YSU's solution is simple: Win

The Youngstown State men's basketball team will next play at home on Dec. 18 against Wright State in the Penguins' Horizon League opener at Beeghly Center at 7 p.m.
The Penguins have played two home games to date and are 2-0 at home with wins over St. Francis, Pa., and Slippery Rock University.
The attendance at the two home games has been poor, maybe 1,000 (in the seats) for St. Francis and 1,500 for Slippery Rock.
According to YSU coach John Robic, the fault lies with area media.
"I don't think anybody knew we were playing," was Robic's quote following the Slippery Rock game.
Valley roots
I've been covering YSU sports, off and on, for over 26 years and I've lived in this valley all my life. I think I know the fans in the area pretty well.
Give them a winner, and they'll come out in droves. If you're winning, they'll find out when you play and they'll be there. The Penguins took a 1-3 record into the Slippery Rock game, a game that was expected to be lopsided -- and it was.
It's not fair to the current YSU players, but it's still a fact. This year's Penguin team has some of the best talent it's had in years and it's a fun team to watch, but I don't expect to see Beeghly filling up anytime soon unless the wins start to pile up.
The Penguins are 2-4 after Saturday's 86-66 loss at Buffalo, their fourth straight road loss this year. They haven't won a regular season road game since 2001, and that certainly doesn't help attract a crowd at home.
Some football ending notes
According to figures released by the NCAA at the conclusion of the regular season, the YSU football team played the toughest Division I-AA schedule this past fall.
YSU's Division I-AA opponents posted a 63-39 mark for a .618 winning percentage. The Penguins' schedule included five I-AA playoff teams, a Division II playoff participant and eight teams that finished .500-or-better for the year.
The strong Gateway Football Conference landed four schools in the postseason -- Northern Iowa (9-2), Southern Illinois (10-1), Western Kentucky (8-3) and Western Illinois (8-3). Also, Florida Atlantic, a Division I-AA independent, qualified for the playoffs, posting a 9-2 mark. YSU's other non-Gateway I-AA opponent, Liberty, ended the season strong, winning four consecutive games to finish 6-6.
Behind YSU, the teams from Princeton, Sam Houston State, SMS and Morehead State rounded out the top five. Gateway members Illinois State (seventh), Northern Iowa (11th) and Western Kentucky (13th) also placed in the top 15.
Next season, the Penguins are scheduled to travel to McNeese State, the top-seed in the 2003 playoffs.
Thiessen All-Academic
Senior free safety Scott Thiessen of Modesto, Calif., was named to the Gateway Football Conference's Academic first team. Overall, YSU had six players given academic all-conference honors.
Senior linebacker Justin Dellarose of Labelle, Pa., and senior fullback Chris DiMauro of Akron were both second-team all-academic selections. Senior tailback Mike Burns of Niles, sophomore tight end Shawn Carlson of Boardman and sophomore wide receiver Kyle Smith of San Diego earned Honorable-Mention All-Gateway academic honors.
XPete Mollica covers YSU athletics for The Vindicator. Write to him at mollica@vindy.com.