The University of Akron Athletics
MAC Football Media Day Coverage
July 26 | Football
Zips fans, follow everything from Ford Field in Detroit on GoZips.com. Throughout the day, GoZips.com will update you on the interviews, the coaches and the players. Watch videos, read quotes, watch the press conferences see pictures and more.
Just refresh this page to see all of the updates as they happen or you can follow everything live on Twitter. Just FollowtheRoo.
8:25 a.m. - Head coach Rob Ianello, senior offensive guard Zac Kasparek and junior linebacker Brian Wagner are at Ford Field in Detroit preparing for the start of the Mid-American Conference Football Media Day. The Zips are the first to go on the air at 9 a.m. ET via live streaming on the MAC Web site, mac-sports.com.
8:50 a.m. - Coach Ianello, Zac and Brian meet with the "Voice of the Zips" Steve French to tape segments for today's Web Cast before meeting with the media.
9:01 a.m. - Coach Ianello, Zac and Brian have started their interview live on mac-sports.com.
9:15 a.m. - Coach Ianello, Zac and Brian discuss Akron Football during the MAC Football Media Day Webcast.
9:33 a.m. - MAC Football Media Day is going great. While waiting for his interview with Michael Reghi and SportsTime Ohio, Coach Ianello takes a few minutes to meet with members of the Ohio University media.
10:01 a.m. - Read up on all 13 Mid-American Conference Teams, the players, coaches and more with the MAC Preseason Notes.
10:23 a.m. - Junior linebacker Brian Wagner discusses his experiences so far during his first MAC Football Media Day.
10:36 a.m. - Have you downloaded your copy of the 2011 Akron Football Preseason Media Guide? Do so now by clicking here.
10:50 a.m. - Brian Wagner and Zac Kasparek meet with Tom Gaffney, Zips' beat writer from the Akron Beacon Journal, to discuss the 2011 season.
10:56 a.m. - Brian Wagner on the Zips entering the season:
"We have been working hard and have been in the locker room every day getting better. We know what we have and we know we can play well. We really do not focus on anything else."
11:15 a.m. - Senior offensive guard Zac Kasparek on preparing for the season:
"We are ready to build off the foundation from last season and move forward with this season. We are motivated to continue to get better and work harder during training camp."
11:19 a.m. - Interested in seeing what games will air live on ESPN and SportsTime Ohio for teams in the Mid-American Conference? Read more about the STO television schedule and the ESPN television schedule on mac-sports.com.
11:45 a.m. - Senior offensive guard Zac Kasparek discusses media day, fall camp and the mark he wants to leave on the program as a senior leader.
12:01 p.m. - Head Coach Rob Ianello on the MAC East and West Divisions and the league as a whole:
"The MAC East is a really competitive division. As you look at it from last year, we had two teams in bowl games. From top to bottom, the division is very strong. Miami (Ohio) showed last season that you have to show up and play every Saturday. The entire league is strong, the West Division is also competitive. We will have three crossover games against three very strong opponents. This league has very good players in it, it has very good coaches in it and you have to be ready to play every week."
12:16 p.m. - On a side note, former Zips offensive tackle and four-year starter Corey Woods is rumored to have signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent. Read the Boston Globe story.
12:32 p.m. - Head coach Rob Ianello on the most important improvements the Zips need to make:
"We need to take care of the ball better on offense. On defense, we need to eliminate the big plays. If we can stop the big play and run the ball better on offense, we will be much better."
12:39 p.m. - That about wraps it up here at Ford Field in Detroit. We hope you enjoyed the coverage of the 2011 Mid-American Conference Football Media Day. Check in throughout the day as we give you quotes from Coach Ianello, Brian Wagner and Zac Kasparek, as well as to catch the Football Media Day Webcast later this evening right here at GoZips.com.
