Helena Frye
The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron, Ohio. The team has had a rich history in college basketball, playing in various conferences over the years. Beginning in the Ohio Athletic Conference in 1923, the Zips have since competed in the Mid-Continent Conference, the Ohio Valley Conference, and the Mid-American Conference, where they currently play in the East division. With a strong record of appearances in NCAA tournaments and a dedicated home crowd at the James A. Rhodes Arena, the Akron Zips have established themselves as a notable team in college basketball.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Team Name | Akron Zips |
| University | University of Akron |
| Location | Akron, Ohio |
| Current Conference | Mid-American Conference (MAC) |
| Division | East |
| Arena | James A. Rhodes Arena |
| Coach | John Groce |
| Previous Conferences | Ohio Valley Conference, Mid-Continent Conference, Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) |
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What You'll Learn
Akron Zips men's basketball team
The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East division. The Zips are currently coached by John Groce, who took over the role from Keith Dambrot. Dambrot had previously coached at nearby St. Vincent - St. Mary High School in Akron and had coached LeBron James.
The Zips began play in the Ohio Athletic Conference in 1923, competing until 1965, except for a break between 1936 and 1944 when the University left the OAC and competed independently. During their first season back in the OAC, Akron was involved in what could be considered the first gambling scandal in college basketball history, with five Brooklyn College players arrested for attempting to throw a game against them. The Zips then played in the NCAA Division II in the mid-1970s, reaching the National Championship Game twice, although they lost both times.
Akron attained NCAA Division I status in 1980 and began play in the Ohio Valley Conference. In 1983, they moved into their current arena, the James A. Rhodes Arena. In 1984, Bob Huggins began coaching the team, leading the Zips to the 1986 OVC title and tournament title, earning their first berth in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The team has appeared in the NCAA tournament seven times, most recently in 2025, with their first appearance being in 1986. They have also won two MAC East division titles, in 2007 and 2009.
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Mid-American Conference
The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), an NCAA Division I athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region, stretching from Western New York to Illinois.
The MAC was founded in 1946 and its members compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division I. The conference is headquartered in the Public Square district in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, and has two members in the nearby Akron area. The five charter members of the MAC were Ohio University, Butler University, the University of Cincinnati, Wayne University (now Wayne State University), and Western Reserve University.
The Akron Zips joined the MAC for the 1992-1993 season, and since then, they have appeared in 23 conference tournaments, making their first appearance in 1998. The Zips have won the MAC East division title three times, in 1998, 2007, and again in 2010. They have also appeared in seven NCAA tournaments, most recently in 2025.
The MAC sponsors championship competitions in 9 men's and 13 women's NCAA-sanctioned sports, with women's lacrosse becoming the newest sport in the 2020-21 academic year. The conference ranks highest among all ten NCAA Division I FBS conferences for graduation rates.
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Ohio Valley Conference
The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron, based in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division.
Before joining the MAC in 1992, the Zips were members of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). They joined the OVC in 1980 and played their home games at the James A. Rhodes Arena, which remains their arena to this day.
During their time in the OVC, the Akron Zips experienced some notable successes. In the 1985-86 season, under the leadership of coach Bob Huggins, the team won the OVC title and tournament title. This victory earned them a berth in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, where they faced the Michigan Wolverines and put up a strong fight despite ultimately losing the game.
The following season, the Zips continued their winning streak in the OVC, securing a berth in the 1987 National Invitation Tournament (NIT). After their successful run in the OVC, the team had a brief stint as independents from 1987 to 1990.
The Akron Zips have a rich basketball history that predates their time in the OVC. In the 1920s, the team began playing at the Akron Armory, just off-campus. From 1923 to 1965, they competed in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), with a hiatus between 1936 and 1944 when the University left the OAC and competed independently. During their time in the OAC, they won 8 conference titles and 5 tournament titles.
Since joining the MAC, the Akron Zips have continued to build on their basketball legacy, appearing in numerous conference tournaments and posting impressive records.
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Mid-Continent Conference
The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East division. Before joining the MAC in 1992, the Zips were members of the Ohio Valley Conference and the Mid-Continent Conference.
The Mid-Continent Conference, now known as the Summit League, is an NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic conference. It was founded as the Association of Mid-Continent Universities in 1982 and rebranded as the Mid-Continent Conference in 1989. The conference can trace its roots back to 1978 when it was founded as the Mid-Continent Athletic Association, a football-only conference playing in Division II.
The inaugural members of the Mid-Continent Athletic Association were the University of Akron, Eastern Illinois University, University of Northern Iowa, Northern Michigan University, Western Illinois University, and Youngstown State University. Akron left after the 1979 season, and the conference moved to Division I-AA in 1981. In 1982, the association was officially renamed the Association of Mid-Continent Universities, and it continued to sponsor football at the Division I-AA level until 1984.
In 1990, Akron rejoined the Mid-Continent Conference and competed for two seasons before officially beginning play in the MAC in 1992. The Summit League's membership currently consists of nine full members and six associate members, with its headquarters in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
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NCAA Division I status
The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. The team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division. The Zips attained NCAA Division I status in 1980 and began play in the Ohio Valley Conference that fall.
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic powers, with large budgets, more elaborate facilities, and more athletic scholarships than Divisions II and III. Division I athletic programs generated $8.7 billion in revenue in the 2009-2010 academic year, with football and men's basketball typically being a university's only profitable sports.
In 1973, the NCAA membership was divided into three legislative and competitive divisions – I, II, and III. Generally, larger schools compete in Division I and smaller schools in II and III. Division I football was further divided into I-A and I-AA in 1978, which were renamed the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in 2006.
For the 2020-21 school year, Division I contained 357 of the NCAA's 1,066 member institutions, with 130 in the FBS, 127 in the FCS, and 100 non-football schools. In 2012, a moratorium was placed on any additional movement up to D-I until 2012. After this, any school that wanted to move to D-I had to be accepted for membership by a conference and demonstrate the financial ability to support a D-I program.
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Frequently asked questions
The Akron Zips men's basketball team represents the University of Akron, Ohio. They currently compete in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East division.
Akron joined the MAC for the 1992-1993 season.
The Zips finished the 2021-2022 season with a MAC record of 14-6.
The Zips have won the MAC East division title twice, in 2004 and 2007.
They advanced to the championship game for the first time, losing to Miami RedHawks 53-52.
