Akron is called the “Zips” because the University of Akron originally chose the nickname “Zippers” in the 1920s to honor a popular rubber overshoe made by the B.F. Goodrich Company in Akron; it was later shortened to “Zips” in 1950.

Why Is Akron Called the Zips?

Quick Scoop

  • In the 1920s, the University of Akron held a campus-wide contest to pick a new athletic nickname.
  • A student, Margaret Hamlin, suggested “Zippers” , inspired by a fashionable rubber overshoe made by the local B.F. Goodrich Company.
  • The name was chosen, and Hamlin reportedly won a $10 prize for her idea.
  • In 1950, the athletic director shortened “Zippers” to the punchier “Zips,” which the school has used ever since.

So the nickname doesn’t come from speed or zippers on clothes in general—it’s a nod to Akron’s historic rubber industry and a specific brand of overshoes that “zipped” on and became a local icon.

A Bit of Story and Local Flavor

Back in the 1920s, Akron was a powerhouse of the rubber industry, with companies like B.F. Goodrich shaping the city’s identity. During a campus contest to define who they were as a sports community, students leaned into that industrial pride.

Hamlin’s “Zippers” suggestion referenced a popular B.F. Goodrich rubber overshoe, marketed under the Zipper name and known for its easy, fast fastening—something that felt modern and energetic at the time. Over time, people wanted something shorter and snappier for cheers, headlines, and uniforms, so “Zippers” naturally evolved into “Zips.”

Today, the Zips nickname is tightly tied to both the university and the city’s history, making it one of the more distinctive identities in college sports.

Extra Fun Fact: Zips and the Kangaroo

If you’ve ever seen Akron’s kangaroo mascot, Zippy, that’s tied into the same nickname tradition. The school added a kangaroo as a costumed mascot decades after adopting “Zippers,” then “Zips,” to give the name a lively, recognizable character on the sidelines.

Simple HTML Table of Key Facts

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Item Detail
Original nickname “Zippers,” after a B.F. Goodrich rubber overshoe made in Akron.
Nickname chosen Via a campus contest in the 1920s (often cited as 1925–1927).
Student who suggested it Margaret Hamlin, who won a $10 prize.
Shortened to “Zips” 1950, by athletic director Kenneth “Red” Cochrane.
Mascot Zippy the kangaroo, created later to personify the Zips identity.

Mini Forum-Style Take

“People think it’s about being fast, but really it goes back to rubber overshoes and the Goodrich ‘Zipper’—peak Akron factory-town energy turned into a college sports brand.”

Trending / “Latest News” Angle

The question “why is Akron called the Zips” still pops up in sports blogs, trivia pieces, and fandom discussions, especially during March Madness or football season when Akron gets national TV time. Writers often highlight the nickname as one of the most unique in Division I athletics, precisely because it’s rooted in a specific industrial product rather than an animal or generic warrior-type name.

TL;DR: Akron is called the Zips because the school adopted “Zippers” in the 1920s after a B.F. Goodrich rubber overshoe, then shortened it to “Zips” in 1950, keeping a permanent link to the city’s rubber-industry past.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.