Since I actually live in the city of Akron, I would like to clear up a few points here.  Akron U has many part time and commuter students, but they have made a tremendous effort to get students to live on or near to campus.  There are new dorms and apartment buildings all around.  As much as I hate to say it, the progress that they have make in the 22 years that I have lived here is amazing.  Other than being on the edge of downtown, it could be a campus in Athens, Oxford or any other small town.  They have closed streets and made the campus feel more like an Ohio.  They have a bus service all around campus (Roo Express) and their president has done wonders.  That being said, they are a pain in the ass and need to be put in their place. 

I can see by this discussion that Miami is quickly fading from being our #1 rival.

I have. Still nothing special. I'll take Casa over any of Akron's offerings.

Akron's campus entranceway:

I don't buy the commuter school excuse at all.  These people commute like people commute to work.  It would like blaming the Indians poor attendance on having fans that don't live downtown.

I think Oz mentioned it (in another thread)...It boils down to Akron (and many other MAC schools) students not having any pride in thir school/alma mater.

And working with a salary cap.

Totally agree with Ozcat/Ruck. After going to most away MAC venues, there are really no student sections that can in any way compete with the O Zone. (even if the O Zone is arguably 'down' every once in a while). UB might be closest, and Akron had a couple hundred this year, but for as good as they are, the entirety of the conference season should be sold out in such a tiny gym. Away games make me so proud that I'm a Bobcat.

Simple answer is OU people love their school, and are proud of nearly everything that comes with it. Not everyone does. We root for all Bobcats. Have Simpsons, Today Show, Coyote Ugly, Mike Schmidt/Fran Fraschilla/whoever, pop on the TV and you'll likely hear someone in your crowd say "Bobcat!". When Rascal Flats or Curb your Enthusiasm comes on, I don't hear these CBus folks saying "Buckeye". It's just different, and if there's another group of alumni that love their school as much as we do OU, I don't think it's anywhere near Ohio.

ben

Akron's attendance is all a function of the type of school it is and the relationships it does/doesn't build with its students.

I grew up in Akron and went to Firestone High School with Keith Dambrot. The reason he went to Akron is simple - his mother was a professor there and he got free tuition. He always had a chip on his shoulder about the fact that many of his Firestone friends were allowed to go away to school. I have many friends who feel the same way - their parents forced them to go to Akron either because it was cheaper to stay local or they wanted to retain some control on their kids' activities. As a result, many of these friends are resentful that they had to go to "Hilltop High." They also tell stories of ill-qualified adjunct professors, classes of 300 students that were taught by teachers on TV monitors, ridiculous parking fees, a general lack of parking spaces, and an abysmal library. Several of these friends have refused to give a dime to the school because of the poor education and treatment they felt they received there.  Oh, and they're all now big OSU fans, of course.

Akron's administration has tried to change the school's image through new construction and general campus beautification but they continue to rely almost exclusively on poorly paid adjunct faculty for freshman and sophomore courses, and the school is still largely seen as the choice of last resort among many local high school students.

It appears thing will get a bit more challenging for Akron in the coming years: Enrollment has leveled off and the proposed state higher education budget will use a formula based in part on graduation rates.  Akron is projected to lose money as a result.  They have taken on significant debt through their building program, so it will be interesting to see how and where austerity strikes.  Their huge adjunct faculty has talked of a work stoppage because they receive no health care coverage and paltry wages.

I guess the moral of the story is thank your parents for allowing you to go away to school...and especially for allowing you to chose Ohio.

Didn't know you were a native Akron, Mississippi! :-)

Well, Akron (pop. 10 people, 20 hunting dogs, five cats, 13 pickup trucks with mounted gun racks) is not far from Philadelphia.  That's where Akronites go to do their weekend shopping, as I hear tell.  They have a historical marker right at the site of an old boarding house in the center of town proclaiming "Jeff Davis slept here."  Al would feel right at home. 

If one them other MACs is your back-up/default choice and you end up there, you endure.  You suffer through.

If OHIO UNIVERSITY ATHENS is your back-up/dfault, you bloom and grow to love it.  You appreciate your accidental excellent fortune.