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There isn’t much that’s more fun for a Group of Five team fan than invading in-state Power Five enemy territory, and Zips fans will have the chance to do just that three years from now.
The Akron Zips will travel to Columbus to take on the in-state powerhouse Ohio State Buckeyes in a football contest tentaitively scheduled for 2021, per press release.
The game is set to take place on Sept. 25, 2021 at Ohio Stadium.
Akron is 1-7 all-time against Ohio State, going 0-3 since the Zips moved up to the FBS level in 1997. The last time the two teams met was Sept. 2011, with Ohio State walking out with a 42-0 victory. The school’s lone victory over the Scarlet and Grey came in a 12-6 victory in Columbus in 1894. (Yes, you read that right.)
As of publication, there is no news on the potential payout of the game.
The game with OSU leaves one more spot for a future opponent in Akron’s 2021 non-conference schedule, as they’re also set to face Temple at home on Sept. 11. FBSSchedules.com reports Akron is also set to face Kentucky on Sept. 18, although the school’s official website does not list the matchup.
The Zips currently have one more vacancy in their 2020 schedule and three more respectively in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Akron will be the third MAC opponent Ohio State faces in a two-year period when the two teams are set to meet, with OSU set to meet Bowling Green and Buffalo in 2020. The Buckeyes have completed their 2021 slate with this announcement, with games against Oregon and Tulsa also scheduled.