Conference Realignment: Part 4, The Mid American Conference

With the bowl games being the only thing keeping the WAC from disappearing and the mass movement of teams from one conference to another, let's take a look at the conferences and how they will possibly maybe who knows look in 2013.

Mid American Conference

Established: 1946

Commissioner: Jon Steinbrecher

2012: 13 Teams           

• Ball State
• Bowling Green
• Central Michigan
• Eastern Michigan
• Kent State
• Miami OH
• Northern Illinois
• Ohio
• Buffalo
• Akron
• Toledo
• Western Michigan
• Massachusetts

2013: 13  teams

Lost: None

Gained: None

• Ball State
• Bowling Green
• Central Michigan
• Eastern Michigan
• Kent State
• Miami OH
• Northern Illinois
• Ohio
• Buffalo
• Akron
• Toledo
• Western Michigan
• Massachusetts

Of all of the Non-AQ conferences, the MAC is by far in the best shape. The MAC replaced outgoing member Temple with already agreed to incoming member Massachusetts this season. UMass struggled during the season only winning one game but assimilated very well overall to the conference. The conference currently sits at 13 teams in football which does bring up the issue of uneven divisions but that was not too big of an issue this season. It is possible for the MAC to invite one more school to set things at an even 14 schools with even divisions. They have several options but only a few that are seriously considered.

Options:

1. Extend an invite to an already FBS football squad. In a perfect world, the MAC would get to 14 teams in order to save scheduling issues and even things out. The biggest question is what team would make sense for the MAC to invite with the relatively close geographic proximity of the schools, UMass and Buffalo exempted. Geographically, the only school to be within driving distance of pretty much every school is Western Kentucky but the MAC is hesitant to include the Hilltoppers due to issues such as a limited TV market, slightly out of the MAC geographical range, and the academics of WKU. WKU is seen to some MAC schools as a step down from the MAC academically.
2. Extend an invite to a FCS school. This is the route that the MAC took when initially gaining its 14th member before the secession of Temple to the Big East. UMass was slightly out of the MAC's geographical range but that lucrative Boston TV market and a natural rival for previously added member Buffalo was hard to pass up for the MAC. One would think that the MAC would like to get one more northeast program along the likes of Maine, Delaware, New Hampshire, Richmond, or Villanova if the Big East falls apart on the basketball side. These are more future plans for the conference with nothing in the works for the next few years.
3. Stand Pat at 13 Teams. This seems to be the decision of the MAC after the sudden loss of Temple to the Big East. The MAC felt somewhat burnt by the Owls after saving them when Temple was previously kicked out of the Big East. The Owls joined the MAC and gave the MAC a presence in the Philadelphia market. It was a shortlived marriage with the Owls jumping at the opportunity to rejoin the Big East and leave the MAC in the dust. It is a question throughout the conference whether a new team would only be using the MAC as a stepping stone to a better conference.

When you have a conference title game that sends the winner to a BCS bowl game and you get a conference record 7 out of 13 teams in bowl games, things tend to look pretty sunny. Many of the teams are very competitive with only EMU, Akron, and UMass struggling mightily on the season. The MAC is not sitting on their hands waiting to see what happens coming up in the next few year not are actively pursuing other programs. The MAC is enjoying an unprecedented time of success and stability. Outlook is very sunny for the next several years with a strong conference and solid group of leaders in charge of the conference.