Mid-American Conference
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For current information on this topic, see 2007-08 Mid-American Conference season |
| Mid-American Conference (MAC) | |
| Established: 1946 | |
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| NCAA | Division I FBS |
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| Members | 12 |
| Sports fielded | 23 (men's: 11; women's: 12) |
| Region | Great Lakes |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, OH |
| Commissioner | Rick Chryst (since 1999) |
| Website | http://www.mac-sports.com/ |
| Locations | |
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The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a college athletic conference with a membership base that stretches from New York to Illinois. Nine of the 12 full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members also located in Illinois, Indiana and New York. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I; for football, it participates in the top level of NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A). The MAC is headquartered in the historic Public Square district in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The MAC has been referred to as the Conference of Quarterbacks [1] due to the accomplishments of numerous former players in the National Football League. The MAC ranks highest among all 11 NCAA Division I FBS conferences for graduation rates.[citation needed]
In March of 2006, Commissioner Rick Chryst and Cleveland Cavaliers President Len Komoroski announced that the Mid-American Conference Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments would remain in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena through 2011. Both tournaments have flourished since moving to Cleveland in 2000, with the men's semi-finals and championship regularly drawing large crowds at Quicken Loans Arena (the 2007 semi-final between Akron and Kent State drew a crowd of more than 15,000). The MAC also announced a format change for both tournaments, bringing all 12 men’s and women’s teams to Cleveland beginning in 2007. The MAC also co-hosted the 2007 Women’s Final Four at "the Q," after successfully hosting the 2006 NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional at the same facility.
In 2006, Chryst also announced a new, five-year relationship with International Sports Properties (ISP), Inc. to oversee and coordinate the league's marketing and sponsorship rights. ISP currently manages more than 40 college properties nationwide, but the MAC was ISP’s first conference property.
ISP will be responsible for managing, and ultimately growing, the MAC’s stable of corporate partners. FirstEnergy has been the title sponsor for the men’s basketball tournament since its first year in Cleveland in March 2000, Kraft has been associated with the women’s basketball tournament since 2001, and Marathon Oil will be sponsoring the football championship for the third time in 2007.
Member schools participate in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross-country, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, women's gymnastics, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track, women's volleyball and wrestling.
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[edit] Member schools
There are 12 schools with full membership:
| Institution | Nickname | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Division | |||||
| University of Akron | Zips | Akron, Ohio | 1870 | Public | 23,000 |
| Bowling Green State University | Falcons | Bowling Green, Ohio | 1910 | Public | 23,338 |
| University at Buffalo | Bulls | Buffalo, New York | 1846 | Public | 27,220 |
| Kent State University | Golden Flashes | Kent, Ohio | 1910 | Public | 34,056 |
| Miami University | RedHawks | Oxford, Ohio | 1809 | Public | 20,126 |
| Ohio University | Bobcats | Athens, Ohio | 1804 | Public | 28,804 |
| West Division | |||||
| Ball State University | Cardinals | Muncie, Indiana | 1918 | Public | 20,113 |
| Central Michigan University | Chippewas | Mount Pleasant, Michigan | 1892 | Public | 26,788 |
| Eastern Michigan University | Eagles | Ypsilanti, Michigan | 1849 | Public | 22,827 |
| Northern Illinois University | Huskies | DeKalb, Illinois | 1895 | Public | 24,998 |
| University of Toledo | Rockets | Toledo, Ohio | 1872 | Public | 21,270 |
| Western Michigan University | Broncos | Kalamazoo, Michigan | 1903 | Public | 24,433 |
Four schools have affiliate membership status:
| Institution | Nickname | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago State University | Cougars | Chicago, Illinois | 1867 | Public | 6,835 | Men's tennis |
| Hartwick College | Hawks | Oneonta, New York | 1797 | Private | 1,480 | Men's soccer |
| Missouri State University | Lady Bears | Springfield, Missouri | 1905 | Public | 17,425 | Field hockey |
| Temple University | Owls | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1884 | Public | 34,218 | Football |
[edit] Division breakdown
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MAC East |
MAC West |
[edit] History
The Mid-American Conference charter members were Ohio University, Butler University, the University of Cincinnati, Wayne State University and Western Reserve University, one of the predecessors to today's Case Western Reserve University. Wayne State never participated and quickly bowed out. Butler left after the 1st year. Miami University and Western Michigan University took the place of those charter members for the 1948 season. By the time the University of Cincinnati left after the 1952/53 season, the MAC had already added University of Toledo (1950), Kent State University (1951), and Bowling Green State University (1952).
The membership stayed steady for the next two decades except for the addition of Marshall University in 1954 and the departure of Western Reserve, which chose to deemphasize intercollegiate athletics. Marshall was kicked out of the conference in 1969. The first major expansion since the fifties took place in the mid seventies with the addition of Northern Illinois University (1973), Ball State University (1973), Eastern Michigan University (1972) and Central Michigan University (1972). NIU left after the 1986 season. The University of Akron joined the conference in 1992. The conference became the largest in Division I-A with the re-admittance of Marshall and NIU and addition of the University at Buffalo's Bulls in 1997 and 1998 respectively. The University of Central Florida joined for football only in 2001, becoming the first football-only member in conference history. Marshall (a second time) and UCF would leave after the 2004-05 academic year, both joining Conference USA in all sports.
In May 2005, Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania signed an initial six-year contract with the MAC as a football-only school which will play in the East Division starting in 2007.
University of Louisville was a MAC affiliate for field hockey for a number of years when U of L was a member of the Metro Conference and Conference USA, winning two MAC tourney titles in 2003 and 2004.
Missouri State University is a MAC affiliate for field hockey, Hartwick College is an affiliate for men's soccer and Chicago State University is an affiliate for men's tennis.
[edit] Former members
- Butler Bulldogs
- Cincinnati Bearcats
- Marshall Thundering Herd
- UCF Golden Knights
- Wayne State Tartars
- Western Reserve Red Cats
[edit] Membership time line
[edit] Commissioners
- Dave Reese, 1946–1964
- Bob James, 1964–1971
- Fred Jacoby, 1971–1982
- Jim Lessig, 1982–1990
- Karl Benson, 1990–1994
- Jerry Ippoliti, 1994–1999
- Rick Chryst, 1999–present
[edit] Championships
The MAC is contracted to provide a team for three college football bowl games, the GMAC Bowl, Motor City Bowl and International Bowl. In the event that a Big East team cannot be provided for the newly created Papajohns.com Bowl, a fourth MAC team is selected.
- See also: List of Mid-American Conference championships
- See also: MAC Football Championship Game
- See also: Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
- See also: Michigan MAC Trophy
- See also: Peace Pipe (college football)
- See also: Wagon Wheel (trophy)
[edit] Hall of Fame
The Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame was the first Division I conference Hall of Fame. It was established in 1987 and classes have been inducted in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1994.
In order to be eligible, a person must have participated during the time the university was in the MAC and five years must have passed from the time the individual participated in athletics or worked in the athletic department.
The following list are the members of the MAC Hall of Fame, along with the school they were affiliated with, the sport(s) they were inducted for and the year they were inducted.
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[edit] Conference facilities
| School | Football stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | Rubber Bowl | 35,202 | James A. Rhodes Arena | 5,500 |
| Ball State | Scheumann Stadium | 25,400 | John E. Worthen Arena | 11,500 |
| Bowling Green | Doyt Perry Stadium | 23,724 | Anderson Arena | 5,000 |
| Buffalo | University at Buffalo Stadium | 31,000 | Alumni Arena | 6,100 |
| Central Michigan | Kelly/Shorts Stadium | 30,199 | Daniel P. Rose Center | 5,200 |
| Eastern Michigan | Rynearson Stadium | 30,200 | Convocation Center | 8,800 |
| Kent State | Dix Stadium | 29,287 | Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center | 6,327 |
| Miami | Yager Stadium | 24,286 | Millett Hall | 9,200 |
| Northern Illinois | Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium | 31,000 | Convocation Center | 10,000 |
| Ohio | Peden Stadium | 24,000 | Convocation Center | 13,080 |
| Temple * | Lincoln Financial Field | 68,532 | Liacouras Center † | 10,224 |
| Toledo | Glass Bowl | 26,248 | Savage Hall | 9,000 |
| Western Michigan | Waldo Stadium | 30,200 | University Arena | 5,421 |
* Football affiliate
† Atlantic Ten Conference member for basketball
[edit] Broadcasts
A number of MAC sports, including football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, soccer, wrestling and volleyball, are telecast on FSN Ohio.
Ball State produces its own comprehensive television package with the Ball State Sports Network. Affiliate stations include WIPB in Muncie, WNDY in Indianapolis, The CW in Fort Wayne, WHME in South Bend, WTVW in Evansville, WYIN in Merrillville and Comcast in Michigan.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ "International Bowl 2008". Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
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