Rubber Bowl The Rubber Bowl is a stadium in Akron , Ohio , United States , 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 . Since 2008 , it is occasionally used for high school football . It is named after the predominance of the tire industry in Akron . The stadium has a seating capacity of 35 , 202 and is located in southeastern Akron next to Akron Fulton International Airport and Derby Downs , about southeast of downtown . History . The movement to build a stadium in Akron began in 1939 when " Akron Beacon Journal " sports editor James Schlemmer and Akron Municipal Airport director Bain Fulton began a campaign asking patrons to donate $ 1 each . Later that year , the Works Progress Administration authorized construction of a horseshoe - shaped stadium in southern Akron adjacent to Derby Downs , the home of the Soap Box Derby that had been built in 1936 . Construction lasted approximately one year and the first event hosted was a state music and drill competition in June 1940 . Dedication ceremonies were held in August 1940 before a crowd estimated between 36 , 000 and 40 , 000 the day before the running of the seventh Soap Box Derby . Akron Zips football . The primary use of the Rubber bowl was for American football games . The Akron Zips football team was the primary tenant , and they played their first game in the stadium on October 5 , 1940 , getting their first win in the facility November 9 of that year . Prior to playing at the Rubber Bowl , the Zips football teams played at Buchtel Field , a 7 , 000 - seat facility that opened in 1923 . The Zips recorded their first sellout in the Rubber Bowl on September 30 , 1961 . In 1971 , the university purchased the stadium for $ 1 from the city . An artificial surface was installed in 1983 , which was replaced played with AstroPlay in 2003 . The Zips played 324 games at the stadium , which included their first - ever appearance on ESPN in 1986 . Other notable games include the highest - scoring game in the stadium ' s history , a 65 – 62 victory over Eastern Michigan in 2001 , as well as a 65 – 7 Akron victory over Howard University in 2003 . In 2005 , the Zips clinched their firest Mid - American Conference East Division title and spot in the 2005 MAC Championship Game with a 35 – 3 win over arch - rival Kent State in that year ' s Wagon Wheel game . Akron would go on to win the 2005 MAC Championship with a last - second 31 – 30 win over Northern Illinois at Ford Field in Detroit . In 2003 , the university began exploring the feasibility of building an on - campus stadium to replace the Rubber Bowl , which was in disrepair and several miles away from campus . In 2007 , plans were announced for a new stadium , later known as InfoCision Stadium – Summa Field , with work beginning in January 2008 and opening in September 2009 . The final Akron Zips football game at the Rubber Bowl took place on November 13 , 2008 against the Buffalo Bulls . The game was nationally televised on ESPN and featured the two teams tied for first place in the Mid - American Conference ' s East Division with identical 5 - 4 ( 3 - 2 ) records entering the game . Buffalo defeated the Zips 43 - 40 in four overtimes in front of a crowd of 18 , 516 . For the Zips , it was both the first four - overtime game and the first overtime loss in school history . After the game , a special ceremony with current and former players and coaches was held to honor the 68 - year history of the stadium . Other uses . The Kent State Golden Flashes football team played select games in the Rubber Bowl during the 1940s prior to the opening of Memorial Stadium in 1950 . The stadium also hosted professional football on a number of occasions . The Cleveland Rams of the National Football League ( NFL ) played two regular - season games at the Rubber Bowl , one in 1941 and again in 1942 , and the NFL ' s Cleveland Browns used the stadium for 19 preseason games over the years . On November 27 , 1952 , the Rubber Bowl hosted a " home " game for the financially troubled and league - controlled Dallas Texans . The Texans recorded their only win in franchise history , a 27 – 23 victory over the George Halas - led Chicago Bears , in front of approximately 3 , 000 fans . Halas had been so confident the Bears would beat the Texans that he started his second - string players . The Rubber Bowl has also hosted around 1 , 500 football games for the high schools in Akron as well as for Ohio High School Athletic Association ( OHSAA ) playoff games . The Rubber Bowl was also a regular performance venue . The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus gave its first performance since the Hartford Circus Fire on July 6 , 1944 . Music groups such as Black Sabbath , Simon & Garfunkel , Alice Cooper , Three Dog Night , and The Rolling Stones played there in the 1970s . In the 1980s , the Slippery When Wet tour of Jon Bon Jovi and the Monsters of Rock Tour 1988 that featured Van Halen , the Scorpions , Dokken , Metallica , and Kingdom Come had stops at the Rubber Bowl . Simon & Garfunkel returned in 1983 in front of a crowd of around 37 , 000 , their first tour together in 13 years . Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers , Bob Dylan , and The Grateful Dead toured together in 1986 and played at the Rubber Bowl , which featured Bob Dylan performing live on stage for the first time with The Grateful Dead . The stadium also hosted a Veterans Memorial Jam concert with Aretha Franklin , Ringo Starr , and Three Dog Night in 1997 and Ozzfest in 1998 . Purchase . 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 has announced plans to acquire a USFL franchise .