Welcome Guest!
Create an Account
login email:
password:
site searchwhere to watchcontact usabout usadvertise with ushelp
Message Board

BobcatAttack.com Message Board
Ohio Basketball
Topic:  Akron arena proposal dead

Topic:  Akron arena proposal dead
Author
Message
SBH
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 3,733

Status: Offline

  Message Not Read  Akron arena proposal dead
   Posted: 7/31/2014 4:35:31 PM 
Summit County officials pulled the arena from the planned sales tax proposal due to a lack of support.  Not surprised...no way the voters would support building a 9k-seat arena for the Zips.  Let the school figure out a way to do it, though that's unlikely given their financial challenges.




Last Edited: 7/31/2014 4:35:58 PM by SBH

Back to Top
  
MiamiBlowsChunks
General User

Member Since: 4/2/2012
Post Count: 44

Status: Offline

  Message Not Read  RE: Akron arena proposal dead
   Posted: 7/31/2014 5:53:45 PM 
Let's just say the plans went up in smoke. That's very fitting of Zippy ball.


There's Only One OU and it ain't in Norman

Back to Top
  
Recovering Journalist
General User

Member Since: 8/17/2010
Location: Cleveland, OH
Post Count: 1,838

Status: Offline

  Message Not Read  RE: Akron arena proposal dead
   Posted: 8/1/2014 8:30:32 AM 
The JAR's a dump, but the argument  for a new arena made by many Zips fans was specious. They seemed to think that the dumpy arena kept fans away, which is crap. They have a good program that wins a lot of games with plenty of population to tap yet they have never even come close to leading the league in attendance. You'd think that Zippy fans would have learned "if you build it, they will come" only works in the movies after building a beautiful and barren football stadium. The people of Summit County certainly did.
Back to Top
  
perimeterpost
General User



Member Since: 7/6/2010
Post Count: 3,165

Status: Offline

  Message Not Read  RE: Akron arena proposal dead
   Posted: 8/1/2014 9:49:39 AM 
I hope they find a solution. Akron is one of the MAC teams most likely to get on TV, a good looking arena is good for the league. Ditto Kent State.


MY STATE. MY TEAM.

Back to Top
  
catfan28
General User

Member Since: 6/11/2011
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 1,503

Status: Offline

  Message Not Read  RE: Akron arena proposal dead
   Posted: 8/1/2014 10:17:49 AM 
perimeterpost wrote:
I hope they find a solution. Akron is one of the MAC teams most likely to get on TV, a good looking arena is good for the league. Ditto Kent State.


I'm not naive...Akron's program with a new arena would spell trouble for us. It's the only thing keeping them from absolutely dominating the MAC in basketball. I for one am glad this didn't pass.
Back to Top
  
Recovering Journalist
General User

Member Since: 8/17/2010
Location: Cleveland, OH
Post Count: 1,838

Status: Offline

  Message Not Read  RE: Akron arena proposal dead
   Posted: 8/1/2014 10:38:27 AM 
catfan28 wrote:
perimeterpost wrote:
I hope they find a solution. Akron is one of the MAC teams most likely to get on TV, a good looking arena is good for the league. Ditto Kent State.


I'm not naive...Akron's program with a new arena would spell trouble for us. It's the only thing keeping them from absolutely dominating the MAC in basketball. I for one am glad this didn't pass.


I agree that new arenas are nice for the league, but they're not that important. The MACC is terrible, but looks fine on TV, especially when it's full. Likewise for the JAR. Plenty of schools do well with recruiting and results despite lousy arenas. St. Mary's comes to mind as Exhibit A, but Akron and Kent have both done it in our league.

Akron's bigger recruiting problem is the state of the university itself. It's in financial disarray and the new president has a huge task in front of him. It's difficult to find support for athletic programs that operate in the red at any mid-major, but it has to be doubly difficult at a school that's swimming in debt and facing declining enrollment. Setting aside basketball, I hope the school regains its footing for the sake of Northeast Ohio.
Back to Top
  
Campus Flow
General User



Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Alexandria, VA
Post Count: 4,951

Status: Offline

  Message Not Read  RE: Akron arena proposal dead
   Posted: 8/2/2014 4:07:30 PM 
It would be nice to see it for the MAC. Make the basketball conference more like the MVC.


Most Memorable Bobcat Events Attended
2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
2015 34-3 drubbing of Miami @ Peden front of 25,086

Back to Top
  
OU_Country
General User



Member Since: 12/6/2005
Location: On the road between Athens and Madison County
Post Count: 8,320

Status: Offline

  Message Not Read  RE: Akron arena proposal dead
   Posted: 8/4/2014 9:53:42 AM 
Uncle Wes wrote:
It would be nice to see it for the MAC. Make the basketball conference more like the MVC.


This got me to thinking the "what would it take" for this more like the MVC concept to occur.  The MAC has some good arenas, but currently many of them house some of the worst teams, or worst fan bases.  Examples include Worthen Arena, and EMU's Convocation Center.  Thankfully, Toledo has re-emerged, and reportedly has a wonderful facility.  Despite my criticisms, Stroh Center is a solid building - it just needs the fan turnout (and less brown paint!).  CMU's renovated arena looks decent, and I'm a fan of WMU's fieldhouse.

The teams that need better buildings are some of the best teams in the East:  Akron & Kent, as mentioned, and Buffalo.  Alumni Arena could be better if they filled in the corners, and dressed it up a bit.  Millet, if something was done to get seats closer to the floor, might be alright.  I haven't been in it in a long time.

As has been said a number of times, one of the bigger issues in a general sense is that in the MVC, hoops is king.  They're investing dollars into nicer arenas that MAC schools are splitting between football and basketball.  Or, it's mostly going to football. 
Back to Top
  
davepi2
General User

Member Since: 7/8/2010
Location: columbus, OH
Post Count: 581

Status: Offline

  Message Not Read  RE: Akron arena proposal dead
   Posted: 8/4/2014 11:07:36 AM 
will zippy leave town unless the county changes it's mind?
Back to Top
  
Jeff McKinney
Moderator

Member Since: 11/12/2004
Post Count: 6,028

Status: Offline

  Message Not Read  RE: Akron arena proposal dead
   Posted: 8/4/2014 12:47:53 PM 
Recovering Journalist wrote:
catfan28 wrote:
perimeterpost wrote:
I hope they find a solution. Akron is one of the MAC teams most likely to get on TV, a good looking arena is good for the league. Ditto Kent State.


I'm not naive...Akron's program with a new arena would spell trouble for us. It's the only thing keeping them from absolutely dominating the MAC in basketball. I for one am glad this didn't pass.


I agree that new arenas are nice for the league, but they're not that important. The MACC is terrible, but looks fine on TV, especially when it's full. Likewise for the JAR. Plenty of schools do well with recruiting and results despite lousy arenas. St. Mary's comes to mind as Exhibit A, but Akron and Kent have both done it in our league.

Akron's bigger recruiting problem is the state of the university itself. It's in financial disarray and the new president has a huge task in front of him. It's difficult to find support for athletic programs that operate in the red at any mid-major, but it has to be doubly difficult at a school that's swimming in debt and facing declining enrollment. Setting aside basketball, I hope the school regains its footing for the sake of Northeast Ohio.



I agree with Recovering Journalist but not catfan28
Back to Top
  
Showing Replies:  1 - 10  of 10 Posts
Jump to Page:  1
View Other 'Ohio Basketball' Topics
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             







Copyright ©2024 BobcatAttack.com. All rights reserved.  |  Privacy Policy  |  Terms of Use
Partner of USA TODAY Sports Digital Properties