The University of Akron football team has improved the way the rest of the Mid-American Conference perceives the Zips.
The magical solution for Akron under coach Joe Moorhead? Just win, Zippy.
UA finished 10th among 13 MAC teams in the 2026 Football Head Coaches Preseason Poll, the conference announced on Wednesday, July 22.
Placing 10th with 52 points through the voting process isn’t exactly a great accomplishment, yet the Zips tied for 11th with 39 points in voting among head coaches last year.
Akron has made a slight jump by going 5-7, including 4-4 in the MAC, last season. In 2024, the Zips went 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the conference.
2026 MAC Football Coaches Preseason Poll voting results
The MAC’s head coaches voted in the poll, but they were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
Here are the results predicting the 2026 regular season, with the number of first-place votes listed in parentheses:
Here are the voting results predicting the MAC title game champion:
The 80th season of MAC football is scheduled to kick off on Saturday, Aug. 29, and end with the 2026 MAC Football Championship Game at noon Saturday, Dec. 5, at Ford Field in Detroit.
Akron is set to open its 2026 season at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, at Wake Forest.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron football picked 10th in 2026 MAC coaches preseason poll
Reporting by Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
