For Kent State, Flashes’ football success has been golden

Of all of the issues Kent State’s football staff has to organize for every season — opposing quarterbacks, trick performs, unhealthy climate, and so on. — one factor reigns supreme, mentioned athletic director Randale Richmond.

Success.

That’s why, when the Golden Flashes certified for his or her first Mid-American Conference championship recreation in 9 years, they weren’t overwhelmed by the problem of cramming months’ value of planning into seven days.

They have been already ready.

“The complete factor about being ready for success just isn’t being stunned by it,” mentioned Richmond, who was employed at Kent in April.

Kent State formally clinched the East Division with final week’s 48-47 time beyond regulation win over Miami (Ohio), however the division had lengthy been serious about all of the logistical points that include getting a staff — and its help workers, followers, boosters, and so on. — to Detroit on Saturday, Dec. 4.

For followers, the query is, “When and the place can I watch the sport?” (The solutions: 12:07 p.m. on ESPN.) But for the workers and directors, the questions embrace: How many buses do we want? How will we get the band up there? Which VPs need to go? How a lot is it going to value? Will there be a cocktail get together? What are we going to do with the 2012 staff that was the final one to be within the MAC ultimate? Can we get that staff’s coach, Darrell Hazell, to come back again?

“This is the stuff that occurs on Sunday, the place you are going by means of that course of as a substitute of ready for the Browns to disappoint my whole night,” mentioned Richmond, laughing. “But Monday is when it actually hits — and it hits quick, so that you attempt to be ready for it. That’s a part of athletics.”