Single game tickets to go on sale in two stages | Aug. 10

Athletics has announced that single-game tickets will go on sale in two stages:

• Aug. 10, for current season ticket holders and Z-Fund members, and
• Aug 17, for the public.

Full details are on www.gozips.com.

First practice held in InfoCision Stadium | Aug. 6

The University of Akron football team officially began preparations for the 2009 season with a three-hour workout in helmets and shorts in InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field today.

Akron will have 22 more practice sessions before University classes begin on Aug. 24, and the Zips will open the 2009 season at Penn State at noon on Saturday, Sept. 5. Akron will open InfoCision Stadium the following week – Sept. 12 – when Akron hosts Morgan State at 2 p.m.

With 45 lettermen returning – including 18 starters – and having nearly all the newcomers on campus during the summer for classes and workouts, Akron was in mid-season form on the first day, flying through a number of drills and scrimmage situations.

“There was definitely a different level of excitement and intensity today,” said six-year UA head coach J.D. Brookhart.

“It was so nice to make the short walk from Stile Field House to InfoCision Stadium and practice on Summa Field," Brookhart added. "It seems I say this each year, but we do have a great group of young men and they continue to get closer as a team each year. I also really like the leaders that are emerging from this group too. Across the board, we can not wait to come to practice each day.” Full story.

'Not a bad seat in the house' | Aug. 5

Regardless of where seated, fans in InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field will have a terrific view of the game. “There’s not a bad seat in the house,” says Ted Curtis, UA’s vice president of capital planning and facilities management.

That’s in part because of proprietary software used by the architects of the stadium to set  the right slope for the stands, both for comfort and viewing.

“If the stands are sloped too steep, people are not comfortable getting to their seats,” Curtis said. “If it slopes too gently, the viewing angles are less than ideal, because people are seated too far back from the action. We believe we have struck the perfect balance.”

The pitch of the stands will also help retain fan noise, giving the Zips a true home field advantage.

“I’m looking forward to hearing the stadium come to life on opening day,” said Frank Horn, UA’s director of architectural design and construction.

The stadium was designed by HNTB Corp., which has handled design projects at a number of major stadiums in the U.S., including Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, where the NFL Broncos play and Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, where the MLB Royals play.

Voilà! Scoreboard completed | Aug. 4

Now with all screens and panels in place on the scoreboard, attention has turned to the electronics and the wiring of the control room in the press tower.

See also:

• More about the scoreboard, including more photos, on GoZips.com.

Stadium lights high on efficiency | July 30

Crews are installing three 175-foot-tall light masts behind the east stands (pictured above). On the west side, atop the press tower, two more banks of lights are nearly in place.

The lighting will meet NCAA requirements for broadcast TV. Better yet, the lighting is energy efficient, drawing less power when the fixtures are new (as much as 25 percent less than traditional stadium lighting). As the fixtures age and emit less light, the voltage automatically increases to maintain a steady light output.

And unlike the Rubber Bowl, none of the lighting at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field will block fans' view of the action on the field.

Countdown to opening day

Fans' treat: Great views of our city | July 23

The appeal of InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field is goes beyond the action on the field. Windows on the back of the seven-story press tower will give fans a sweeping view of campus and downtown Akron. The tower includes the following:

• First floor: Concourse with concessions, souvenirs, food court and restrooms.
• Levels 2 through 4: This space will have several uses, including the year-round home of UA’s Sport Sciences and Wellness Education program, an academic program within the College of Education.
• Level 5: Hospitality area for loge and club-seat guests. This space will be available for meetings and receptions organized by UA and community groups.
• Level 6: Suites.
• Level 7: Press box.

We’ll post more photos of and information about the press tower in weeks ahead.

Salute to UA's student-athletes | July 22

You are looking at the graphics that will appear on the back of the scoreboard, now being installed near the south end zone of InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field. This salute to UA's student-athletes will be visible from East Exchange Street, one of the major thoroughfares through the city.

Stadium scoreboard takes shape | July 20

Installation of the scoreboard at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field is under way. The entire scoreboard will be 60 feet by 84 feet and include signs, video, LED ribbon, a sound cabinet and a back-lit UA athletics logo (see below). The video board itself is 22 feet wide by 39 feet tall.

View from the scoreboard | July 16

Here's the view from inside the structure that will hold the scoreboard.

All signs point to stadium | July 15

The Ohio Department of Transportation has posted signs to
InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field on all the major insterstates near the stadium.