2020 Mid-American Conference football season
The 2020 Mid-American Conference football season is expected to be the 75th season for the Mid-American Conference (MAC), as part of the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season.
| 2020 Mid-American Conference football season | |
|---|---|
| League | NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision |
| Sport | football |
| Duration | Postponed to spring 2021 |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Regular Season | |
| MAC Championship Game | |
The provisional schedule was released on February 26, 2020, with a regular season between September 3 and November 28, 2020, and the MAC Championship Game on December 5, 2020.[1] On August 8, 2020, it was announced that all fall sports in the MAC had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the conference would pursue an attempt to play in Spring 2021.
Previous season
In 2019, the Miami RedHawks won the east division, and the Central Michigan Chippewas won the west, both with a 6–2 conference record. In the 2019 MAC Championship Game, the RedHawks defeated the Chippewas 26–21 in overtime. The RedHawks would go on to the 2020 LendingTree Bowl, where they were defeated 27-17 by the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.
Postponement of season
On August 8, 2020, the MAC announced that all fall sports had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with plans to attempt play in Spring 2021. Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher stated that "there are simply too many unknowns to put our student-athletes into situations that are not clearly understood." It was reported that the NIU Huskies — the conference's most successful team — were instrumental in pushing for a full cancellation of the season, and had also suggested the possibility of opting out if the MAC did decide to play. Concerns were also raised over the budgetary impacts of health protocols such as testing, especially with the cancellation of all but five games against Power Five conference opponents (which often serve as a major revenue source) due to restrictions to in-conference play only. The MAC became the first FBS conference to cancel the 2020 season entirely due to COVID-19.[2][3]
Head coaches
Coaches
| Team | Head Coach | Previous Job | Years at school | Overall Record | MAC record | MAC titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | Tom Arth | John Carroll | 5 | 49–33 (.598) | 49–33 (.598) | 0 |
| Ball State | Mike Neu | New Orleans Saints (QB Coach) | 5 | 14–26 (.350) | 9–27 (.250) | 0 |
| Bowling Green | Scot Loeffler | Virginia Tech Hokies (QB Coach) | 2 | 3–9 (.250) | 2–6 (.250) | 0 |
| Buffalo | Lance Leipold | Wisconsin–Whitewater | 6 | 31–32 (.492) | 20–20 (.500) | 0 |
| Central Michigan | Jim McElwain | Florida | 2 | 52–34 (.605) | 6–2 (.750) | 1 |
| Eastern Michigan | Chris Creighton | Drake | 7 | 28–47 (.373) | 16–32 (.333) | 0 |
| Kent State | Sean Lewis | Syracuse | 2 | 7–6 (.538) | 5–3 (.625) | 0 |
| Miami | Chuck Martin | Notre Dame | 6 | 32–48 (.400) | 26–22 (.542) | 1 |
| Northern Illinois | Thomas Hammock | Baltimore Ravens Assistant Head Coach | 2 | 5–7 (.417) | 4–4 (.500) | 0 |
| Ohio | Frank Solich | Nebraska | 16 | 113–81 (.582) | 71–45 (.612) | 0 |
| Toledo | Jason Candle | Toledo (Off. Coordinator) | 5 | 34–20 (.630) | 23–11 (.676) | 1 |
| Western Michigan | Tim Lester | Purdue (QB Coach) | 4 | 20–18 (.526) | 14–9 (.609) | 0 |
References
- "MAC Announces 2020 Football Schedule". getsomemaction.com. February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- Petzold, Evan. "Mid-American Conference cancels fall football season; no games for CMU, EMU or WMU in 2020". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2020-08-08.
- "MAC becomes first FBS conference to cancel 2020 college football season for the fall". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2020-08-08.