NCAA Sports Blog

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 headquarted in the historic Public Square district in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The MAC has been referred to as the Conference of Quarterbacks 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 Quicken Loans Arena, after successfully hosting the 2006 NCAA Women’s Basketball Regional at Quicken Loans Arena.

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, which currently manages more than 40 college properties nationwide, is considered the leader in the collegiate sports marketing industry. 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.

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
32,283
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
27,452
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
Three schools have affiliate membership status:
Institution	Nickname	Location	Founded	Affiliation
Enrollment	Sport
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

 

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 50’s 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 readmittance 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 and UCF would leave after the 2004-05 academic year, both joining Conference USA in all sports.

Conference facilities

School	Football stadium	Capacity	Basketball arena	Capacity
Akron	Rubber Bowl	35,202	James A. Rhodes Arena	5,500
Ball State	Scheumann Stadium	23,500	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