New Akron AD Focusing On Football, Supports Decision To Eliminate Baseball

The Univ. of Akron yesterday morning introduced Larry Williams as the school’s AD, and he "enters the fray with an agenda that sounded football centric," according to George Thomas of the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL. Pending approval by the university’s BOT, his hiring "will be effective Sept. 1." Williams’ contract "is still being finalized but will include a base salary of $285,000, a country club membership and a car or a monthly car stipend of $1,000." Former AD Tom Wistrcill "was paid a base salary of $248,347." The UA football team "ranked last in attendance" among D-I schools for the '14 season, "averaging fewer than 10,000 fans per game." Some people have "called for the team to move to a lower division or be eliminated altogether." Football "dovetails with Williams’ priorities as the new AD." He said, "My No. 1 challenge will be to find means by which we can connect with people who are waiting for something special to happen." Thomas notes those people "might very well be members of the UA student body," who have "earned a reputation for lackluster support of the football and basketball teams." Williams: "We’re going to speak to them in their language with their tools. I don’t think there’s an apathy. I think everyone wants to be proud of where they are and where they’re going to school and where they’re spending their money and their time." Thomas notes football "takes precedence in that regard as debt payments on InfoCision Stadium represent a significant portion of UA’s financial woes."

COMPLETE-GAME SHUTOUT: Williams said that something the school's athletics supporters "shouldn’t count on is the baseball team’s return." Thomas notes the new AD "supports the elimination given the financial considerations" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/26). In Akron, Marilyn Miller in a front-page piece notes most of the former baseball team's players "are heading out of town, but not without some costly glitches." The university "shut down the team in July to save $700,000 annually as part of an effort to trim" $40M from the budget over the next three years. Out of a 35-man roster, "only five baseball players remain." The others "transferred to colleges that offer baseball." One player with a full-ride scholarship, Kevin Marnon, had already signed a housing lease when the university "abruptly ended the baseball program," and his landlord "declined to nullify." Ken Marnon, Kevin's father, said that his son was accepted at Ball State Univ., but only with a 75% scholarship commitment, so he is "stuck with about $17,000 in out-of-pocket expenses for tuition, rental payments and fees." Baseball alumni today will meet with UA CFO Nathan Mortimer "to discuss whether the team can be rebuilt" (AKRON BEACON JOURNAL, 8/26).