| MAC Football Championship Game | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sport | College football |
| Conference | Mid-American Conference |
| Current stadium | Ford Field |
| Current location | Detroit, Michigan |
| Played | 1997–present |
| Last contest | 2024 |
| Current champion | Ohio Bobcats |
| Most championships | Marshall,Northern Illinois (5) |
| TV partner | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| Official website | MAC-Sports.com football |
| Sponsors | |
| Marathon Petroleum (2003–2019) Rocket Mortgage (2020–2022) | |
| Host stadiums | |
| Marshall University Stadium (1997–2000, 2002) Glass Bowl (2001) Doyt Perry Stadium (2003) Ford Field (2004–present) | |
| Host locations | |
| Huntington, West Virginia (1997–2000, 2002) Toledo, Ohio (2001) Bowling Green, Ohio (2003) Detroit, Michigan (2004–present) | |
TheMAC Football Championship Game is an annual postseason college football game played to determine the champion of theMid-American Conference (MAC).
The game has been played since 1997, when the conference was first divided into divisions. For the2024 season the MAC eliminated divisions and the game now features the teams with the best conference records.[1] A new tiebreaker system was established to compare teams with the same conference record.[2] The winner of the game is guaranteed a berth in a bowl game which the MAC has contractual obligations to field a team. Unlike the MAC'sGroup of Five contemporaries, which hold their respective championship games on campus sites, the MAC Championship Game is held at a neutral site.Ford Field inDetroit has been the venue since 2004 and is scheduled to host through at least 2025.[3][4]
In 2000, 2001, and 2007, due to an unbalanced conference schedule, the team with best division record within each division was awarded that division's championship game berth. In other years, the teams with the best overall conference records received a berth. Starting in 2024 the MAC will eliminate divisions and include the two teams with the best overall conference records.[5]
The game is held on the first Saturday in December, on the same weekend that otherNCAA Division I FBS conferences hold their championship games.
Below are the results from all MAC Football Championship Games played. The winning team appears in bold font, on a background of their primary team color. Rankings are from theAP Poll released prior to the game.
From 1997 through 2003, the championship game was played at campus sites. Since 2004, the game has been played atFord Field inDetroit where it is scheduled to be held through at least 2025.[6]
‡ 2020 game attendance was playedbehind closed doors due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
| Appearances | School | Wins | Losses | Win % | Year(s) Won | Year(s) Lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Northern Illinois Huskies | 5 | 4 | .556 | 2011, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2021 | 2005, 2010, 2013, 2015 |
| 8 | Toledo Rockets | 4 | 4 | .500 | 2001, 2004, 2017, 2022 | 1997, 1998, 2002, 2023 |
| 7 | Miami RedHawks | 4 | 3 | .571 | 2003, 2010, 2019, 2023 | 2004, 2007, 2024 |
| 6 | Marshall Thundering Herd | 5 | 1 | .833 | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 | 2001 |
| 6 | Ohio Bobcats | 1 | 5 | .167 | 2024 | 2006, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2022 |
| 4 | Central Michigan Chippewas | 3 | 1 | .750 | 2006, 2007, 2009 | 2019 |
| 4 | Bowling Green Falcons | 2 | 2 | .500 | 2013, 2015 | 2003, 2014 |
| 3 | Buffalo Bulls | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2008 | 2018, 2020 |
| 3 | Western Michigan Broncos | 1 | 2 | .333 | 2016 | 1999, 2000 |
| 2 | Akron Zips | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2005 | 2017 |
| 2 | Ball State Cardinals | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2020 | 2008 |
| 2 | Kent State Golden Flashes | 0 | 2 | .000 | 2012, 2021 | |
| 0 | Eastern Michigan Eagles | 0 | 0 | – | ||
| 0 | UMass Minutemen | 0 | 0 | – |
| School |
|---|
| Temple Owls |
| UCF Knights |
Eastern Michigan andUMass are the only teams currently in the conference to have not yet qualified for a Championship Game. (UMass had been a football-only MAC member in the 2012–2015 seasons before returning in 2025 as a full member.)Marshall is the only Championship Game Winner to not be a current member of the MAC.Bowling Green is the only team that has represented both the East and West Divisions in the Championship Game (was a member of the West Division prior to Marshall's departure from the MAC).Temple andUCF were previously in the conference during this era and never reached the championship game;
Matchups that have occurred more than once:
| # of Times | East Division | West Division | Record | Years played |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Marshall | Toledo | Marshall, 3–1 | 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 |
| 3 | Bowling Green | Northern Illinois | Bowling Green, 2–1 | 2013, 2014, 2015 |
| 2 | Marshall | Western Michigan | Marshall, 2–0 | 1999, 2000 |
| 2 | Ohio | Central Michigan | Central Michigan, 2–0 | 2006, 2009 |
| 2 | Miami | Central Michigan | Tied, 1–1 | 2007, 2019 |
| 2 | Buffalo | Ball State | Tied, 1–1 | 2008, 2020 |
| 2 | Kent State | Northern Illinois | Northern Illinois, 2–0 | 2012, 2021 |
| Year | MVP(s) | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Randy Moss | Marshall | WR |
| 1998 | Chad Pennington | QB | |
| 1999 | |||
| 2000 | Byron Leftwich | ||
| 2001 | Chester Taylor | Toledo | RB |
| 2002 | Byron Leftwich | Marshall | QB |
| 2003 | Ben Roethlisberger | Miami | |
| 2004 | Bruce Gradkowski | Toledo | |
| 2005 | Luke Getsy | Akron | |
| 2006 | Damien Linson | Central Michigan | WR |
| 2007 | Dan LeFevour | QB | |
| 2008 | Mike Newton | Buffalo | DB |
| 2009 | Dan LeFevour | Central Michigan | QB |
| 2010 | Thomas Merriweather | Miami | RB |
| 2011 | Nathan Palmer | Northern Illinois | WR |
| 2012 | Jordan Lynch | QB | |
| 2013 | Matt Johnson | Bowling Green | |
| 2014 | Drew Hare | Northern Illinois | |
| 2015 | Travis Greene | Bowling Green | RB |
| 2016 | Corey Davis | Western Michigan | WR |
| 2017 | Logan Woodside | Toledo | QB (Offensive) |
| Danzel McKinley-Lewis | WR (Special Teams) | ||
| 2018 | Marcus Childers | Northern Illinois | QB (Offensive) |
| Sutton Smith | LB (Defensive) | ||
| 2019 | Jack Sorenson | Miami | WR (Offensive) |
| Emmanuel Rugamba | LB (Defensive) | ||
| 2020 | Drew Plitt | Ball State | QB (Offensive) |
| Jimmy Daw | LB (Defensive) | ||
| 2021 | Jay Ducker | Northern Illinois | RB (Offensive) |
| C.J. Brown | DB (Defensive) | ||
| John Richardson | PK (Special Teams) | ||
| 2022 | Dequan Finn | Toledo | QB (Offensive) |
| Dyontae Johnson | LB (Defensive) | ||
| Jonathon Batzke | P (Special Teams) | ||
| 2023 | Aveon Smith | Miami | QB (Offensive) |
| Matt Salopek | LB (Defensive) | ||
| Graham Nicholson | K (Special Teams) | ||
| 2024 | Parker Navarro | Ohio | QB (Offensive) |
| Bradley Weaver | DE (Defensive) | ||
| Gianni Spetic | K (Special Teams) |
| Team | Record, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points scored (one team) | 51, Northern Illinois vs. Bowling Green | 2014 |
| Most points scored (losing team) | 45, Toledo vs. Marshall | 2002 |
| Fewest points scored (winning team) | 17, Toledo vs. Ohio | 2022 |
| Fewest points scored | 3, Miami vs. Ohio | 2024 |
| Most points scored (both teams) | 94, Marshall (49) vs. Toledo (45) | 2002 |
| Fewest points scored (both teams) | 24, Toledo (17) vs. Ohio (7) | 2022 |
| Most points scored in a half | 35, Buffalo (2nd half) vs. Ball State Ball State (1st half) vs. Buffalo | 2008 2020 |
| Most points scored in a half (both teams) | 49, Marshall vs. Toledo (2nd half) | 2002 |
| Largest margin of victory | 35, Ohio (38) vs. Miami (3) | 2024 |
| Smallest margin of victory | 1, Akron (31) vs. Northern Illinois (30) Northern Illinois (30) vs. Buffalo (29) | 2005 2018 |
| Total yards | 576, Miami (440 passing, 136 rushing) vs. Bowling Green | 2003 |
| Rushing yards | 334, Northern Illinois vs. Bowling Green | 2014 |
| Passing yards | 440, Miami vs. Bowling Green | 2003 |
| First downs | 32, Ohio vs. Miami | 2024 |
| Fewest yards allowed | 189, Ohio vs. Miami (127 passing, 62 rushing) | 2024 |
| Fewest rushing yards allowed | 37, Western Michigan vs. Ohio | 2016 |
| Fewest passing yards allowed | 102, Kent State vs. Northern Illinois | 2021 |
| Individual | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| All-purpose yards | 448,Ben Roethlisberger, Miami vs. Bowling Green | 2003 |
| Touchdowns (all-purpose) | 5,Matt Johnson, Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois | 2013 |
| Rushing yards | 270,Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois vs. Akron | 2005 |
| Rushing touchdowns | 4, Trinity Dawson, Toledo vs. Marshall | 2002 |
| Passing yards | 440,Ben Roethlisberger, Miami vs. Bowling Green | 2003 |
| Passing touchdowns | 5,Matt Johnson, Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois | 2013 |
| Receiving yards | 191, Damien Linson, Central Michigan vs. Ohio | 2006 |
| Receiving touchdowns | 4, Denero Marriott, Marshall vs. Toledo | 2001 |
| Tackles | 17, Ty Wise, Miami vs. Ohio | 2024 |
| Sacks | 2, shared by nine players, most recent: Tyrece Woods Jr., Buffalo vs. Ball State | 2020 |
| Interceptions | 2, Dechane Durante, Northern Illinois vs. Bowling Green | 2014 |
| Long Plays | Record, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Touchdown run | 96, Ontario Sneed, Central Michigan vs. Ohio | 2006 |
| Touchdown pass | 86,Randy Moss fromChad Pennington, Marshall vs. Toledo | 1997 |
| Kickoff return | 64, Clint Stephens, Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois | 2014 |
| Punt return | 48, Danzel McKinley-Lewis, Toledo vs. Akron | 2017 |
| Interception return | 64, Shawun Lurry, Northern Illinois vs. Bowling Green | 2015 |
| Fumble return | 92,Mike Newton, Buffalo vs. Ball State | 2008 |
| Punt | 75, Curtis Head, Marshall vs. Toledo | 2001 |
| Field goal | 52, shared by: Chris Nendick, Northern Illinois vs. Akron Tyler Tate, Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois Gianni Spetic, Ohio vs. Miami | 2005 2013 2024 |
| Miscellaneous | Record, Team vs. Team | Year |
| Game attendance | 45,615, Ohio vs. Western Michigan | 2016 |
Source:[7]
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