page_title: Rubber Bowl
section_title: Purchase and demolition
hierarchical_section_title: Rubber Bowl / History / Purchase and demolition
caption_attribution_description: English: View of the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio from the north end zone, August 21, 2020. The area on the right side is where the west stands, which included the main press box, stood until they were demolished in late 2018, along with the main scoreboard, which was located in the north end zone.
context_page_description: The Rubber Bowl is an abandoned and partially demolished stadium located in Akron, Ohio, that was primarily used for American football. From its opening in 1940 until 2008, it served as the home field of the Akron Zips football team of the University of Akron prior to the opening of InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field. Throughout its history, it has also hosted concerts, professional football, high school football, and other events. It is named after the predominance of the tire industry in Akron. The stadium had a seating capacity of 35,202 and is located in southeastern Akron next to Akron Fulton International Airport and Derby Downs, about 6 miles southeast of downtown.
  Since 2008, the stadium has been mostly vacant, hosting some high school football games. In 2013, the Rubber Bowl was acquired by Canton, Ohio-based Team1 Marketing Group Inc. with plans to renovate and update the structure as the home for a professional football team. Renovation work began later in 2013, but initial plans for a professional team in the revived United States Football League fell through.
  The stadium was condemned in 2017, and partial demolition of the stadium began on June 20, 2018.
context_section_description: On June 28, 2012, it was revealed that local marketing company Team1 Marketing Group of Canton was pursuing the Rubber Bowl for a potential United States Football League (USFL) team called the Akron Fire.  Sean Mason of Team1 argued that even though InfoCision Stadium is newer, the Akron Fire's ability to generate revenue would be less due to the University of Akron controlling concession and marketing rights, and by buying the Rubber Bowl outright it could also be used for other sporting events and concerts.  The Rubber Bowl was purchased by Team1 Marketing in January 2013 for $38,000, with several improvements planned such as updates to the press box, locker rooms, and concession areas, along with new scoreboards and seating. The company announced plans to acquire a USFL franchise; the team was planned to be named the Akron Fire, but in July 2013 it was announced that the league's plans no longer included the Akron team. Team1 announced on April 17, 2014 that the stadium would instead be used as a multi-use entertainment facility and that it would have a dome built over it. On April 2, 2015 it was revealed that the non-profit Minor League Football Team named the Summit County Storm would be playing football in the revived stadium along with its multi-use entertainment. The first event in the stadium under Team1 was scheduled for May 15, 2015, a hip-hop concert and party fest known as LOUD-Fest, produced by a local music company. However, the event was rescheduled to another location "due to concerns about the dilapidated stadium". On April 5, 2017 the County of Summit foreclosed on the stadium with plans to allow Team1 to lease the stadium and repurpose it for mixed use entertainment. Team1 gave up the deed on August 29, 2017 allowing the city of Akron to become full-time owners after Team1 announced that they failed to attract attention to the structure. Akron announced on September 22, 2017 that the stadium would be demolished. Demolition began in 2018 with the scoreboard and the western portion of the stadium closest to Derby Downs, which included the press box, being razed, while the east and south tiers, which are built into the adjacent hill, remaining.
caption: View of the stadium in August 2020 as seen from the north end zone. The area on the right is where the west stands and press box stood prior to demolition in 2018.
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