The past year for The University of Akron sports programs has been filled with excitement, change and heartbreak. In November, the Zips football team earned the MAC East Title after their 24-12 Wagon Wheel Victory over rival, Kent State. The Zips then began preparing to face off against MAC West Champions, The University of Toledo Rockets. On Sat., Dec. 2 the teams headed to Detroit, MI to compete in the 2017 Mid-American Conference at Ford Field. Upon a heartbreaking first half, the Zips continued to fall to the Rockets, losing 45-28. Following the loss, the team focused their sights on the upcoming Boca Raton Bowl. Coming into the match the Zips (7-7 overall) knew there was work to be done to beat Florida Atlantic University (11-3 overall). However, the four second-half touchdowns made by FAU proved to be too much for Akron to overcome, losing 50-3 to Florida. “Overall, I thought the season went pretty well. We were able to accomplish most of our goals, despite the many...

Those already or looking to be involved in The University of Akron’s esports team got together for their first forum to discuss the future of the team. The forum began with President Matthew Wilson talking about the impact that esports has and will have on the University itself. He also stressed on how it will be compared to other sporting events, as a testament to the sports growing popularity. The Director of Esports, Michael Fay Jr., then took the stand. He spent his time mostly talking about the details that others have been looking for. It was announced that there will be five different teams spotted in four different locations, one of which being off campus. The team captains have also been selected. The teams will be separated by the game the teams will be playing. The teams will be made through a five-hour tryout session during this month. Scholarships were also a topic discussed, as the University will look to create scholarships for those who are part of the...

On Friday, April 13th the Akron RubberDucks held their home opener against the Trenton Thunder at Canal Park in downtown Akron. This year’s opening day marked the teams 22nd anniversary as Akron’s premier minor league baseball team, and with a sold-out game, the community certainly showed their support for the beloved team.   “It was great to see the community come together to support the Akron RubberDucks with a sold-out game for their first game of the season,” Kendall Martis said, a senior accounting major at UA and opening day attendee.     The game started off rather uneventful as both teams seemed to be evenly matched well into the game. However, by the fifth inning, the Ducks pulled ahead with a 1-0 lead against the Trenton Thunder. But then Trenton answered back quickly scoring runs in both the seventh and eighth innings, taking a 2-1 lead. This was the final score, leaving the RubberDucks with a 4-5 record early in the season. “I love RubberDucks games...

After posting a record of 29-28 while going 12-12 in the Mid-American Conference a year ago, this year’s Akron Zips softball team will need to adapt without their ace pitcher if they want to take home the MAC title. Their road to Firestone Stadium and the MAC Tournament begins this weekend right here in Akron. The Zips will host the Toledo Rockets at Lee R. Jackson Field on Friday, March 23 at 3 pm, as well as Saturday for a doubleheader scheduled for 1 and 3 pm. Although the Zips were given two votes to win the MAC Championship in the 2018 MAC preseason coaches poll, Akron faces an uphill battle if they want to seize the title in their home city come tournament time in May. Reigning MAC Freshman of the Year and the ace in the circle for the Zips, Lexie Handley, will miss the entire 2018 season due to injury. This is a huge blow, as Handley finished her freshman season in the top five in the conference in starts, appearances, innings pitched, wins, strikeouts, opponent batting average,...

The University of Akron recently announced their plans to begin the first varsity esports team at a University in Northern Ohio. Esports, better know as organized high-level multiplayer gaming. Competitions take place among other collegiate teams, in front of large audiences. Most esports tournaments are also lived streamed on the internet or broadcasted on television, creating a demand students with an interest in the media side of esports. The University of Akron is set to join only 45 other universities as they begin a varsity esports team, starting in the fall of 2018. A variety of esports teams will be competing in games, such as the League of Legends, Rocket League, HearthStone, OverWatch, and many more to be revealed. “UA implementing an esports team is a dream come true, I’ve been playing for years - competing in similar esports tournaments through AVGL, a collegiate tournament organizer. I’ve competed on a team comprised of Kent State and The University of Toledo...