Akron Football multi-year Academic Progress Rate drops to 914, Zips ineligible for bowl games

Akron football’s multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR) dropped to 914. As a result, the Zips are ineligible for bowl games due to academic reasons.

Akron faced a reduction in practice last season as part of a Level One penalty when the APR fell to 925 – below the 930 threshold for postseason eligibility. However, that number dropped to 914 during the 2023-24 academic year, which means the program is not postseason eligible.

The NCAA suspended certain APR penalties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, but announced those punishments would return for the 2024-25 season. Akron is now set to be the first program to miss the postseason for academic reasons since Idaho from 2014-17. Other programs to fall under 930, such as LSU and New Mexico State in 2023, received a COVID-19 waiver.

Akron Football's multi-year Academic Progress Rate has fallen to 914, and is eliminated from bowl eligibility before the season even starts. They are the first FBS team to become ineligible for a bowl due to academic reasons since 2014 Idaho. pic.twitter.com/gGrpDIwmpV

— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) May 6, 2025

“We strongly believe in the value of the Academic Performance Program, and after an extensive review, we confirmed that the model is effective in promoting an atmosphere of academic excellence and success,” said Jessica Kumke, Horizon League associate commissioner of governance, compliance and legal strategies and co-chair of the review team, in a 2023 statement. 

Akron is one of three programs ruled postseason ineligible, according to the APR. Two others – Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas, Pine Bluff – are not eligible for the FCS postseason due to their multi-year APR.

Missouri State, which is preparing to make the leap from the FCS Missouri Valley Football Conference to FBS Conference USA, will face a practice reduction as part of a Level One penalty for a 924 APR. The Bears are ineligible for bowl games for their first two FBS seasons as they make the transition from FCS.

Akron went 4-8 in 2024, including a 3-5 mark in MAC play in Joe Moorhead’s third season as head coach. The Zips have not played in a bowl games since the Boca Raton Bowl as part of a 7-7 record in 2017. They last finished above .500 in 2015 when they went 8-5 after winning the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

The 2024 season was Moorhead’s best since taking over at Akron. The Zips went 2-10 in each of his first two seasons in 2022 and 2023, following up an identical 2-10 mark in 2021 in the final season under Tom Arth.

Akron is set to kick off the 2025 season at home Aug. 28 against Wyoming. The kickoff time for that game has not yet been announced.