The MAC is devaluing itself

I understand that the Mid-American Conference (MAC) is not on par with any Power Four conference. However, in an effort to preserve one of the last true regional conferences, the leadership in Cleveland needs to reevaluate its perspectives.

In September of 2026, the MAC announced plans to expand the conference schedule to nine games in 2028.

“Moving to a nine-game Conference schedule provides greater Conference exposure for our programs while maintaining flexibility for meaningful non-conference competition,” Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher said in a press release announcing the plans.

Conversations with members of the Miami Athletic Department about the future of scheduling non-conference competition directly opposes what the commissioner claims will happen.

As a Group of Six team, Miami receives significant financial support when the team travels to Power Four opponents. The “buy-games” give athletics departments $1 million to $2 million dollars to prop up their athletics budget. This game is expected to be a win for the Power Four team. In the current scheduling model, Miami schedules two such games per year. This trend will not change.

Miami also schedules a buy-game of its own annually. This is an opponent from the lower level Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). This should ensure a win for the RedHawks before the conference slate begins. It is unlikely that Miami would remove this game from the schedule, resulting in the three slots for non-conference opponents full on the schedule.

Pulling the fourth slot from the schedule removes the week traditionally reserved for Group of Six vs. Group of Six matchups. Miami has scheduled a game of this nature almost every season. Opponents such as Marshall University, the United States Military Academy and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas have provided challenging but compelling out-of-conference matchups.

Miami plays the University of Connecticut (UConn) during week 4, a key measuring stick game for the RedHawks against a team with similar national standing. It is not the only compelling matchup between a MAC team and another challenging Group of Six opponent. Western Michigan University takes on Boise State University, which will serve as a late season comparison of the MAC and the newly reformed Pac-12.

The MAC is best served if it keeps this extra week of the schedule open to play challenging out-of-conference matchups. These games can be used as measurement later in the season, rather than playing an extra conference game. No one is clamoring for an additional matchup between MAC schools. It is much more compelling if the MAC plays a Sun Belt Conference opponent — for bragging rights if nothing else.

Another head-scratching move that the MAC is making is the teams it has pursued for conference expansion. When Northern Illinois University left for the Mountain West Conference, the MAC decided to include California State University, Sacramento. It effectively ended any sense of regionality.

While the MAC should add additional institutions to increase its TV revenue, there are a slew of more regionally relevant universities that would make sense for a conference that prides itself on representing the middle of America.

In football specifically, UConn makes plenty of sense, the Huskies are independent of a conference in football. While swinging their other sports to the MAC is extremely unlikely, they would add valuable competition to the conference having found success at the FBS level. University at Buffalo and the University of Massachusetts Amherst would make close geographic rivals.

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The University of Dayton Flyers is a historic rival of Miami and would fit in with the landscape of the MAC immediately. In the FCS for football, the Flyers would make the jump in all sports and instantly add more credibility to MAC basketball as well. In football, the Flyers have won 12 conference championships, competing regularly for a spot in the FCS championship tournament.

The Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers would be another compelling addition. In the Conference USA, they could increase the Hilltoppers conference prestige. It would offer them a chance to improve their level of competition while decreasing what is a grueling conference travel schedule.

Temple University, a former MAC member, would reignite old rivalries. Marshall or fellow Sun Belt opponent James Madison University, sends a serious message about the MAC’s intentions to expand as a conference.

In recent years, conversations about universities leaving the conference have continued to swirl the rumor mill. Ohio University and the University of Toledo are evaluating their options as the MAC media deal is set to expire. Miami is likely doing so as well. Aggressively pursuing new institutions is one of the best ways to avoid falling behind as a conference.

If the MAC wants to increase the sincerity and longevity as a conference, it must pivot from its current way of thinking. College football is evolving and the MAC needs to evolve with it. If it fails to do so, it has no one else to blame but itself when its high-profile members leave.

meneghcj@miamioh.edu

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