Akron Football Makes Strides in the Classroom

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2019 Season Tickets

Akron, Ohio – In just his first semester at the University of Akron, head football coach Tom Arth has made an impact on his players not only on the gridiron but in the classroom.

With the recent conclusion of the Spring semester, the grades are in, and the Zips have shown vast improvement. As a team, the 85 players on the spring roster combined for a 2.954 grade-point average (GPA), up from 2.466 from Fall 2018 (an increase of 0.488). The average semester GPA improvement was 0.619 per student.

A total of 73 percent of all grades earned were A's or B's. The number of A's earned increased by 83 percent, while the number of A's and B's earned increased by 40 percent from Fall to Spring.

Fifty percent of the team earned a 3.0 GPA for the Spring semester, and 30 percent of the team earned Dean's List recognition.

Six Zips– redshirt freshman LS Kyle Bauman (North Royalton, Ohio), senior CB Hugh Cade (Akron, Ohio), redshirt freshman QB T.J. Deshields (Beloit, Ohio), redshirt sophomore OL Rueben Durkee (Akron, Ohio), sophomore RB Nick Kopczak (Stow, Ohio), and redshirt junior WR Jonah Morris (Akron, Ohio)– earned all A's, while 26 players earned all A's and B's. Deshields, Kopczak, and Morris each earned a perfect 4.00 GPA for the semester for President's List recognition.

"Our team was issued a significant challenge at the beginning of the semester to improve its overall academic performance and our image on campus with our fellow students, faculty, and administration," Arth said. "During the first meeting we had with the team, I challenged their competitiveness, their toughness, and their aptitude and told them that our staff does not need spring football to learn about the roster, all we need is the spring semester. 'Prove how tough and competitive you are by how hard your willing to work to improve academically.' To our student-athletes' credit, and with the leadership and guidance of our outstanding academic support services team, we made significant improvements and learned a valuable lesson along the way; that when you believe in yourself and are willing to commit to giving your best effort, you will be successful. Our program not only improved, but set records, in an area that was a perceived weakness of our team. The staff and I could not be prouder of our team or more grateful to our academic support services and our administration for their effort and commitment to helping our student-athletes. I know our team is very proud of the work they put in and are motivated by the challenge of improving this coming fall."

Akron, which returns 51 letterwinners, opens the 2019 season at Illinois on August 31. The home opener is slated for Sept. 7 against UAB.

Season ticket plans—which include a ticket to all six home games as well as a parking pass– can be purchased, starting at only $60 each. Renewals (for current season ticket holders) and new seats are now available for purchase by calling or texting 888-99-AKRON (25766) or visiting The C.P. and Cornelia S. Chima Athletics Ticket Office at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field (located at 375 E. Exchange Street, near Gate 1 at the southwest corner of the venue, at the corner of E. Exchange and S. Union streets) during business hours (Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

Group tickets start at $10 each (with a minimum of 15 people).

Players Mentioned

Kyle Bauman

Hugh Cade

T.J. DeShields

Rueben Durkee

Nick Kopczak

Jonah Morris

The University of Akron Athletics