Sports

Kent State vs. Notre Dame NCAA tournament

A spectacular season led the Golden Flashes women's basketball team to a MAC Championship win and a trip to NCAA March Madness.

Notre Dame basketball court

Kent State University Athletics is no stranger to a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.  According to a bracket by Inside Higher Education, the student-athletes on the 2023-24 women’s team are championship caliber. The publication’s Academic Performance Tournament, which pits NCAA Tournament basketball teams against each other based on academic success, shows why Kent State is a powerhouse on and off the court.   

Flash and Zippy mascots face to face

All eyes have been on Northeast Ohio the past several weeks as the Kent State University and The University of Akron’s men’s and women’s basketball teams battled it out for the MAC championship title. It wasn’t always such a bitter rivalry between these two Northeast Ohio legends, however. Just look at this old footage we found of Flash and Zippy bonding back in the day.

Women's basketball greeted by fans as the board the bus to South Bend.

Flashes gathered on Thursday to give the Golden Flashes women's basketball team a spectacular send off as they boarded the bus for their first NCAA championship game against Notre Dame. 

Women's basketball team celebrating

The Golden Flashes have made it to the NCAA tournament during a moment when women’s basketball is in the prime spotlight.

2024 Women's Basketball Team MAC Champions

The Kent State women’s basketball team will play in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002. Champions do so much on their own, just look at the stats. But this championship team is supported by its members, its coaches and the Kent State Community.

Men's Basketball 2024 MAC Championship Game

The Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball participated in their third consecutive season of MAC championship play. In a hard-fought final game, the Akron Zips narrowly outscored the Golden Flashes to advance to the NCAA championship playoffs. 

Women's Basketball 2024 MAC Champions

In a decisive victory over the University of Buffalo Bulls (78-60) the Kent State Golden Flashes Women's basketball team won the 2024 Mid-American Conference Championship.

Men's basketball MAC championship game

The Kent State men's basketball team (17-16, 11-10 MAC) fell to rival Akron in the 2024 MAC Tournament Championship.

As anticipated, the game between the two Northeast Ohio teams did not disappoint keeping fans on the edge of their seats until the very end when Akron took the game 62-61 after two made foul shots at the charity stripe with seconds left on the clock. 

Women's basketball team selection Sunday

Kent State (21-10) will play Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Division 1 Basketball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana.