???The AK Rowdies - Akron's rabid students - were rocking Saturday night during the MAC Championship. With only 40 miles separating their campus from Quicken Loans Arena, Akron students arrived in full-force.
???Akron's administration catered to these students by giving them seats right behind the Zips' bench. Sitting a few feet away from the court, the Rowdies roared all game long, providing an emotional lift and helping propel their Zips into the NCAA Tournament.
???To counter, Buffalo's student section, True Blue, brought its own boisterous group of fans. As a member of True Blue, I've seen how much of a difference the presence of a large fan base can make - in some cases the difference between winning and losing.
Unfortunately, their group was relegated into the far reaches of the arena where they were unable to provide their Bulls with any raucous, favorable cheering.
???In your school's biggest basketball game with a pro-Akron crowd in attendance, why not attempt to provide your team with any advantage it could attain?
???We all know athletic programs prefer to accommodate their boosters and alumni with amenities instead of providing their current students with prime seating.
???The Buffalo athletic program really screwed up on this occasion.
???Instead of heading to a warm location to spend their spring break getting tan and drinking the night away, these students showed their dedication to the Bulls. True Blue spent three nights in Cleveland - an obscure spring break destination - to help push the Bulls to history.
???As everyone saw Saturday night, the Bulls looked a step slower and less energized than their opponents. Akron looked to be feeding off their fans and whenever Buffalo tried to rally, the Rowdies invigorated their Zips.
???Whenever the Bulls were on offense, it seemed like a true road game. The Rowdies did a great job providing an intimidating atmosphere.
???Buffalo worked hard to face a confident Akron team as well as a wild crowd, but they could not lift their energy level high enough to overcome.
???This is where True Blue could have helped.
???In front of their home fans at Alumni Arena, the Bulls were 9-4. There was something about the support of True Blue that really encouraged the team to give their best effort.
???The Buffalo administration should have played off of this. Who knows whether the Bulls would have responded differently had the students been closer to the floor, but they would have done more to provide a favorable atmosphere than the older fans.
???It would not have hurt. You are talking about the biggest game in Buffalo's history. They were one win away from having their name on a bracket. It's the best way a college basketball program can market and promote itself.
???True Blue, usually loud and supportive, provided a faint whisper compared to the AK Rowdies' yell. It was not their fault. There were hundreds of feet between them and the court.
???Don't forget to mention that Buffalo's fan support looked dismal on national television. There was no noise and a lack of visible blue on screen. True Blue would have established an impressive support system on TV even though they were truly outnumbered.
???Ask the players and head coach Reggie Witherspoon. They relished the opportunity to play in front of their home fans, especially True Blue, every home game.
???Must have been tough for the team to see their support system treated like second-class citizens.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
