Rubber Bowl
Encyclopedia
The Rubber Bowl is a stadium
in Akron
, Ohio
primarily used for American football
. From 1940 to 2008, it served as the home field of the University of Akron
's Zips football team
. Today, it is occasionally used for high school football.
It is named after the predominance of the tire
industry in Akron.
The stadium opened in 1940, has a capacity of 31,000, and is located about three miles southeast of the main campus, next to Akron Fulton International Airport
.
The Rubber Bowl has hosted 324 Akron Zips football games, 19 preseason Cleveland Browns
’ games, a regular-season NFL game, over 1,500 high school games (including several Ohio High School Athletic Association
playoff games), soccer matches, concerts and shows.
In the Summer of 1988,the stadium played host to Van Halen's "Monsters of Rock" tour.The show was headlined by Van Halen and featured Metallica on the bill as well. In 1998 Ozzfest
was held at the Rubber Bowl instead of its normal Akron/Cleveland venue the Blossom Music Center
.
. It was the 324th and final scheduled Zips game in history and included a special ceremony (pictured) with current and former players and coaches to honor the 68-year history of the stadium after the game.
The game was nationally televised on ESPN and featured the two teams tied for first place in the Mid-American Conference
's Eastern Division with identical 5-4 (3-2) records entering the game. Buffalo defeated the Zips 43-40 in four overtimes in front of a crowd of 18,516. For the Zips, it was the first four-overtime game in school history and also the first overtime loss in school history. The win for the Bulls guaranteed bowl eligibility and led to their eventual MAC East Division title and later overall MAC title after they won the 2008 MAC Championship Game
in December.
The first game was held on September 12, 2009 against the Morgan State Bears, the second game of their 2009 season.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Akron
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
primarily used for American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. From 1940 to 2008, it served as the home field of the University of Akron
University of Akron
The University of Akron is a coeducational public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. The university is part of the University System of Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of...
's Zips football team
Akron Zips football
The University of Akron Zips are a college football program representing the University of Akron that competes in NCAA Division I FBS Mid-American Conference football...
. Today, it is occasionally used for high school football.
It is named after the predominance of the tire
Tire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
industry in Akron.
The stadium opened in 1940, has a capacity of 31,000, and is located about three miles southeast of the main campus, next to Akron Fulton International Airport
Akron Fulton International Airport
Akron Fulton International Airport is a general aviation airport located in Akron, a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. It is owned by the City of Akron. This airport is included in the FAA's National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2011–2015 which categorized it as a general...
.
History
Prior to playing at the Rubber Bowl, the Zips football teams played at Buchtel Field.The Rubber Bowl has hosted 324 Akron Zips football games, 19 preseason Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
’ games, a regular-season NFL game, over 1,500 high school games (including several Ohio High School Athletic Association
Ohio High School Athletic Association
The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...
playoff games), soccer matches, concerts and shows.
In the Summer of 1988,the stadium played host to Van Halen's "Monsters of Rock" tour.The show was headlined by Van Halen and featured Metallica on the bill as well. In 1998 Ozzfest
Ozzfest
Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organize each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne...
was held at the Rubber Bowl instead of its normal Akron/Cleveland venue the Blossom Music Center
Blossom Music Center
Blossom Music Center is an amphitheatre located in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The pavilion seats 5,700 people, with space for about 13,500 more on the lawn. It is the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra, which performs its annual Blossom Festival there. The venue is also host to a full summer...
.
Timeline
- October 5, 1940
- First Akron Zips football game at Rubber Bowl.
- November 9, 1940
- First Akron Zips victory at Rubber Bowl.
- November 27, 1952
- In a "home" Thanksgiving DayThanksgiving ClassicThe National Football League's Thanksgiving Classic is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It has been a regular occurrence since the league's inception in 1920. Since 2006, three games are played every Thanksgiving...
game for the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Dallas TexansDallas Texans (NFL)The Dallas Texans played in the National Football League for one season, 1952, with a record of 1–11.-History:After the 1951 NFL season, the financially troubled New York Yanks franchise were put on the market. Ted Collins had founded that franchise in 1944 as the Boston Yanks, moved it to New...
, which was taken over by the league after ownership fell apart, the Texans earned a 27-23 upset victory against the George HalasGeorge HalasGeorge Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
-coached Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who had started their entire second-string team because Halas was confident of winning. It would be the Texans' only win in their franchise history.
- September 30, 1961
- First Akron Zips sellout crowd at Rubber Bowl.
- 1971
- The stadium was sold to the University of Akron from the City of Akron for one dollar. The city still uses it for various public school functions.
- 1983
- New carpet playing surface installed.
- October 16, 1986
- Akron Zips make their first appearance on ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
- 1988
- The stadium played host to Van HalenVan HalenVan Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
, ScorpionsScorpions (band)Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, DokkenDokkenDokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
, MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, and Kingdom ComeKingdom Come (band)Kingdom Come is a hard rock band fronted by Hamburg-born vocalist Lenny Wolf. The group's first album, Kingdom Come was that band's only international hit. It currently consists of an entirely German line-up.-History:...
in 1988 on Van Halen's "Monsters of Rock" tour.
- November 24, 2001
- Akron Zips beat Eastern Michigan 65-62; 127 combined points marked the highest scoring game in Rubber Bowl history.
- 2003
- New AstroPlayAstroTurfAstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
playing surface installed.
- September 20, 2003
- Akron Zips defeat Howard 65-7; the 65 points registered by the Zips tied the mark for most points scored by Akron at the Rubber Bowl in a single game.
- November 13, 2008
- Zips played the last game they will ever play in the Rubber Bowl against Buffalo, losing 40-43 after quadruple overtime. The Rubber Bowl was in disrepair and the University of AkronUniversity of AkronThe University of Akron is a coeducational public research university located in Akron, Ohio, United States. The university is part of the University System of Ohio. It was founded in 1870 as a small college affiliated with the Universalist Church. In 1913 ownership was transferred to the City of...
decided instead of renovating the Rubber Bowl, it would be best to build an on campus stadium, Infocision Stadium/Summa Field.
Final game
The last scheduled Akron Zips football game at the Rubber Bowl took place on November 13, 2008 against the Buffalo Bulls2008 Buffalo Bulls football team
The 2008 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. 2008 was a season of firsts for the Bulls. With a 40-34 double overtime win over Bowling Green on November 21, the Bulls won the MAC East division and gained a berth...
. It was the 324th and final scheduled Zips game in history and included a special ceremony (pictured) with current and former players and coaches to honor the 68-year history of the stadium after the game.
The game was nationally televised on ESPN and featured the two teams tied for first place in the Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
's Eastern Division with identical 5-4 (3-2) records entering the game. Buffalo defeated the Zips 43-40 in four overtimes in front of a crowd of 18,516. For the Zips, it was the first four-overtime game in school history and also the first overtime loss in school history. The win for the Bulls guaranteed bowl eligibility and led to their eventual MAC East Division title and later overall MAC title after they won the 2008 MAC Championship Game
2008 MAC Championship Game
The 2008 Marathon MAC Championship Game was played on December 5, 2008 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the Ball State Cardinals, of the West Division, and the Buffalo Bulls, of the East Division...
in December.
InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field
On August 1, 2007, University of Akron officials announced the approval of a new stadium. Construction for InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field started in January 2008 with the demolition of dorms and houses on the stadium footprint. An official ground breaking was on held April 4, 2008.The first game was held on September 12, 2009 against the Morgan State Bears, the second game of their 2009 season.
External links
- Rubber Bowl @ GoZips.com
- Akron Insider: Tour the Rubber Bowl press box @ GoZips.com
- Memorable Rubber Bowl Moments III @ GoZips.com
- Rubber Bowl Memories IV - History Corrections @ GoZips.com
- Rubber Bowl Memories Enter 21st Century @ GoZips.com
- Final Rubber Bowl Game Features MAC East Leaders @ GoZips.com
- Final Rubber Bowl Memory Will be Thursday @ GoZips.com
- Rubber Bowl Finale; Akron (40)-Buffalo (43) in 4OT @ GoZips.com