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.
