Akron’s Professional, College and Spectator Sports

Akron has its own stock of hometown favorite sports, and obvious access to Cleveland’s national sports and venues.  Below is our list of who plays in Akron in 2012- mind you, this list has gained and lost a variety of other sports over the past century including the first league of Ladies Mud Wrestling in the United States, PBA Championships, Deaf Football, and more!

If you are looking for sports that you can participate in as an adult, click here.

Akron Aeros Minor League Baseball plays at Canal Park- a downtown Akron outdoor sporting venue that is big enough to feel like an event, but small enough to let you know that Akron is your hometown.

The Akron Racers are a National Pro Women’s FastPitch Softball team. Firestone Stadium hosts the National Championship Series for Pro Fastpitch every year.

Rubber City Rollergirls are part of Akron’s pride. These hard hitting women push their way every season into the top of our regional league. The Roller Girls play inside the John S. Knight Center in Downtown Akron.

The Akron Road Runner Marathon is sponsored by Time Warner Cable, and consecutively gains more and more runners each year. The Marathon races across the best neighborhoods in Akron and of course downtown.

The All-American Soap Box Derby is a THE National Soap Box Derby Tournament and has run every year since 1936 at Derby Downs.

NEO Roller Derby is another Women’s Roller Derby Team. They mostly play through the summer.

WGC-Bridgestone Invitational is held yearly at The Firestone Country Club.

College Sports

The University of Akron

The University of Akron Zips- an NCAA Division 1 college.  Teams include

Football – Akron Zips Football plays at the newly (2011) built InfoCision Stadium on Campus.
Men’s Basketball  (In the NCAA Tournament in ’86, ’09, and ’11.

KentState Sports

The Kent State Golden Flashes play for Kent State- a quick 15 minutes over the county line in nearby Kent, Ohio.
Sports played at Kent State include