Some folks may react unfavorably about the move to InfoCision Stadium from the classic Rubber Bowl that hosted Zips games since 1940.  However, the venerable old stadium required much repair, and the dream of a brand new facility on campus drew closer to reality.  In 2009, Akron opened InfoCision Stadium and parked it right amongst the hotspots in campus.  The excitement for this new arena certainly had justification.  It towers high off the main strips in campus.  Akron University has fallen into the rat race for the newer and better when it comes to stadiums.  However, InfoCision Stadium, other than its name, has clung to many traditional aspects of what a college football atmosphere is all about.

With the arena set just off a main quad, the Akron band marches thorough to infuse spirit into fans moving toward the gates.  Outside the stadium rests an impressive statue of John Heisman, who coached Akron’s (then Buchtel College) football and baseball teams in 1893-1894.  It helps to stake a claim on some of the deep rooted tradition that this university has on the landscape of college athletics.  Even the nickname, Zips, is rooted in the rubber making history of this town – Zips is short for “Zippers,” which was a popular brand of rubber overshoes in the 1920s and 1930s.

Overall, Akron football does not always generate national excitement, but this sparkling new stadium with its double decker sides, pyrotechnics, and an entertaining Kangaroo mascot have much of what it takes to set a winning atmosphere in place.