Akron Zips Logo PNG
Although the Akron Zips have a letter logo, it depicts an animal. It’s a kangaroo, the mascot of the university faculty to which the emblem belongs. Designers have condensed it into a single symbol. It’s filled with dynamism and internal energy, ready for a rapid leap forward, taking the form of lightning.
The Akron Zips trace their origins to the University of Akron, founded in 1870 in Ohio, a city shaped by the rubber industry and companies like B.F. Goodrich. The early teams were known as the Buchtelites and Hillbillies before adopting the Zips identity in the 1920s.
The name came from a popular locally produced rubber overshoe called Zipper. In 1925, student Margaret Hamlin proposed “Zips,” and the nickname stayed. A kangaroo mascot named Zippy later became part of the program’s identity.
For decades, Akron competed at a regional level, facing programs like Ohio State and Kent State within a competitive state landscape. A key shift came in 1976, when the university joined the Mid-American Conference, gaining access to Division I schedules and national pathways.
Football saw a breakthrough in 2005 with a MAC championship and a GMAC Bowl win over Northern Illinois. Under Terry Bowden, the program built a more stable structure.
In 2017, Akron won the MAC East Division and reached the conference title game against Toledo, later appearing in the Bahamas Bowl against Florida Atlantic.
Basketball developed more gradually. The team reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2009 and returned in 2013 and 2022, including a MAC title under coach John Groce.
Today, Akron fields 20 varsity teams across multiple sports, including soccer, wrestling, and rifle in the Great America Rifle Conference, maintaining a multi-conference presence within NCAA competition.
Meaning and History
The company’s logo has undergone several transformations, from a yellow “A” to a white “Z.” Initially, it was a single symbol combining the city’s and university’s names. Then, they added a kangaroo named Zippy, a powerful, strong, and enduring animal. In the first version, the kangaroo is depicted in motion; in the second, it is static, with only the upper body shown. In the 2002-2007 logo, the name “Akron Zips” is superimposed over the animal. In 2008, the inscription was removed, leaving a slightly slanted letter “A” in which the crossbar represents the kangaroo’s back.
In the modern version, the letter “Z” has appeared. It originates from the word “zippers,” the zippers on shoes made for the university team by the local company BF Goodrich. This nickname has existed among athletes since 1925. It was proposed by a student, Margaret Hamlin. And in 1950, the head of the sports department, Kenneth Cochrane, shortened it to “Zippy.”
What is Akron Zips?
Akron Zips is a sports division based in Ohio associated with the University of Akron. It is represented in several conferences, including the NCAA (Division I) and the MAC (East Division), and is also part of the FBS. The university’s program includes 17 student teams.
1965 – 1986
1995 – 2002
2002 – 2008
2018 – 2015
2015 – 2021
2021 – 2022
2022 – today
Akron Zips Football
The university’s football team played its first season in 1891. It competes in the Mid-American Conference as a member of the Eastern Division. The head coach is Tom Arth. The team won the MAC championship in 2005. Its main rival is Kent State University.
Akron Zips Basketball
The men’s basketball team, the Akron Zips, won its first Division I game in 2006. Two years later, it participated in the MAC Tournament final. Since 2010, it has played in the MAC Tournament championship for the fourth consecutive year. The women’s team of the same name first participated in the NCAA competitions in 2014.
Akron Zips Soccer
According to NSCAA polls, the university’s men’s soccer team regularly ranks among the top 10. It has topped the tournament tables in 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2016. It won its first national championship in 2010. Jared Embick currently coaches the team.