A college program has found the most innovative way to boost viewership of its opening game. In a rather strange move, the Akron Zips are handing over play-calling duties to a fan.

“Akron will let one season ticket holder call the plays for the opening drive of the Zips’ home opener against Robert Morris,” as posted by Front Office Sports on August 5.

The University of Akron Athletics department officially announced a first-of-its-kind “Offensive Coordinator of the Game” promotion. One randomly selected season ticket holder will get to write the script for the team’s opening offensive possession. As it has never been done before, the promotion was posted with an extremely funny disclaimer.

“With the head coach, of course. This hasn’t been done before, but we’re not crazy,” read the official announcement by the university.

The winning fan won’t just yell random plays from the stands on a headset. Instead, they will meet directly with Akron Head Coach Joe Moorhead during the week leading up to the game. Moorhead will mentor the fan and teach them how to put together an opening game script. They will collaborate to form the official drive plan based on their roster.

One thing is for sure: this promotion will give their sales revenue a huge boost. The drawing is scheduled for August 19. Anyone who currently holds a 2026 season ticket is automatically entered.

The Akron season tickets are incredibly economical, ranging from $75 to $181. This means fans can realistically buy a chance to call a Division I drive for less than the cost of a premium monthly streaming package.

Akron Athletic Director Dr. Andrew T. Goodrich stated that the objective is to completely dissolve the barrier between the team and its community. The program wants to give one loyal supporter a lifetime memory.

The game for this experience is the opener game between the Akron Zips and the Robert Morris Colonials, which will kick off on Saturday, September 12. The matchup is a classic “FBS vs. FCS” game. Akron is very heavily favored to take this game home. Head Coach Joe Moorhead is entering his fifth season leading the Zips in the MAC.

While Akron has struggled to string together winning seasons, Moorhead’s teams have beaten lower-tier FCS opponents. Last year, Akron routed Duquesne 51-7. On the other side, the Colonials compete in the Northeast Conference.

They are looking to bounce back following a brutal 3-9 campaign. Their lone game against an FBS school last season resulted in a heavy 45-3 blowout loss to West Virginia. Because the Colonials are widely considered heavy underdogs, the matchup can be a perfect opportunity for Akron.

Akron Zip’s full 2026 season schedule

Last season for the Akron Zips was a rebuilding year. Head Coach Joe Moorhead led the Zips to a 5-7 overall record. They finished with an even 4-4 record in Mid-American Conference play, placing them 8th overall in the league.

For this season, they have a tight schedule. The Akron Zips open their 2026 football season with a challenging four-game non-conference slate. It will kick off on September 3. Then comes a road trip to Winston-Salem to face the ACC’s Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

For their highly anticipated home game, they will return to InfoCision Stadium. The non-conference schedule will wrap up with a high-profile game against the Big Ten’s Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sept 19. The MAC will begin in October with a mix of home and away games.