Akron followers have not been in a position to take pleasure in a bowl recreation that includes their workforce since 2017, when Terry Bowden led this system to the postseason. Sadly for Zips followers, the FBS’ fourth-longest bowl drought will proceed till not less than 2026.
The Zips have been handed a postseason ban for the 2025 season after posting a failing Educational Progress Price rating for 2023-24. Akron soccer posted a 914 multi-year APR rating, under the 930 threshold required to stay eligible for postseason competitors. The APR measurement is constructed to calculate how successfully universities preserve their athletes on monitor to remain eligible and graduate academically.
Akron was handed observe reductions through the 2024 season as an preliminary punishment for poor APR, however failing to achieve the mark in consecutive seasons led to the postseason ban. The Zips posted only a 920 APR for the 2023-24 college yr.
The NCAA suspended APR eligibility necessities for a interval following the pandemic as a consequence of affordable interruptions to universities and athletics. Nonetheless, they have been introduced again final yr. Faculties are judged for his or her athletes’ efficiency over a four-year timespan.
“Some groups encounter difficulties with reaching a 930 as a consequence of numerous challenges on campus, however we’ve sources and packages in place to supply tutorial help,” then-chair Robert Davies stated when measurements have been reintroduced in 2023.
Akron was one among solely three soccer packages to hit a multi-year APR price low sufficient to overlook the postseaso throughout all of Division I. Mississippi Valley State and UAPB within the FCS ranks can even be ineligible for postseason play. Florida A&M, Missouri State, Murray State and Utah Tech all acquired observe time reductions for low APR charges.
In keeping with Reddit CFB, there have solely been 4 FBS groups to fail wanting APR eligibility requirements up to now decade. LSU and New Mexico State each fell under the 930 mark through the pandemic pause. Idaho was the final program to obtain a postseason ban, and so they later opted to reclassify to the FCS stage.
Akron has gone 8-28 in three seasons below coach Joe Moorhead and has not recorded greater than 4 wins since 2017. This system solely has three bowl appearances in program historical past, two of which got here below Bowden.