The Mid-American Conference

THE MAC

Since its inception in 1946, the Mid-American Conference has progressively grown and developed into one of the most aggressive Division I conferences in the country. One of only ten football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conferences, the MAC named Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher as its eighth commissioner in March of 2009.

HISTORY

Based in Cleveland since July of 1999 following a 15-year stay in Toledo, Ohio, the MAC has established historic measurements in both football and men’s and women’s basketball since moving to Northeast Ohio.

The MAC was founded as a five-school league on February 24, 1946 in Columbus, Ohio with Ohio, Butler, Cincinnati, Wayne State and Western Reserve admitted as charter members. The conference membership consists of 12 universities across five states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York and Ohio) as well as affiliate members in several sports, including men’s soccer (Chicago State). The membership includes the University of Akron (joined in 1992), BGSU (1952), Ball State University (1973), University at Buffalo (1998), Central Michigan University (1971), Eastern Michigan University (1971), Kent State University (1951), Miami University (1947), Northern Illinois University (1975-86, 1997), Ohio University (1946), University of Toledo (1950) and Western Michigan University (1947).

In 1946 men’s basketball was the first competitive sport in the MAC, which now sponsors a total of 24 sports. Women’s sports were brought into the conference’s structure in 1980.

24 SPORTS

Men’s sports sponsored by the conference include football, basketball, baseball, cross country, soccer, swimming and diving, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, wrestling, golf and tennis.

For women, the sports of basketball, softball, volleyball, cross country, field hockey, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, gymnastics, lacrosse, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field and tennis are sponsored.

MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE

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FINAL 2021 MAC STANDINGS

School (Overall) MAC Pts. 1. Northern Illinois (15-3-2) 4-0-2 14 2. West Virginia (12-3-6) 4-1-1 13 3. Georgia State (13-7-0) 3-3-0 9 4. Bowling Green (11-6-3) 2-2-2 8 5. Western Michigan (7-6-5) 2-3-1 7

Akron (9-6-3) 2-3-1 7 7. Georgia Southern (4-12-1) 0-5-1 1 • Teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 for a tie • 2021 NCAA Tournament qualifiers in bold

SOCCER SUCCESS

The 2021 season saw five of the seven MAC men’s soccer teams qualify for the NCAA Championships, with four of those schools – BGSU, Georgia State, Northern Illinois and West Virginia – winning at least one game in the national tournament.

In the fall of 2022, BGSU, Akron, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan are joined by affiliate member Chicago State as MAC men’s soccerplaying institutions. The teams will play a doubleround-robin regular-season schedule.

The Falcons score vs. Kentucky in the 1996 MAC Tournament’s championship match at Cochrane Field. BGSU went on to win the match, for the second of three-straight league tourney crowns