is the marching band. If the 2 can be executed to the best extent possible, you have pretty much what Ohio State has. If football gets off the ground, everyone benefits.

I met with Mr. Nielsen in Memphis and he really gets it. Just like a sales organization can't operate with HR, Account Payable, and other positions, they all know it is the sales people who make things possible. Joel understands the alumni and their donations and support will make KSU athletics thrive. While Laing was great at hiring coaches and putting a winning product on the field of play (except for football) he didn't have the personality and charisma that Mr. Nielsen does. I really believe under his leadership we can take our Athletic Department to a new level. Whether it's $10 or $10,000 - call the Athletic Department and ask them how you can help.

We'll see. It is certainly possible to get the football program to where it is very competitive in the MAC, but will the people show up? The only hope for having adequate attendance is from the student body, as there are NOT enough non-students in NE Ohio that would have any interest, no matter how good the team may become. Forget about the alumni, too. For every Kent State alumnus I meet that has any knowledge about Kent State sports at all, let alone football, I must meet ten who couldn't care less and are big-time Ohio State fans. Also, let us hope that the emphasis on football doesn't hurt any of the other sports.

(07-20-2010 03:03 PM)Kent 76 Wrote:  We'll see. It is certainly possible to get the football program to where it is very competitive in the MAC, but will the people show up? The only hope for having adequate attendance is from the student body, as there are NOT enough non-students in NE Ohio that would have any interest, no matter how good the team may become. Forget about the alumni, too. For every Kent State alumnus I meet that has any knowledge about Kent State sports at all, let alone football, I must meet ten who couldn't care less and are big-time Ohio State fans. Also, let us hope that the emphasis on football doesn't hurt any of the other sports.

If you were thinking of 50,000 in the stadium, I would agree. I believe that 20-25,000 per game is possible with a winning team and proper promotion. It will take time, because of the years of neglect. I could see it going either way, but upward is very possible.

Fair to assume that the ability to turn around football was high on the selection committee's list. I think we have the right guy; time will tell.

I agree with Danny's impression of Joel Neilsen. As important as it is that alumni and fans like him, apparently the Athletics Department staff does, too. Things are really humming. In 3 months, he's re- signed two great coaches in Ford and Striklin and turbo charged football marketing.

20,000 to 25,000 per game is a reasonable goal given 24,000 students then adding faculty, staff and families.

I wonder what the impact of a revitalized downtown Kent will be on students sticking around on the weekend?. The first step of getting students to the game is keeping them around.

You guys are forgetting one thing. If he is that good he won't be here for long. That is always the issue. That was why I liked Laing he was good but not flashy. It was the end of his career and he wasn't looking to move. Unfortunely for every Laing there are 10 older guys you can hire that are just waiting for retirement. The life of a mid major!

If he's that good and then decides to move along them so be it because it means he's already turned the program around. Looking back should we have been worried about the b-ball program and how Heath moved on....the groundwork was laid in the program and maintaining is a much better problem than building it.

I try not to get my hopes up with b-ball coaches that come and succeed, because we know what happens. But is it that way along all the lines of college sports? I mean, what made Bob Lindsey stick around after having so many great seasons? I'm hoping that outside of football and b-ball, people try to root into the university they are succeeding at. The 2 top revenue sports are more enticing to move up because you get up to the mega's or the pro's.

Does this 90KSU video with Lester Lefton make you chuckle a little bit?

http://www.kent.edu/news/video/

(07-21-2010 12:07 AM)thanksjim Wrote:  Does this 90KSU video with Lester Lefton make you chuckle a little bit?

http://www.kent.edu/news/video/

Though Lester has caused me to chuckle (and growl) a few times in his tenure, I think he's really coming around as far as how important athletics are to us here in NEO. He's all about making KSU a 1st class institution and if that means better athletics, then he's all for it (within reason). You have to be impressed with Lester's vision for downtown Kent. It's started to happen. Prior to Lester, I don't know if this kind of thinking entered the minds of many leaders at KSU.

Flashfan, it is a reasonable goal, but the bulk will have to come from students, added to the hard core of loyal fans that already go to the games. Also, if Kent State has a contending MAC team, one could expect some alumni that live reasonably close, and used to go to games, to come back. Add to that faculty and families of students and players. What will NOT happen is NE Ohio football fans, not connected to the university, showing up, other than a very small sprinkling of college football junkies.

(07-21-2010 07:40 AM)Flash FreaK 81 Wrote:  

(07-21-2010 12:07 AM)thanksjim Wrote:  Does this 90KSU video with Lester Lefton make you chuckle a little bit?

http://www.kent.edu/news/video/

Though Lester has caused me to chuckle (and growl) a few times in his tenure, I think he's really coming around as far as how important athletics are to us here in NEO. He's all about making KSU a 1st class institution and if that means better athletics, then he's all for it (within reason). You have to be impressed with Lester's vision for downtown Kent. It's started to happen. Prior to Lester, I don't know if this kind of thinking entered the minds of many leaders at KSU.

Completely agree. I think Lester has been a bit of an "acquired taste" for KSU and has made some missteps, but most new CEO's do. He had a golden opportunity to drop football or drop down to FCS in the last year, but he personally fought for the program and invested in it. LL is not a fan like us, but he does recognize the value athletics brings to a University. He is also the first to note that to get KSU students to stick around for weekend events, we got to get them to stick around for weekends. Thus, forging a partnership with Kent to make downtown desirable place to be.

Like him or not, Lester is making stuff happen in Kent and at KSU. I think the vast majority of it is good.

I will admit that I have been very hard on LL. I am beginning to reconsider. The buzz around town with KSU involvement is very refreshing and long needed. I am beginning to believe that LL sees the BIG picture.

My dream for Kent, Ohio would look a lot like Chapel Hill, NC. There is a small town that thrives and supports college students and sports fans comming into their town. The businesses do everything they can to cater to college students and college life. And those businesses have reaped dividends for it. Heck, even the firetrucks are Carolina Blue!

In contrast, the Kent community has shunned the university for years. Aside from downtown Kent, the townspeople almost seem to wish the university wasn't there. And as far as athletics, forget it. We have to get businesses in Macedonia to advertise in our games! If done well, this town can be a beauty. (Unless its December, Jan, Feb.)

NEOH is football country. If we win, people will come.

This is all hype. Secretaries don't win football games. Coaches and players do. Coaches keep their teams from collapsing late in the season when winning seasons and bowls games are on the line. Money won't cure that. Fans won't cure that. Coaching will. When they actually win something, anything, call me. I may not be from Missouri, but I am in the show me state. Too many years and too much disappointment to get excited about this program any more.

I changed my mind. These are Kent State's largest crowds ever at Dix. Note that #10 must either be a typo, or out of order. Anyway, I don't see how they could ever get the crowds such that the average would be larger than what is now the third greatest crowd ever.

Largest Crowds
No. Attend Opponent Date
1. 27,363 Miami (OH) Nov. 10, 1973
2. 25,137 Bowling Green Oct. 13, 1973
3. 23,158 Youngstown State Sept. 14, 1996
4. 23,102 Miami (OH) Oct. 2, 1982
5. 23,064 Akron Sept. 10, 1988
6. 22,645 Ball State Oct. 8, 1988
7. 22,013 Akron Sept. 30, 2006
8. 21,201 Akron Oct. 5, 1996
9. 21,059 Northern Illinois Oct. 10, 1981
10. 21,715 Toledo Nov. 18, 1972

Does anyonw know what the average attendance was when Akron won the MAC a few years ago? I only ask because they're the same location with same type of fanbase.