The University of Akron might have one of the more recognizable — and derided — nicknames in all of college football, but how much do you know about how the Akron Zips mascot and its program came to get the distinctive name? Let’s pull down the veil of mystery and undo misconceptions about the Zips.
Who (or What) Is the Akron Zips Mascot?
Although they began playing football in 1891 — under the name Buchtel College — and became the University of Akron in 1913, the idea of an Akron Zips mascot wasn’t born until 1952 when the UA Student Council decided it was time the program had a mascot. In 1953, a kangaroo became the face of Akron.
The current Akron Zips mascot is a kangaroo called Zippy, and it’s one of just eight female mascots in all of college football. In the 70 years that the Zips have had a mascot, it has undergone many changes. Zippy sports an entirely new look, name change, and presumable gender alteration, given that the original Akron Zips mascot was called Mr. Zip up until 1965.
Why Is the Zips Mascot a Kangaroo?
Why is the Zips mascot a kangaroo? It’s a great question, considering the animal appears to bear no relevance to the university or their nickname. Why would one of the most recognizable animals in Australia be the face of a college football team in America?
The decision to make the Akron Zips mascot a kangaroo was taken by then UA president and Zips revolutionary Dick Hansford.
“Let’s go with something unique,” Hansford told the Akron Beacon Journal. “There’s just so many bulldogs and lions and tigers and whatnot. Why don’t we try a kangaroo?”
Hansford’s theory was that while cuddly and cute in a cartoon world, some kangaroos are aggressive, powerful, and agile. In a sense, you could lift the description straight from the scouting report of a college football player. Why not have a kangaroo be the face of a program?
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To hammer home this tougher image of the kangaroo, designers gave the Akron Zips mascot an aggressive look and boxing gloves in early logos and promotional posters.
However, an actual costumed mascot didn’t appear until 1955. According to reports, it looked much more like a cow than a kangaroo.
The transition from Mr. Zip to Zippy ensured that the new Akron Zips mascot costume had more of a kangaroo look than the original but maintained that aggressive look that Hansford had wanted.
Both costumes, however, had a zip across the pouch to provide the most tenuous of links between the program and mascot.
Why Is Akron Called the Zips?
While many question why the Akron Zips mascot is a kangaroo, the nickname’s origin is almost as big of a question. The Zips name has long been a source of entertainment for rival fans, especially with a lack of on-field results for the program.
Buchtel College and eventually the University of Akron played without a nickname until the 1926 season. In 1925, a contest was held amongst students to decide the program’s nickname. Amongst the suggestions were Rubbernecks, Golden Blue Devils, and bizarrely, given the eventual Akron Zips mascot, the Kangaroos.
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However, the team would eventually take its name due to Akron being the home of B.F. Goodrich at the time. Margaret Hamlin suggested they name the team after a Goodrich brand of boot featuring a metal zipper. The program became the Akron Zippers and stayed that way until 1950.
While the boots had formed the name, by 1950, zippers were more prominent fastenings in trousers. Suddenly, the program was the butt of a joke, and athletic director Ken Cochran decided they would be known as the Akron Zips from that day forth.
