by Jessica Whitehill
Summer can be a very quiet time on a university campus, particularly in and around athletic facilities as student-athletes take time off between seasons. But not at The University of Akron (UA). Not this year.
Throughout the summer, the buzz of machinery announced that workers were busy installing new artificial turf at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field and completely overhauling UA’s Lee R. Jackson Track and Field Complex.
Activity hummed inside facilities too, as staff prepared signage and uniforms featuring the new “A” logo that replaces the Zip Athletics traditional “Z”—part of an athletics-wide rebranding initiative.
From ‘Z’ to ‘A’
In a University-wide announcement about the logo, President Gary L. Miller noted the new brand’s intentional ties to the community.
“We consider our athletic program to be one of our most important community partnerships,” Miller said during his 2022 State of the University address. “[The facilities renovations] will improve the experience not only for the athletes, but also offer some opportunities for the community to enjoy our wonderful facilities.
“This new mark pays homage to the University’s heritage and its unbreakable connection with the City of Akron and presents a strong image that reflects our determination to rise and excel,” he added.
Director of Athletics Charles Guthrie feels the community will connect with the new athletics logo and mark, which was unveiled in May 2022. The logo was a recommendation that came from the University’s Athletics Working Group, which is made up of student-athletes, faculty, staff and community representatives.
A timely update
It was a long time coming, Guthrie believes. When he arrived at UA in 2021, there were no fewer than eight versions of the athletics logo in use.
The new design—a bold and distinctive “A” that incorporates the previous “Z”—along with a companion version that incorporates the word “Akron” is the anchor in a comprehensive and unified visual brand identity.
“When you have so many things going on, it doesn’t tell who you are,” Guthrie said. “We needed to find the true identity of who we are, which is Akron. And the ‘A’ stands for Akron.”
Rising together
The UA athletics facility improvements are being made possible by $4.7 million in donor commitments announced earlier in 2022. These donations are part of the University's "We Rise Together–The Campaign for The University of Akron," launched in March of 2020 with a goal of raising $150 million in new funds.
A key area for the campaign is to "Live up to our promises" and donations to Akron Athletics enable the program to deliver excellence to UA student-athletes.
The new turf was installed during the summer and will benefit both the UA football and lacrosse programs. Guthrie also hopes the improvements will enable UA to host high school football games that can potentially draw thousands of spectators, such as the annual rivalry matchup between Akron schools Archbishop Hoban and St. Vincent-St. Mary. He also expects to continue to host community gatherings such as the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps events.
The track and field complex will be accessible to the campus and public during business hours as it was before the renovation.
“Being able to connect the community to the campus through health and fitness is a great thing for us all,” Guthrie said. “We’re surrounded by health care facilities and, in the past, doctors and nurses have come up to run on the track. We’re hoping the campus as a whole will take advantage of it to walk and run.”
Practical partnerships
A new practice facility for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, that’s expected to come online this winter, will mean increased flexibility for the use of James A. Rhodes Arena, affectionately known as the JAR. The teams will continue to play their home games there, but moving practices to a dedicated facility opens up the 5,500-seat arena as a home for both winter and spring Commencement ceremonies for the foreseeable future.
The Oliver J. Ocasek Natatorium, home to the UA women’s swimming and diving program, will feature a new video board that has the potential to draw larger community swimming events.
“We’re looking forward to many of these facilities improvements increasing our capability to rent, which drives more revenue to the University,” Guthrie said.
Guthrie believes the Akron community will connect with the new facilities and new brand because of the strong historic affinity that many Akronites have for the University.
“The University of Akron is the City. If you look at us as a research institution in the heart of the city, we’re just as much of a heartbeat as anything else,” he said. “Our reach goes far beyond the campus, the City and even Summit County. There are large numbers of alumni in this area who tell us that the University has educated and opened doors for them, and they have been able to pass on that legacy to the next generation.”