Akron made history as the first ever program to jump from what was then called Division I-AA to Division I-A (now the Football Bowl Subdivision) back in 1987, eventually joining the Mid-American Conference in 1992.
Over that time, the program has graduated a number of successful professionals, most notably defensive end Jason Taylor, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2017. Other names to have etched their name in football lore after their time in Akron include Dominik Hixon, Ara Parseghian, Chase Blackburn, Victor Green and Dwight Smith.