Just another "nail in the MAC coffin".  IMHO, this conference is definitely moving in the wrong direction in BOTH football and basketball. 

A second example is from the post about EMU.  A D2 school and 500 fans in the stands in b-ball and their f-ball fiasco.

This conference really needs to develop some strict membership standards and then deal with the institutions that are not committed to or who cannot meet those standards. 

Strongly disagree.  I'm not sure where this continued stigma against the Akron campus comes from because they have absolutely turned that campus around the last 5-10 years.  If I hadn't grown up a Bobcat, I would've seriously considered Akron.

Well, me thinks you live up to your optimist name here.  I've been in and around Akron a lot lately, and I just don't see it.  And remember, I'm the one who keeps saying they are going to blow up and head to CUSA and leave us in the dust -- athletically that is.

Now, if you had said Kent State.....I would have kept quiet.....  That place is poised to pass Ohio by on many levels.  Starting with their Journalism School.  Yeah, I said it.

In no way does conference affiliation devalue your degree.  That's insanity.

And Buffalo is actually a good school.

Age gap possibly playing a factor in our differences??  In all honesty, I think my generation is much more inclined to pursue city-life then yours, no disrespect intended.  

I wouldn't want to go to Kent at all... Too spread...  

Not speaking for everyone, but Akron's admins recognized the trends in the kids looking at colleges now and made the transition to a campus.  CSU is doing the same, as are many city schools nationally...

I've talked to friend after friend who wants to move downtown after graduation, like me, not to the burbs...  Again, not speaking for everyone, but just look at the real estate investment going on in cities...  It's highly geared toward young professionals who want to walk to bars, food, sports arenas, work...  Not drive...  These kids would love all that when looking at colleges too....  The numbers speak for themselves.  My high school friends at Akron were PAID to live off-campus as FRESHMAN because the dorm space didn't meet demand.  Know a ton of kids who transferred back to Akron, not Kent.

I guess I answered my question.  Much of this board doesn't understand the shifting demands of college-bound high school Seniors.  They want Urban living.  Akron has quickly come to offer that at a decent quality...  It's not there yet, but I'm much more worried about them then Cant.

OU on the Charles:
http://hbr.org/2010/05/back-to-the-city/ar/2

Unfortunately, I don't think most people look at Ohio and Miami as being much higher options than most other MAC schools, unless there they are interested in a specific program that ranks highly. Buffalo actually ranked just ahead of Ohio in the most recent U.S. News rankings. Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Ball State and Kent State don't rank behind Miami and Ohio much in most adacemic rankings. And how many college athletes make academics their highest priority in selecting a school?

My biased opinion is that Ohio has by far the most beautiful campus. Of the ones I've been to, Bowling Green's is the ugliest, but I don't think most people would rule it out as a college choice for that reason alone.

Optomist, as a Parent if my child were going to Akron I would certainly be sure to pack their "flak jacket". I consider it one of those "don't leave home" without it necessities there.

Using this logic programs like OSU, K-State and Pitt would not be Top 25 and schools like UC and Temple would never ever have sniffed the Top 25.  Great coaches, tradition and opportunity to play for conference championships and beyond make a school a destination.  Akron's campus is a garden spot compared to East 55th St. (East Tech) or the Anacostia section of DC.

After this truly enlightened and enlightening display of genius I cannot for the life of me figure out why there are further posts in this thread.

When The Love has given The Opinion, how can any argue.




How's that LaLou walkout thing going?

I think your hitting on something I feel with the MAC at least in regard to basketball. I know some on here are dreaming of a MAC West renaissance in hoops but to a recruit once you are north of Chicago you may as well be above the artic circle. The MAC now has to compete for recruits as well against Oakland, IUPUI, Wright State and others that weren't even D1 25/30 years ago Iin the hayday of the western MAC basketball schools. National TV coverage for the MAC is at a minimum and the schools don't even have local TV deals with locations in small towns. Instead of looking at the MVC as a model for the MAC West as far as how good it should be more realistically with its northern latitudes it should look like the Big Sky Conference with decent but not great teams. The Big Sky has an RPI of (.4529) and the MAC West is sitting at (.4506). The MAC East is at (.5052) about level with the MVC (.5145).

Xavier built their legacy in the weak defunct MCC.  They did it by winning it year after year.  Maybe a weak MAC will finally produce a team that consistently wins the conference and generates a following through tradition.  The biggest problem for MAC football and basketball is having a consistent dominate team.  With few exceptions a different team wins nearly every year.  Great for balance yet bad for building consistent fan support.  

As for choice in State public schools; most parents I talk with look to Miami and Ohio as choice options for a public in State school.  The party image is still a real factor with a lot of parents.  The other in State MAC schools never seem to enter the discussion.  They are an after thought except for local commuters much like CSU and YSU.  Write State seems to be gaining some local favor too.  

Ted...certainly at the 4 and 5 star level the recruit rankings mean a lot.  At the 3 star they are a pretty good indicator.  The trouble with the MAC is the league is loaded with 2 star recruits which is why we are not competitve outside the MAC (with the top 7 or 8 leagues).  If you look at the Top 50-60 schools, there is no way Ohio will ever compete because we do not routinely get enough good (three star plus) players.  I know many on here argue that we "develop" players but that is obviously NOT a way to improve beyond being near the top of the MAC.

If we could get five 3 star recruits every year, I think our on field performance would be much better.  Problem is ALL the MAC teams basically SIGN the same kind of two star players.  All you have to do is look at the players we lose and where they go (in your database) to see that if we could sign five more of those players a year we (or any MAC team) could compete at a much higher level.