Akron Zips men's soccer team officially headed to Big East Conference
The University of Akron men’s soccer team has found a new conference home as an affiliate member of the Big East effective with the 2023 season, the conference announced Wednesday.
The addition of the Zips, who begin NCAA Tournament play Sunday, will give the Big East 12 teams in the sport, allowing for two six-team divisions.
The East Division will be comprised of Connecticut, Georgetown, Providence, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova, according to a news release.
Akron will join Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Marquette and Xavier in the Midwest Division.
Given geography and the level of competition in the Big East, the addition of UA provided a nice fit for the conference.
"Well, it's an opportunity for our program with such a rich tradition to continue to be on a national stage in a national conference," director of intercollegiate athletics Charles Guthrie said. "When the MAC decided to move on from soccer, I know there were a lot of questions about Akron and our rich tradition, our championship pedigree, and I think this answers that."
Big East executive associate commissioner of sport administration and championships Chris Schneider recognized those elements of the program.
“We are excited to welcome the University of Akron to Big East Men’s Soccer,” he said in a statement. “Its storied history and commitment to the sport of men’s soccer is a great match for our conference. We look forward to seeing the Zips in competition next fall.”
However, pragmatically speaking, the move makes sense from a financial standpoint, Guthrie said.
“When you think about the Big East, which is so attractive as they create the Midwest Division, which allows us to stay pretty much within the same footprint as we were with the MAC – so cost containment," Guthrie said. "And then the level of play that when you think about the Big East, they've got multiple teams that have won a national championship from Georgetown and UConn.”
Ultimately the change could help in another area — recruiting, Guthrie said.
Guthrie said the program has what's viewed as a top-10 recruiting class for next year.
“Just talking to coach [Jared Embick], the recruits that were on our fence are actually more intrigued now," he said. "So, I think this is actually going to ratchet up our recruiting, even though we've always done well in the recruiting scene on the men's soccer side.”
UA’s move to a new conference was made necessary when the Mid-American Conference suspended sponsorship of the sport. The MAC had only five member teams (four full time, one affiliate), forcing the move.
The Zips won their 21st regular-season MAC title this season, and their appearance in the NCAA Tournament at 1 p.m. Sunday will be the 35th in program history. They enter the tournament as the No. 16 seed after a 11-3-5 season and await the winner of Pittsburgh-Cleveland State, who will play at 7 p.m. Thursday.
UA will be immediately eligible to compete for the Big East Conference title in their inaugural season in the league.
Reach George M. Thomas at gthomas@thebeaconjournal.com
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Big East Conference welcomes Akron Zips men's soccer team
