OhioBobcatFan06
Well-known member
Just short of a true round-robin assuming the current 12-team conference stays unchanged... Top 8 teams advance to Cleveland.
At this point, I don't think the conference cares. If I read correctly, they are also eliminating conference tournaments in most of the fringe sports. Regular season champ is the conference champ. Cutting costs is the name of the game.It’s still a one bid league no matter the format.
Leagues like the MAC should send their regular season champ if they want their best chance to win games in the NCAA tourney.At this point, I don't think the conference cares. If I read correctly, they are also eliminating conference tournaments in most of the fringe sports. Regular season champ is the conference champ. Cutting costs is the name of the game.
Akron is not going to D2.
I agree. Ohio U had the exact same team from the year before that lost to North Carolina in OT in the sweet 16. They got upset in the MAC championship by Akron. Akron lost by 40 or 50 in the first roundLeagues like the MAC should send their regular season champ if they want their best chance to win games in the NCAA tourney.
The Akron President yesterday on WKSU and unequivocally stated they were staying D1. Here's part of what he said-
“You don’t lose costs when you move to other divisions. You still have to pay for coaches, still have to pay for facilities, you still have to travel students. We believe that the best course of action is to work with our Division I partners in Ohio and the region to develop a better Division I model.”
https://www.wksu.org/post/university-akron-cut-athletics-teams#stream/0
There's a huge differential in salaries between D1 and D2, or for football between FBS, FCS and D2. The bulk of D2 head football coaches are making under 100k. Add in the difference in scholarship money doled out and dropping to D2 would be an enormous budget savings for those that are on the fringes of D1 just from football costs.
Building a better D1 model starts with dropping stupid attendance requirements that result in schools like Eastern Michigan buying several thousand tickets for every home game to hit the attendance threshold.
Groce has been interviewing for other jobs...
The optics of this situation look horrible for Akron. And if social media is any indication, the University's actions are not well-received.
I think there are two key issues here that the school's leadership, for whatever reason, isn't going to terms with:
1) Akron's athletic profile and reputation is already really low. The financial issues of the school have become well-known, between the recent "reconfiguration" of its individual college model and the more salient athletic department changes. President Gary Miller claimed that "being a Division I school helps Akron attract students" - huh?!? Akron isn't Miami, it's not Case and it's not Ohio State or OU. This isn't to say that it's a bad school, not at all... rather, the primary pitch-points for the school are the tuition, its stature as a state university with the tie-in of regional relevance (hello, Wright State and YSU) and some of their programs. Kids aren't going to Akron so they can watch the football team reach the ceiling of 5-7. Akron has been losing a turf war with BGSU, Toledo and even KSU as the "affordable, attractive state school with the 'D1' pageantry" for years in the competition for many of Ohio's students. The "D1 is a selling point" argument falls flat here for that reason alone. The school's leadership is tone-deaf when they're making all of these cuts between the academic and athletic realms only to keep alive a bad program that was never good in the first place, and supporting the expanse of scholarships and coaching salaries toward a money-pit program, just so they can have D1 football. And to the general public, but especially the active student body, two parties who provide indeterminate support of the school, these changes do nothing to help the university's narrative and image.
2) "Building a better D1 model" - wish in one hand, ____ in the other. See which fills up first. This discussion should've happened 15-20 years ago. No one is forcing Akron to play D1 if its too untenable for the Zips.
Where do you suggest Buffalo and NIU go, exactly? Have you considered that the eastern half of the MAC provides similar competition, more schools and closer distances than what is offered in the rest of New York? Or that there is a complete dearth of mid-majors in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa for NIU to associate with?I think for travel reasons alone, all the mid majors should abandon conferences and create new - regional conferences where you don't have more than a 3-4 hour bus ride to any opponent. For the MAC to have a school in Illinois and another in New York makes no sense at all. There should be enough mid majors in Indiana/ Ohio/ Michigan to come up with a conference.
D1 major conference, D1 mid majors is going to begin to look alot different moving forward. Yes, programs are getting cut, it's the quickest way to save money.
I think moving forward you are going to see programs really watch their expenses. For instance, many D2 and D3 programs rarely have overnight trips. The days of going a day before the game and coming back a day after is over. I think for travel reasons alone, all the mid majors should abandon conferences and create new - regional conferences where you don't have more than a 3-4 hour bus ride to any opponent. For the MAC to have a school in Illinois and another in New York makes no sense at all. There should be enough mid majors in Indiana/ Ohio/ Michigan to come up with a conference.
Also, cut down the scholarships. You can't keep giving the farm away. There are no scholarships at the D3 level and there are no shortages of players. It's just a sign of the times.
Finally, schools that have 3-4 different helmet and uniforms options are a thing of the past. You have a home and road uniform, period.
There are mid majors in New York and Illiniois and surrounding states that can form leagues. Like I said, you have to blow the whole mid major system up and create new conferences that make geographic sense.Where do you suggest Buffalo and NIU go, exactly? Have you considered that the eastern half of the MAC provides similar competition, more schools and closer distances than what is offered in the rest of New York? Or that there is a complete dearth of mid-majors in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa for NIU to associate with?
I'll admit, I know little about MAC sports. With the internet, you can recruit anywhere these days. Try recruiting 40 years ago. I'm not sure the MAC really needs a "chicago" presance. I certainly dont' think of Chicago when I think Northern Illinois. There are no shortage of talent in all states. And who is even talking about competing on a bigger stage? You have to begin to be more fiscally responsible. The gravy train days are over. When your entire athletic department is reliant on a one-game non-conference football game against a powerhouse where you go get slaughtered to pick up a check, that's a flawed model.1. Unless you program is nationally known, it's difficult to recruit athletes from certain areas if your league has absolutely no presence there. Dump Northern Illinois from the league, and the league suddenly has no presence in the 3rd largest media market in the country. Dump Buffalo, and there is suddenly no presence in western New York. It may not be huge, but Buffalo is still in the top 1/4 of US media markets at 52nd overall. After the major programs take their share, there is not enough talent in just Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana for the MAC schools to compete on a bigger stage.
2. How do you know that all of these MAC schools are fully funding the maximum amount of scholarships allowed in each sport that they offer?
There are mid majors in New York and Illiniois and surrounding states that can form leagues. Like I said, you have to blow the whole mid major system up and create new conferences that make geographic sense.
Such as...?There are mid majors in New York and Illiniois and surrounding states that can form leagues.