Shocking Academic Decline Forces Akron Football Out of Postseason—What Went Wrong Behind the Scenes?

Hope springs eternal every offseason in college football, right? Teams dream of that breakthrough season – finally snagging a bowl bid, knocking down a conference giant, or scratching their way into the College Football Playoff buzz. But sometimes, reality throws a real curveball. Akron football, for example, is facing a harsh offseason truth: they’re already ruled out of postseason play for 2025… not because of on-field woes, but due to academic shortcomings. Yep, the Zips find themselves below the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate threshold, shutting the door on any bowl hopes once again. It’s a reminder that victories aren’t just won on the gridiron. So, what does this mean for a team that was actually trending upward under Joe Moorhead? Will this news deflate their spirits, or fire up a grit-driven comeback? Only time will tell – but one thing’s for sure, Akron’s story this fall is about far more than just Xs and Os. LEARN MORE.

During the offseason in college football, every program has hope that it could be the next one to make a breakthrough during the coming fall. Whether that be to make a bowl game, win a conference title, or make a run at the College Football Playoff, every team has reason for optimism. Well, almost every team. This year, Akron football won’t be so fortunate.

Akron has been ruled ineligible for postseason play at the end of the 2025 season for academic reasons, according to On3 Sports.

The NCAA tracks multi-year Academic Progress Rate for all programs across the country, with teams needing to stay above a 930 in order to be eligible for postseason play. Akron’s has dropped to 914, leaving them well below the required threshold. The Zips are the first team to be ineligible for this reason since Idaho in the mid 2010s.

The first season that a program falls below the threshold, it is faced with limited practice time as a first-time offender. Akron’s APR was at 925 last season, and is now facing a postseason ban after seeing the numbers decline once again.

Multiple teams were in jeopardy of losing the right to play in the postseason in the last few years, but the NCAA suspended APR penalties during the early 2020s due to COVID-19.

Akron has not played in a bowl game since 2017, but was seemingly improving year after year under head coach Joe Moorhead, who is entering his fourth season manning the sidelines for the Zips. After finishing with a 2-10 record in each of his first two seasons, Moorhead got Akron to a 4-8 mark last season. If he was able to replicate the same two-win improvement in 2025, his squad would have been headed to a bowl game.

It will be interesting to see the motivation of this Akron squad after this news. It kicks off its season on Aug. 28 against Wyoming.

The post Akron football ruled ineligible for postseason play due to academic decline appeared first on ClutchPoints.