Akron Zips

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Akron Zips
Akron Zips logo 2022.svg
University University of Akron
Conference Mid-American Conference (primary)
Big East Conference (men's soccer
Great America Rifle Conference
NCAA Division I (FBS)
Athletic director Charles Guthrie
Location Akron, Ohio
Varsity teams17
Football stadium InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field
Arena James A. Rhodes Arena
Mascot Zippy the Kangaroo
NicknameZips
Fight songAkron Blue & Gold
ColorsBlue and gold [1]
   
Website www.gozips.com
Akron is a member of the Mid-American Conference MAC logo in Akron colors.svg
Akron is a member of the Mid-American Conference

The Akron Zips are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, United States. The Zips compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East division. [2] [3] Akron sponsors 17 varsity teams across six men's, 10 women's, and one coed NCAA sanctioned sports. The football team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level of competition for college football. [4]

Contents

Nickname and mascot

The Zips name comes from "zippers", rubber overshoes made by the BF Goodrich Company of Akron that were popular in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1925, a campus-wide contest had been conducted to choose a nickname for the university's athletic teams. Suggestions submitted by students, faculty, and alumni included Golden Blue Devils, Tip Toppers, Rubbernecks, Hillbillies, Kangaroos, and Cheveliers. The winner, freshman Margaret Hamlin, received a prize of $10 for "Zippers". Athletic director Kenneth Cochrane officially shortened the nickname to Zips in 1950.

The university's mascot is "Zippy", a female kangaroo. Zippy is one of only eight female college mascots in the United States. [5]

Men's sportsWomen's sports
Baseball Basketball
Basketball Cross country
Football Golf
Soccer Lacrosse
Track and field†Soccer
Softball
Swimming & diving
Track and field†
Volleyball
Co-ed sports
Rifle
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor

Teams

Baseball

Akron reinstated its varsity baseball program for the 2020 season (2019–20 school year) after having dropped the sport in 2015.

Basketball

Men's basketball

In 2006, the men's basketball team, under head coach Keith Dambrot, won its first ever Division I postseason game by defeating Temple University in the NIT. [6] The team, led by first team All-MAC performer Romeo Travis (former teammate of NBA star LeBron James in high school), won the most games in a season, 23.

In 2008, Keith Dambrot led Akron to the MAC Tournament Final for a second year in a row, yet the team fell for a second time, this time to archrival Kent State. [7] The Zips advanced to the NIT for a second time in Dambrot's four years as head coach and won their first game at Florida State, [8] eventually falling in the Sweet 16 in a game at UMass. [9]

In 2009, the men's basketball team captured the MAC Tournament title, defeating Buffalo in Cleveland at the Quicken Loans Arena 65–53, thus qualifying Akron for its first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 1986 and first as a MAC member. [10]

In 2010, the team reached the MAC Tournament Championship game for the fourth straight year, but lost to Ohio 75–81 in overtime. [11] The Zips played in the postseason CBI tournament where they lost to Wisconsin–Green Bay 70–66. [12]

The men's basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 2011 and 2013 as well.

Women's basketball

The women's basketball team went to their first NCAA Tournament in 2014 after winning the MAC title. They made the WNIT in 1999, 2013, and 2015 and the WBI in 2015.

The Akron Zips as they play during their 2009 home opener in Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium, a 41-0 victory over Morgan State. InfoCision opening day2.JPG
The Akron Zips as they play during their 2009 home opener in Summa Field at InfoCision Stadium, a 41-0 victory over Morgan State.

Football

Akron's major football rivalry is with Kent State University, whom they play for the Wagon Wheel. They also formerly played Youngstown State University for the Steel Tire until that series was discontinued in 1995. In 2005, the Akron Zips football team won their very first MAC championship giving them a chance to play in the Motor City Bowl, Akron's first Division I-A bowl game appearance where they lost to the University of Memphis.

Rifle

The rifle team went to their first NCAA Championship in the 2019/2020 season after placing 4th in the national standings. The 2020 NCAA Rifle Championship was cancelled after the practice day to Covid. Akron competes as a single-sport member of the Great America Rifle Conference (GARC) after leaving the Mid-Atlantic Rifle Conference (MAC) in 2016. in 2017, Rifle was the first sport that Akron hosted a NCAA National Championship competition and in 2023 hosted Akron's 2nd ever NCAA National Championship competition.

Men's soccer

The Akron Zips men's soccer team, ranked number one throughout the 2009 regular season, went undefeated, making it to the NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship, but lost in penalty kicks to the Virginia Cavaliers.

On December 12, 2010, Akron won the NCAA Division I national championship in men's soccer by defeating the Louisville Cardinals, 1–0. This was the first NCAA team championship for the school in any sport. The Zips play their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium-Cub Cadet Field.

Following the 2012 campaign, head coach Caleb Porter left the Zips to take the head coaching of the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer. The Zips have remained a national power under coach Jared Embick, winning the MAC season and tournament championships in each of his first four seasons.

The Akron Zips Men's Soccer program made their way to another NCAA College Cup in 2018 but fell 1–0 to the Maryland Terrapins in the final.

Akron joined the Big East Conference for men's soccer after the 2022–23 school year. [13]

Other sports

In 2005, the women's cross country team, women's indoor track and the men's soccer team also won the MAC championship in their respective sports, making the 2005–06 year the most successful in Akron athletics history with a total of four Mid-American Conference championships in the same year.

The 2005 men's soccer team was the first team in UA history to hold a national no. 1 ranking in any sport, and was coached by Ken Lolla, now the head coach at the University of Louisville.

The 1978 men's archery team, led by 3-time national individual college champion Richard Bednar and hall-of-fame coach Bill Bednar, was the first team in UA history to win a national collegiate team championship. [14]

The University of Akron has produced five individual national champions, including 4 NCAA national champions: [15]

The newest Zips varsity sport is women's lacrosse, which played its first season in the spring of 2020 as a single-sport member of the ASUN Conference.

A parachutist descends with American flag in tow onto the surface of Summa Field as part of the opening day festivities of the first game ever held in InfoCision Stadium, 2009 InfoCision AmericanFlag.JPG
A parachutist descends with American flag in tow onto the surface of Summa Field as part of the opening day festivities of the first game ever held in InfoCision Stadium, 2009

Facilities

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-American Conference</span> U.S. college sports conference

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members located in Illinois, Indiana, and New York. For football, the MAC participates in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Akron</span> Public university in Akron, Ohio, US

The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity".

Keith Brett Dambrot is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball head coach of Duquesne University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wagon Wheel (trophy)</span>

The Blue and Gold Wagon Wheel, now known simply as the Wagon Wheel, is awarded to the winner of the annual college football game between the Zips of the University of Akron and the Golden Flashes of Kent State University. The trophy is, as the name implies, the wheel from a horse-drawn wagon that is painted blue and gold, the school colors for both universities. It was first contested in 1946 when the rivalry resumed after World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent State Golden Flashes</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Kent State University

The Kent State Golden Flashes are the athletic teams that represent Kent State University. The university fields 19 varsity athletic teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level with football competing in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Kent State is a full member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and has been part of the MAC East division since it was created in 1998. Official school colors are Kent State Blue and Kent State Gold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akron Zips men's basketball</span> Mens basketball team of the University of Akron

The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference East division. The Zips are currently coached by John Groce. Prior to becoming members of the MAC in 1992, the Zips were members of the Ohio Valley Conference and the Mid-Continent Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball</span> NCAA Division 1 program

The Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team represents Kent State University in Kent, Ohio, United States. The Golden Flashes compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division. The team was founded in 1913 and played their first intercollegiate game in January 1915. They joined the Mid-American Conference in 1951 and have played in the East division since the MAC went to the divisional format in 1997. Home games are held at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center, which opened in 1950 and is one of the oldest arenas in college basketball. Rob Senderoff was hired as head coach in 2011, the 24th coach in the program's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akron Zips men's soccer</span> Mens soccer team of the University of Akron

The Akron Zips men's soccer team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of the University of Akron. As of the next National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's soccer season in 2023, the Zips will play in the Big East Conference. This move followed Akron's full-time home of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) shutting down its men's soccer league after the 2022 season. Akron is regularly ranked in the Top 10 NSCAA collegiate men's soccer poll. They have been ranked No. 1 previously in 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2016. The Zips have played their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium-Cub Cadet Field, formerly named Lee R. Jackson Soccer Field and Cub Cadet Field, since 1966. They won their first national championship in 2010.

The 2009–10 University of Akron Zips basketball team represented the University of Akron in the college basketball season of 2009–10. The Zips, led by head coach Keith Dambrot, are members of the Mid-American Conference and played their home games at James A. Rhodes Arena. They finished the season 24–11, 12–4 in MAC play, lost in the championship game of the 2010 MAC men's basketball tournament and were invited to the 2010 College Basketball Invitational where they lost in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009–10 Mid-American Conference men's basketball season</span> Sports season

The 2009–10 Mid-American Conference men's basketball season is the 64th college basketball season in the conference's existence. The conference features 12 teams in two divisions, East and West, who compete for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular season and tournament titles. Kent State won the MAC regular season title with a record of 13–3. Ninth-seeded Ohio won the MAC tournament received the MAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship tournament. There they defeated Georgetown 97–83 before losing to Tennessee in the second round. Armon Bassett of Ohio was named the tournament MVP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akron Zips baseball</span>

The Akron Zips baseball team is the varsity intercollegiate athletic team representing the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio, United States. The team plays in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The program plays at Skeeles Field, which had been the Zips' home from 1967 to 2015.

The 2011–12 Akron Zips men's basketball team represented the University of Akron during the 2011–12 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Zips, led by eighth year head coach Keith Dambrot, played their home games at James A. Rhodes Arena and were members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. The Zips finished the season 22–12, 13–3 in MAC play to finish as East Division champions and overall regular season champions. Akron failed to win the MAC tournament losing in the championship game to Ohio. As regular season champions, the Zips received an automatic bid into the National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to Northwestern.

The 2012–13 Akron Zips men's basketball team represented the University of Akron during the 2012–13 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Zips, led by ninth year head coach Keith Dambrot, played their home games at James A. Rhodes Arena and were members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 26–7, 14–2 in MAC play to finish in a tie with Ohio for the East Division championship and the overall MAC regular season championship. They were also champions of the MAC tournament, defeating Ohio in the championship game, to earn the conference's automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA tournament where they lost in the second round to VCU.

The 2013–14 Akron Zips men's basketball team represented the University of Akron during the 2013–14 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Zips, led by tenth year head coach Keith Dambrot, played their home games at the James A. Rhodes Arena as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 21–13, 12–6 in MAC play to finish in second place in the East Division. They advanced to the semifinals of the MAC tournament where they lost to Western Michigan. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they lost in the first round to IPFW.

The 2010–11 Akron Zips men's basketball team represented the University of Akron during the 2010–11 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Zips, led by seventh year head coach Keith Dambrot, played their home games at the James A. Rhodes Arena as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference(MAC). They finished the season 23–13, 9–7 in MAC play to finish in fourth place in the East Division. They won the MAC tournament after defeating Kent State in overtime in the championship game. They received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as a fifteen seed in the southeast regional where they lost in the first round to the #2 seeded Notre Dame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–16 Akron Zips men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2015–16 Akron Zips men's basketball team represented the University of Akron during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Zips, led by 12th year head coach Keith Dambrot, played their home games at the James A. Rhodes Arena as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. Akron finished the season 26–9, 13–5 record in conference, winning the East Division title as well as the overall regular season MAC championship. The Zips advanced to the championship of the MAC tournament where they lost to Buffalo. As a regular season conference champion who failed to win their conference title, they received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they lost to Ohio State in the first round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 Akron Zips men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2016–17 Akron Zips men's basketball team represented the University of Akron during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Zips, led by 13th-year head coach Keith Dambrot, played their home games at the James A. Rhodes Arena as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 27–9, 14–4 in MAC play to win the MAC East Division and MAC overall regular season championship. They defeated Eastern Michigan and Ball State to advance to the championship game of the MAC tournament where they lost to Kent State, losing in the championship game for the second consecutive year. As a regular season conference champion who failed to win their conference tournament, they received an automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament where they defeated Houston in the first round before losing to Texas–Arlington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 Akron Zips men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 Akron Zips men's basketball team represented the University of Akron during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Zips, led by first-year head coach John Groce, played their home games at the James A. Rhodes Arena as members of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. They finished the season 14–18, 6–12 in MAC play to finish in last place in the East Division. In the MAC tournament, they defeated Western Michigan in the first round before losing to Eastern Michigan in the quarterfinals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 NCAA Division I men's soccer championship game</span> Football match

The 2018 NCAA Division I men's soccer championship game was the final game of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament, determining the national champion for the 2018 NCAA Division I men's soccer season. The match was played on December 9, 2018 at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, California, a soccer-specific stadium that is home to UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's and women's soccer programs.

The 2008–09 Akron Zips men's basketball team represented the University of Akron in the 2008–09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Zips, led by head coach Keith Dambrot, played their home games at Rhodes Arena in Akron, Ohio, as members of the Mid-American Conference. The Zips won the 2009 MAC tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament as the 13th seed in the South region. Akron lost its first-round game in the tournament to Gonzaga, 77–64.

References

  1. ↑ The University of Akron Department of Athletics Brand Guide (PDF). June 19, 2018. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  2. ↑ "University of Akron". NCAA & Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Official Site of the Mid-American Conference". Mid-American Conference. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  4. ↑ "Akron Zips". The University of Akron. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Zippy's Identity Crisis". The Buchtelite. November 14, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Chaney's career over as Temple falls in NIT first round". ESPN.com.
  7. ↑ "Kent State crushes Akron to complete season-long dominance of MAC". ESPN.com.
  8. ↑ "Akron 65, Florida St. 60". ESPN.com.
  9. ↑ "Massachusetts 68, Akron 63". ESPN.com.
  10. ↑ "Freshman guard Hitchens sparks Akron to its first NCAA tourney berth since 1986". ESPN.com.
  11. ↑ "Ohio overcomes Akron in overtime, earns improbable NCAA tournament bid". ESPN.com.
  12. ↑ "Green Bay Phoenix vs. Akron Zips - Box Score - March 17, 2010 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
  13. ↑ "BIG EAST Adds Akron For Men's Soccer" (Press release). Big East Conference. November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  14. ↑ Archery World, "1978 Intercollegiate National Championships," Sept 1978, Vol 27, No 5, p84
  15. ↑ "College life at UA: Athletics : The University of Akron". www.uakron.edu. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Barber captures third NCAA title to lead Zips' efforts on the opening day of the NCAA Championship". GoZips.com. June 10, 2015. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Jenna Compton Named No. 3 Female Athlete in School History". GoZips.com. October 3, 2012. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Stevi Large Gruber Named No. 2 Female Athlete In School History". GoZips.com. October 2, 2012. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Christi Smith Named No. 1 Female Athlete In School History". GoZips.com. October 5, 2012. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
  20. ↑ "UA athlete is national champion : UA News". UAkron.edu.
  21. ↑ "Inductee - William Bednar - Archery Hall of Fame and Museum".
  22. ↑ "2020 Baseball Schedule". University of Akron Athletics.
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