The University of Akron Athletics
Akron Football Bowl Eligible for 2026, Practice Restrictions Lifted
March 04 | Football
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron football program received its first win of the 2026 season as the NCAA Executive Committee eliminated the school's postseason ban, effective immediately, while also removing practice restrictions that were in place for the 2024 and 2025 campaigns.
Akron has received a waiver from the NCAA that will allow the football program to be eligible for the football postseason next year. The waiver includes re-establishing full football practice hours, as Akron only practiced 16 hours last season instead of the normal NCAA allotment of 20. Akron is now eligible for the MAC football championship and a bowl game if it reaches the six-win threshold.
The program showed significant improvement during the 2024-25 academic year, posting a 962 single-year score. The 2024-25 score ties for the team's second-highest mark since the inception of the APR in 2003 and is the highest single-year total the Zips have achieved since 2017-18. The team is on track to post a similar score in the 2025-26 academic year.
"We are very proud of our academic progress and excited about the opportunity to compete in the postseason this fall," Akron Head Football Coach Joe Moorhead stated.
The return of bowl eligibility will provide Akron an avenue with strong results on and off the field to return to the postseason for the first time since 2017. The tangible results of this success will provide the Zips an opportunity to generate positive exposure for the University of Akron and the Zips' program on the regional and national levels.
"We're extremely proud of the academic progress our football student-athletes have made and we're continuing to strive to raise the standard every day," said Director of Athletics Dr. Andrew T. Goodrich. "I am grateful to our students, academic staff, faculty, and coaches that worked so hard to rectify this situation. We are looking forward to continuing this positive momentum into the postseason this fall."
The accomplishment was truly a team effort by UA student-athletes, the football coaching staff and administration, specifically Goodrich, Senior Associate Athletics Director/SWA Jackie Wallgren, Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Academic Services Marc Smith, Coordinator of Academic Support Services Treymaine Danzy, and Coordinator of Academic Support Services Jane Uecker.
The NCAA bowl ban and restrictions on the Akron football program were primarily attributed to the 2021-2022 academic year. A coaching change and necessary roster adjustments caused UA football's APR to fall below the required four-year average. The program dramatically improved its academic performance the following three academic years (2022-2025), but the aggregated score led to the mandatory imposition of the bowl ban.
"Academics have always been a priority at Akron, and I'm incredibly proud of the progress our football program has made to raise its APR," Wallgren said. "It's a result of student-athletes who made the choice to invest in their education, coaches who reinforced those expectations every day, and an academic staff that never wavered in their support."
The athletics department implemented a plan to get the team's APR back on track by identifying current and prospective student-athletes at APR risk and creating additional availability for structured academic support. Additionally, the return of several former Zips to complete their degrees allowed the team to gain bonus points to accelerate the team's APR recovery.
"Throughout this process, our student-athletes continued to make progress toward their degrees and represented our university the right way," Wallgren added. "I'm proud of the standard the team has established and the direction the program is heading. The NCAA's waiver recognizes that effort, and I'm excited to see our student-athletes continue to build on this momentum in the classroom and on the field in 2026."
The 2026 Akron Football program returns an experienced core blended with the infusion of a talented newcomer class with the expectations for the postseason this fall.
Akron has received a waiver from the NCAA that will allow the football program to be eligible for the football postseason next year. The waiver includes re-establishing full football practice hours, as Akron only practiced 16 hours last season instead of the normal NCAA allotment of 20. Akron is now eligible for the MAC football championship and a bowl game if it reaches the six-win threshold.
The program showed significant improvement during the 2024-25 academic year, posting a 962 single-year score. The 2024-25 score ties for the team's second-highest mark since the inception of the APR in 2003 and is the highest single-year total the Zips have achieved since 2017-18. The team is on track to post a similar score in the 2025-26 academic year.
"We are very proud of our academic progress and excited about the opportunity to compete in the postseason this fall," Akron Head Football Coach Joe Moorhead stated.
The return of bowl eligibility will provide Akron an avenue with strong results on and off the field to return to the postseason for the first time since 2017. The tangible results of this success will provide the Zips an opportunity to generate positive exposure for the University of Akron and the Zips' program on the regional and national levels.
"We're extremely proud of the academic progress our football student-athletes have made and we're continuing to strive to raise the standard every day," said Director of Athletics Dr. Andrew T. Goodrich. "I am grateful to our students, academic staff, faculty, and coaches that worked so hard to rectify this situation. We are looking forward to continuing this positive momentum into the postseason this fall."
The accomplishment was truly a team effort by UA student-athletes, the football coaching staff and administration, specifically Goodrich, Senior Associate Athletics Director/SWA Jackie Wallgren, Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Academic Services Marc Smith, Coordinator of Academic Support Services Treymaine Danzy, and Coordinator of Academic Support Services Jane Uecker.
The NCAA bowl ban and restrictions on the Akron football program were primarily attributed to the 2021-2022 academic year. A coaching change and necessary roster adjustments caused UA football's APR to fall below the required four-year average. The program dramatically improved its academic performance the following three academic years (2022-2025), but the aggregated score led to the mandatory imposition of the bowl ban.
"Academics have always been a priority at Akron, and I'm incredibly proud of the progress our football program has made to raise its APR," Wallgren said. "It's a result of student-athletes who made the choice to invest in their education, coaches who reinforced those expectations every day, and an academic staff that never wavered in their support."
The athletics department implemented a plan to get the team's APR back on track by identifying current and prospective student-athletes at APR risk and creating additional availability for structured academic support. Additionally, the return of several former Zips to complete their degrees allowed the team to gain bonus points to accelerate the team's APR recovery.
"Throughout this process, our student-athletes continued to make progress toward their degrees and represented our university the right way," Wallgren added. "I'm proud of the standard the team has established and the direction the program is heading. The NCAA's waiver recognizes that effort, and I'm excited to see our student-athletes continue to build on this momentum in the classroom and on the field in 2026."
The 2026 Akron Football program returns an experienced core blended with the infusion of a talented newcomer class with the expectations for the postseason this fall.
2025 Zips Weekly with Joe Moorhead - Episode #13 - Bowling Green Recap - 11.20.25
Friday, November 21
2025 Zips Weekly with Joe Moorhead - Episode #12 - Kent State Recap - 11.14.25
Saturday, November 15
2025 Akron Zips Football Weekly Press Conference - Week #13 (Bowling Green Week) - 11/13/25
Thursday, November 13
2025 Akron Zips Football Post-Game Press Conference vs. Kent St. with Student-Athletes - 11/11/25
Wednesday, November 12
