Go with Akron.

And before I get blasted for that, you got some positives:

-TV Market(Cleveland)
-Good Basketball, even if the JAR totally blows, but working on that.
-An expandable Stadium if need for admission.
-An Football team on the upswing after the disaster we had with the last coach before Bowden.
-For Football, great recruiting(Northeast Ohio)
-Top 10 caliber Soccer(even if I think that they would go independent first)

I bring this up because if you are going to look at schools like New Mexico, UNLV, UMass and keep deadweight like Temple and South Florida around(if Football is driving the bus). Then Akron makes more sense.

The most important thing will be whether Akron will invest big time in their football and basketball program. Money talks.

I think that is the biggest reason for Tulane add. AAC is poised to be one of the top football conferences and that is the reality. Akron needs to show they can dominate MAC before they can come in and have a UCF type of season.

(01-18-2014 10:07 PM)AGuyIn_Water Wrote:  The most important thing will be whether Akron will invest big time in their football and basketball program. Money talks.

I think that is the biggest reason for Tulane add. AAC is poised to be one of the top football conferences and that is the reality. Akron needs to show they can dominate MAC before they can come in and have a UCF type of season.

I don't think so. IMO, you don't need an UCF-type run. That is why I stated about the teams that everyone here is talking about. Want to chase Zip-codes? Then why not take Akron? As far as Football, the dropped all of the money into Infocision and believe me, when the Big East had their Indoor Track tournament here a few years back, they were at least snooping around.

Basketball is the issue due to the arena. The JAR was built while they were still in the OVC. Fine for that conference, but it is the smallest facility in the MAC. They want to build a new one, but need the $$$ to do it(and not from the city)

Also I think that they want out of the MAC in the worst way and C-USA is not an option. If they jump, it will be up, not down.

Does Akron have a on campus Stadium? What facility they play their football games? What is the attendance like for football and basketball games?

(01-18-2014 10:29 PM)AGuyIn_Water Wrote:  Does Akron have a on campus Stadium? What facility they play their football games? What is the attendance like for football and basketball games?

Yes we do.

Infocision Stadium is a OCS(30,000 with grass seating). Because of bad coaching before Bowden arrived, paid attendance has been anywhere between 14k to sellout.

Basketball is good, given the arena. The JAR holds 5,500 for games. Attendance is usually around 4k. Sellouts if on television or playing Kent/Ohio.

(01-18-2014 10:44 PM)lance99 Wrote:  

(01-18-2014 10:29 PM)AGuyIn_Water Wrote:  Does Akron have a on campus Stadium? What facility they play their football games? What is the attendance like for football and basketball games?

Yes we do.

Infocision Stadium is a OCS(30,000 with grass seating). Because of bad coaching before Bowden arrived, paid attendance has been anywhere between 14k to sellout.

Basketball is good, given the arena. The JAR holds 5,500 for games. Attendance is usually around 4k. Sellouts if on television or playing Kent/Ohio.

Sounds pretty cool to me.

What about Student enrollment? Akron's TV market? Alumni? Academic? Athletic budget? Faculty support?

I am a big fan of Akron already!

(01-18-2014 10:47 PM)AGuyIn_Water Wrote:  

(01-18-2014 10:44 PM)lance99 Wrote:  

(01-18-2014 10:29 PM)AGuyIn_Water Wrote:  Does Akron have a on campus Stadium? What facility they play their football games? What is the attendance like for football and basketball games?

Yes we do.

Infocision Stadium is a OCS(30,000 with grass seating). Because of bad coaching before Bowden arrived, paid attendance has been anywhere between 14k to sellout.

Basketball is good, given the arena. The JAR holds 5,500 for games. Attendance is usually around 4k. Sellouts if on television or playing Kent/Ohio.

Sounds pretty cool to me.

What about Student enrollment? Akron's TV market? Alumni? Academic? Athletic budget? Faculty support?

I am a big fan of Akron already!

To answer your question:

If you are looking at all campus locations, it is 27,079. According to the Universities website.

There is a lot of Alumi in the area. Not sure as far as the number, but has to be close to 50k, or more.

For years, Akron was know as an commuter school. Since the 1980's they have been getting that label removed. There has been a major push for student housing here and that will continue.

Akron is known for three things: Polymers, Political Science and Engineering. Law use to be huge, but has fallen off.

Now the Budget is in line with the rest of the MAC. Miami spends the most, but Akron is in the top half. IMO, could spend more if they had to.

Faculty support I am not sure of, but other than Dr. Proenza retiring(been the force behind everything). There has been support for the school itself.

I saved this for last. Since Akron is in the Cleveland TV Market, it is hard to judge. Everyone knows we are here, but Cleveland is a bunch of users. As an example, durning the Zips Basketball winning streak last year, all of the Fair weather Cleveland people starting showing up. They have cared less about Akron, but since they were winning, they tried to take them as their own. Also since the MAC screwed the entire conference over with the Time Warner deal. It is hard to see them on television. Radio is the driver here for the moment.

Akron is a must if you want to lock up the Canton, Ohio market.

Temple goes 5-0 against Akron in the MAC with an average score of 35.6 to 9.2, but we're dead weight?

(01-19-2014 02:49 PM)JHG722 Wrote:  Temple goes 5-0 against Akron in the MAC with an average score of 35.6 to 9.2, but we're dead weight?

Temple never beat a MAC team with a wining record. And yes, akron was bad at that point.

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Temple was bad too. Akron was horrendous.