Zippy is the mascot of the University of Akron athletics team. Zippy is a kangaroo, and was chosen by a committee in 1953. The school's nickname, "Zips," is a shortening of "Zippers," a pair of rubber overshoes and a brand name of the BF Goodrich Company of Akron. It was originally adopted by the school in 1925 after a contest to give the school a nickname. Interestingly, "Kangaroos" was one of the choices at the time. In 1950, the current nickname was adopted because of the rising popularity of zippers in use on pants. Three years later, a committee suggested the kangaroo as a mascot, and it was accepted by the student council on May 1, 1953. Originally, it was met with derision, as it was not put to a campuswide vote. However, over time, Zippy has become a fan favorite at the school. "Zippy" has always been a costumed mascot, and currently wears a blue letter-sweater and a gold-and-blue rat cap. In 2007 Zippy was chosen as one of twelve collegiate mascots to compete for capital one mascot of the year. With an unprecedented 13-0 record, she was named the winner on January 1st, 2008.
References
Traditions - GoZips.com http://www.capitalonebowl.com/BioDetail.aspx?id=12
