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Do IT this week: Layering
Stadium improves recruiting prospects for UA
By Tom Gaffney
Beacon Journal sports writer
Published on Monday, Dec 15, 2008
In the past, Ferri had to play the part of an amateur magician in his ''now you see it, now you don't'' approach to showing prospective Zips the past-its-prime and now-defunct Rubber Bowl.
''When we would bring recruits in for their official visits, we would take them and their families out to the Rubber Bowl in these 18-passenger vans,'' said Ferri, a graduate of the United States Military Academy who is in his fifth year with the Zips. ''We would take a lap around the field and leave.
''We wouldn't get out and look around. We didn't want them to see any more than that.''
Those days are past, because Ferri now can show recruits a drawing of the InfoCision Stadium being built on campus and actually take them to the site, which is adjacent to the indoor practice facility, the Stile Athletics Field House.
''Eighteen-year-olds sometimes buy with their eyes. To have this beautiful new structure right next to our beautiful indoor facility is going to make a huge difference in recruiting,'' Ferri said.
''It is something that is now a positive as opposed to something that we were trying to hide. The stadium we play in has gone from an afterthought to the centerpiece of what we want to show people.''
InfoCision Stadium is a $61.6 million facility that will have a capacity of 30,000. It will have club seats, loge seats and suites. It will have a seven-level press tower and a state-of-the-art scoreboard. The construction timetable of less than two years will mean an opening game on Sept. 19 against Indiana University.
For the past several years, Ferri has been able to tell recruits about the stadium as it reached various stages of planning and development. Now, all recruits are taken to the bowl itself, where beams and concrete are visible, and the finished product is left to the imagination.
''With the structure in place, it helps us because we can actually show
it to the recruits,'' said Ferri, who was a standout player for Army and Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown. ''When you walk in there and look up at the press box and the club level, it's eye-opening. Next year, it will be even more eye-opening when it is complete.''
Anthony Meriwether, a wide receiver from Midpark High School, was one of 15 players who toured the stadium Dec. 6 as part of an official visit. Later that day, he orally committed to being part of the Zips' recruiting class of 2009.
''You can tell how nice it is going to be,'' Meriwether said. ''It's going to be what you think a college stadium should be like. It has an NFL-feel to it with the club level. I think the fans will like watching games there.''
Randy Greenwood, a versatile athlete who missed his senior season at Mentor Lake Catholic High School with a leg injury, orally committed to UA in the fall and said he is excited about playing someday at InfoCision Stadium.
''A lot of factors went into my decision, and the stadium was a part of it,'' said Greenwood, who is being projected as a receiver. ''I saw games at the Rubber Bowl, and I thought it was a great atmosphere. But I think the new stadium will be even better, being right on campus.''
Adam Steiner, a tight end-long snapper from GlenOak High School, recently committed to the Zips and has firsthand knowledge of making the transition from a remote home stadium to a nearby one.
For years, GlenOak played its home games at Fawcett Stadium. Steiner watched games there and played there as a sophomore. In 2007, the Golden Eagles began playing at their own stadium next to the school.
''When you can walk right out of school and can practice there, it feels more like a home stadium,'' Steiner said. ''In games, you feel more like you have a home to protect.
''Having a new stadium at Akron and having it right on campus . . . it was a factor in my decision.''
Ferri knows another crucial recruiting tool will be much upgraded: the game-day experience. Recruits are allowed tickets to attend two games. The Zips games, of course, have been at the Rubber Bowl. Beginning next season, recruits will see games at InfoCision Stadium.
Again, Ferri can abandon his sleight-of-hand tactics.
''Game days are going to be much different, much better,'' he said. ''At the Rubber Bowl, we would take the recruits to the Varsity-A room to entertain them and then bring them straight out to the turf. We never showed them the locker rooms or anything else.
''Now, we are going to be able to show them so much. We will want to show them everything, rather than show them little. Logistically, it will be a different situation next year.''
Besides showcasing the stadium, coach J.D. Brookhart, Ferri and the other assistant coaches have been talking about the other improvements on campus.
That is especially relevant in recruiting local players, who grew up hearing about the sad state of the Rubber Bowl and grew up seeing an urban campus that did not have an identity.
Now, InfoCision Stadium and the Stile Athletics Field House are just two stops for recruits.
''All the changes on campus have helped us in recruiting. When you walk around campus and see the new buildings, the grass, the trees, all that has been done to make it almost a park-like atmosphere,'' Ferri said. ''We hope this helps us get the players we want in this area.
''We think it will help us compete with the Pittsburghs and the Cincinnatis for local players. It will make kids here want to stay home, go to school here and play in this great stadium.''
There is no question that the field house and stadium have changed the culture of University of Akron football. With it comes the hope that talented players will recognize that.
''For years, everybody had better facilities than we did. I am sure it was a struggle for [past coaches] Gerry Faust and Lee Owens. It was a struggle to compete with the Miamis and the Bowling Greens.
''When the stadium is done, everybody will be competing with us.''
Tom Gaffney can be reached at tgaffney@thebeaconjournal.com.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Akron, OH
Posted 09:02 AM, 12/15/2008
Nice story, Tom! Interesting to hear the inside story of how recruiting will be easier. Hope the best players in the area decide to stay here now.
Go Zips!
hudson, oh
Posted 09:29 AM, 12/15/2008
Too bad the school can't attract students based on education, instead of this type of frill hoisted on the backs of tuition-paying students and taxpayers. My chldren work two jobs, delivering pizza and washing dishes - NOT so already over-coddled jocks can get a free ride. My son would rather have a parking spot and a textbook that doesn't cost $200. This new stadium will make tuition more unaffordable for area students, and do nothing for education. Let the football players get a job to pay their way. I hope they never win a game. Ever.
akron, oh
Posted 09:53 AM, 12/15/2008
Have you ever thought how much it is going to cost to clean that stadium after a game and don't forget the surrounding streets? Or will they look littered and junky?
Akron, OH
Posted 11:14 AM, 12/15/2008
The free-riding jocks must be catered to at all costs. That's the way it is in most colleges these days, and in some high schools, too. LeBron was untouchable in high school. Values are out of whack in America. There is excess in almost anything that one can think of.
Posted 11:34 AM, 12/15/2008
@Mark
Since you kids are not athletic maybe if they would have studied harded in high school they could have gotten an academic scholarship. You know they do offer those too......
hudson, oh
Posted 11:46 AM, 12/15/2008
Free rides to college should be based on one factor only: Financial need. All other taxpayer and student-fee-funded assistance is based on discrimination. Ballet scholarships. Football scholarships. Music scholarships. What a sham! Financial need is the only criteria that should be used when passing out free rides.
Akron, Oh
Posted 12:05 PM, 12/15/2008
As usual the negative hicks such as Robert and Mark can't stand to see anything positive happen at UA or the community as a whole. Their stilted and narrow view of what a university should be like reveals their lack of intelligence and uhappieness with where their lives have brought them...bitter, negative and miserable losers they certainly are. They probably spend their entire day on the internet slamming anything and everything. Get out of Akron you two. We don't want you stinking up our city any longer
akron, oh
Posted 12:42 PM, 12/15/2008
Jan,
You must be a liberal.
Posted 12:53 PM, 12/15/2008
Jan,
You took the words right out of my mouth.
mark,
No one is forcing your kids to go to UA. Your son's tuition is not going to increase as a result of this stadium because InfoCision/ Summa is being funded privately through donations. Why do you think it already has naming rights? Giving athletic scholarships can be very good for any university, especially if it results in on-the-field success. This success translates into an increase in enrollment because more students will want to attend said school. In the long run, it creates a financial boon for the school (Just the opposite of what you are suggesting). There is still plenty of financial aid available if you qualify. This qualification never has nor ever will have anything to do with improving campus facilities. This is a good investment that this community will be proud of.
Posted 01:11 PM, 12/15/2008
1st ... There a lot of "nut cases" that don't understand how the world works and they post in the comment section of the Beacon.
2nd ... Athletics are a important part of a well rounded college education, just like theater, band, etc. And the vast majority of the cost of the new stadium is paid for by donations and does not effect tuition or room & board.
3rd ... Financial need does determine financial aid. My daughters graduated from Akron with a 3.67 grade point and the other from Kent with a 3.45 grade point. Neither got one penny of scholarship money due to the fact that I made (in the 70's & 80's) over $30,000. I am still paying on one of the loans I had to take out, and I even borrowed against my life insurance.
Posted 02:10 PM, 12/15/2008
Amazing. Mark is the only one who knows the truth. You can be delusional all you want, no athletics take in more than they lay out, Ohio State included. The year they won the title and $16 million for the win, they spent $50 million just renovating the bathrooms! You people are the ones who will suffer down the road, with college out of reach of most working people.
Akron, Oh
Posted 02:41 PM, 12/15/2008
Robert,
You must be a moron.
Akron, Oh
Posted 02:46 PM, 12/15/2008
Mojo, the investment is in the macro-view of the infrastructure of the university, community, region and state. Your contaminated view of "no athletics take in more than they lay out" is the delusion here. Your argument can apply to the arts as well. The point is that this will enhance university enrollment as a whole and therein lies the big payoff. If it were up to minds like yours, UA should tear down its E.J. Thomas Hall, Guzetta Hall, School of Dance and the School of Art.
Posted 04:29 PM, 12/15/2008
Why do people feel so compelled to name call and disrespect others on message boards? I attend the University. I pay the high price of education and I support the stadium. I know the high price of education is the best investment I can make. It may suck short term but in the future it will pay off. I also enjoy watching a football game. I have pride in my school and city seeing that stadium and I hope it attracts good football players. Everyone will have their own opinion on what to do with money but why can't people respect other opinions and decisions and try to understand why the decisions were made instead of acting the decisions made.
Akron, Oh
Posted 04:43 PM, 12/15/2008
Quite frankly Josh respect is commanded and not demanded. I don't have to respect someone's opinion and especially when it tears down instead of builds up. I have no respect for chronically negative people or their opinions. That too is a part of free speech.
North Hill, OH
Posted 05:18 PM, 12/15/2008
A beautiful sparkling new 30,000 seat on-campus stadium as opposed to a 70 year old crumbling dinosaur of a stadium located miles away is just the latest upgrade in the enhancement of the ONE remaining jewel in the city of Akron...THE University of Akron.
Akron, OH
Posted 05:54 PM, 12/15/2008
Mark's normal uneducated, skew the facts post.
Akron, OH
Posted 05:57 PM, 12/15/2008
@Mark, many scholarships and financial assistance do not come from tuition. Athletes are not being funded on the backs of your kids.
Each time you post, your posts grow in jealousy.
Posted 06:53 PM, 12/15/2008
This article was very well written~
Now to Mark,
Let me just start off with saying i dont like you calling my brother who is in this article for getting a full scholarship (Adam Steiner) an over coddled jock he is no where near that! You are just jealous ur kids werent smart enough to get an academic scholarship like Jan said! Aslo if ur kids played sports i am sure that u wouldnt be saying these things right now bc you would be just as happy as my family is right now!!! Football players work the 365 days of the year! I there not in season there in the weight room getting stronger and better! Football is there job! i have had first hand experience with this from my dad being a coach at GlenOak for 35 yrs and him playing in highschool, college, and NFL! My dad is never home bc he is with his team trying to get get prepared for next games or next season! My brother has worked at football since age of 10! You must not know much about football to be saying this stuff! Alls i would like to say is GO ZIPS...and i am very proud of my brother and his achievements!~
Akron, Oh
Posted 07:31 PM, 12/15/2008
This story points out why it is so important that The University of Akron is making the improvements to the campus in general. All of the benefits derived from a stadium that is clearly and conspicuously on the UA campus can be further realized by the university building its new basketball arena clearly and conspicuouslu on the UA campus and not downtown across the street from Canal Park. Downtown Akron is a great location but only as a downtown. No matter how one spins it, downtown is not part of the UA campus for one very good reason...it doesn't look like part of the campus. Putting a UA basketball arena downtown will cause the university to lose all of the attributes that it will realize from an on-campus football stadium. It would virtually have no UA recruitment value simply because it will not look like a campus facility and it will not look like it is on the UA campus.
UA could make no greater mistake than to waste millions of dollars on an arena located in downtown Akron.
Akron, Oh
Posted 09:32 AM, 12/16/2008
Mark, read the quote from Luis Proenza below and you'll see that you are wrong again. UA is attracting student based on education. This makes your unfounded claim to just be one more of your many bitter lies.
''Our fall enrollment is the highest since 1994. Our fund-raising efforts in 2007-08 yielded a school record of more than $41 million.
''We dedicated the Medina County University Center in January, a Confucius Institute in November, and this fall announced the BioInnovation Institute in Akron, an $80 million collaborative partnership that holds the promise to transform our regional economy.
''Our law graduates led the state in bar exam pass rates for first-time takers, the Princeton Review again recognized our MBA program as one of the finest in the nation, our College of Engineering is the fastest growing engineering program in the region, and our men's soccer team resumed its domination of the Mid-American Conference and returned to the NCAA Championships. Of course, these are but a few of our many remarkable accomplishments this year.''
Posted 03:54 PM, 12/16/2008
As the increase in on campus students continues to rise, let this be a reminder that the Unviersity is quickly transforming. The on campus population is growing every year, and an on campus stadium will only accelerate this growth.
Kudos to Proenza. We couldn't ask for a better president. Here's to hoping he stays here forever(and coach porter as well).
From a current honors student at at Akron: GO ZIPS!
Posted 03:56 PM, 12/16/2008
Also, kudos as well to the ABJ! You guys are finally starting to get it! Keep it up Gaffney!
Posted 05:37 PM, 12/16/2008
This 2008 .Cleaning comes from Wino's or students ..
Great BAIL-OUT !!!!!
Posted 11:11 PM, 12/16/2008
@ Paul
I wish I had a clue as to what you are talking about.
Posted 05:25 AM, 12/20/2008
Just a point of clarification, I am Mark with a capital "M", and not mark with the small "m" (and a small mind, I might add). I support the stadium.
It is good for the University of Akron and the Akron area in general.
Robert, you toss the word "liberal" out there like it's some sort of insult. Why? Just look at where the conservatives have taken us in the last eight years. Maybe we ought to give "conservative" the same connotation?
