MAC Championship Game
Encyclopedia
The Marathon MAC Football Championship is a football game between the winners of the East and West divisions of the Mid-American Conference
(MAC) to determine the conference champion. The game has been played since 1997, when the conference was first divided into divisions and since 2003 has been sponsored by Marathon Oil. The winner of the game is guaranteed a berth in a bowl game which the MAC has contractual obligations to field a team. Since 2004, the championship game is played at Ford Field
in Detroit. Previously the game was held at campus sites.
In 2007, due to an unbalanced conference schedule, the team with best division record within each division was awarded that division's championship game berth. The only other year this was done was in 2000. In other years, the teams with the best overall conference records received a berth.
Current conference members in bold
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
(MAC) to determine the conference champion. The game has been played since 1997, when the conference was first divided into divisions and since 2003 has been sponsored by Marathon Oil. The winner of the game is guaranteed a berth in a bowl game which the MAC has contractual obligations to field a team. Since 2004, the championship game is played at Ford Field
Ford Field
Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for...
in Detroit. Previously the game was held at campus sites.
In 2007, due to an unbalanced conference schedule, the team with best division record within each division was awarded that division's championship game berth. The only other year this was done was in 2000. In other years, the teams with the best overall conference records received a berth.
Results by year
Rankings reflect last AP poll prior to game being played. Winner in bold.| From 1997 through 2003, the championship game was played at campus sites (listed in italics). | ||||||||
| Year | East | Score | West | Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Marshall 1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team The 1997 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented the Marshall University in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A college football season. It was their first year in the Mid-American Conference.-Regular season:... |
34 | 14 | |||||
| 1998 | 23 | 17 | ||||||
| 1999 1999 MAC Championship Game The 1999 MAC Championship Game was played on December 3, 1999 at Marshall Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the Marshall Thundering Herd, of the East Division, and the , of the West Division... |
#11 Marshall 1999 Marshall Thundering Herd football team The 1999 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in 1999 season in NCAA Division I-A. Marshall became the second non-BCS team in the BCS era to finish the year ranked in the AP top 10.-Schedule:-Clemson:... |
34 | 30 | |||||
| 2000 2000 MAC Championship Game The 2000 MAC Championship Game was played on December 2, 2000 at Marshall Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the , of the East Division, and the , of the West Division. The Thundering Herd beat the... |
19 | 14 | ||||||
| 2001 2001 MAC Championship Game The 2001 MAC Championship Game was played on November 30, 2001 at the Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the Marshall Thundering Herd, of the East Division, and the , of the West Division. The Rockets beat the... |
#20 Marshall 2001 Marshall Thundering Herd football team The 2001 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in 2001 season in NCAA Division I-A. When Marshall played ECU in the GMAC Bowl, it was the highest scoring bowl game in college football history.-Schedule:... |
36 | 41 | |||||
| 2002 2002 MAC Championship Game The 2002 MAC Championship Game was played on December 7, 2002 at Marshall Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the Marshall Thundering Herd, of the East Division, and the , of the West Division. The... |
Marshall 2002 Marshall Thundering Herd football team The 2002 Marshall Thundering Herd football team represented Marshall University in 2002 season in NCAA Division I-A. Marshall won its 5th MAC title in 6 years and its 5th consecutive bowl win.-Schedule:-Miami :... |
49 | 45 | |||||
| 2003 2003 MAC Championship Game The 2003 Marathon MAC Championship Game was played on December 4, 2003 at Doyt Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, Ohio. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the Miami RedHawks, of the East Division, and the , of the West Division. The... |
#13 Miami 2003 Miami RedHawks football team The 2003 Miami RedHawks football team represented Miami University in the college football season of 2003. They competed in the Mid-American Conference East Division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the football season... |
49 | #20 | 27 | ||||
| Since 2004, the game has been played at Ford Field Ford Field Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for... in Detroit. |
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| Year | East | Score | West | Score | ||||
| 2004 2004 MAC Championship Game The 2004 MAC Championship Game was played on December 2, 2004 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the , of the East Division, and the Toledo Rockets, of the West Division. The Rockets beat the RedHawks... |
27 | Toledo | 35 | |||||
| 2005 2005 MAC Championship Game The 2005 Marathon MAC Championship Game was played on December 1, 2005 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the , of the East Division, and the , of the West Division. The Zips beat the Huskies... |
31 | 30 | ||||||
| 2006 2006 MAC Championship Game The 2006 Marathon MAC Championship Game was played on November 30, 2006 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the , of the East Division, and the , of the West Division. The Chippewas beat the Bobcats... |
10 | 31 | ||||||
| 2007 2007 MAC Championship Game The 2007 Marathon MAC Championship Game was played on December 1, 2007 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the Miami RedHawks, of the East Division, and the , of the West Division. The Chippewas beat the... |
Miami 2007 Miami RedHawks football team The 2007 Miami RedHawks football team represented the Miami University in the college football season of 2007. The team was coached by Shane Montgomery and played their homes game in Yager Stadium in Oxford, Ohio.-Pre-season:... |
10 | 35 | |||||
| 2008 2008 MAC Championship Game The 2008 Marathon MAC Championship Game was played on December 5, 2008 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. The game featured the winner of each division of the Mid-American Conference. The game featured the Ball State Cardinals, of the West Division, and the Buffalo Bulls, of the East Division... |
Buffalo 2008 Buffalo Bulls football team The 2008 Buffalo Bulls football team represented the University at Buffalo in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS college football season. 2008 was a season of firsts for the Bulls. With a 40-34 double overtime win over Bowling Green on November 21, the Bulls won the MAC East division and gained a berth... |
42 | #12 Ball State 2008 Ball State Cardinals football team The 2008 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University in the Mid-American Conference during the 2008–2009 college football season. Brady Hoke, in his sixth season at Ball State, was the head coach until December 15, when he resigned to become the head coach at San Diego State... |
24 | ||||
| 2009 2009 MAC Championship Game The 2009 Marathon MAC Championship Game was a college football game played by the Central Michigan Chippewas and the Ohio Bobcats. The game, sponsored by Marathon Oil, was the final regular season contest of the 2009 college football season for the Mid-American Conference... |
Ohio 2009 Ohio Bobcats football team The 2009 Ohio Bobcats football team competed on behalf of Ohio University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bobcats were led by head coach Frank Solich and played their home games in Peden Stadium located in Athens, Ohio.... |
10 | Central Michigan 2009 Central Michigan Chippewas football team The 2009 Central Michigan University Chippewas football team represented Central Michigan University in the college football season of 2009. They competed in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the football season. Central... |
20 | ||||
| 2010 2010 MAC Championship Game The 2010 MAC Championship Game was played at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 3, 2010, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan to determine the 2010 football champion of the Mid-American Conference... |
Miami 2010 Miami RedHawks football team The 2010 Miami RedHawks football team represented Miami University during the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The RedHawks, led by second-year head coach Michael Haywood and interim head coach Lance Guidry during their bowl game, competed in the East Division of the Mid-American... |
26 | #24 Northern Illinois 2010 Northern Illinois Huskies football team The 2010 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University in the college football season of 2010. They compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the football season. Northern Illinois competed... |
21 | ||||
| 2011 2011 MAC Championship Game The 2011 Marathon MAC Championship Game is scheduled to be played at 7:00 p.m. EST on Friday, December 2, 2011, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan to determine the 2011 football champion of the Mid-American Conference . The game will feature the Ohio Bobcats against the Northern Illinois Huskies.... |
Ohio 2011 Ohio Bobcats football team The 2011 Ohio Bobcats football team represents Ohio University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bobcats are led by seventh year head coach Frank Solich and play their home games at Peden Stadium. They are a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference.-Schedule:... |
Northern Illinois 2011 Northern Illinois Huskies football team The 2011 Northern Illinois Huskies football team will represent Northern Illinois University in the college football season of 2011. They will compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football during the football season. Northern Illinois... |
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Results by team
| Appearances | School | W | L | Pct | Years appeared | Years won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Marshall | 5 | 1 | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 | 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 | |
| 5 | Toledo | 2 | 3 | 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004 | 2001, 2004 | |
| 4 | Miami | 2 | 2 | 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010 | 2003, 2010 | |
| 3 | Central Michigan | 3 | 0 | 2006, 2007, 2009 | 2006, 2007, 2009 | |
| 3 | Northern Illinois | 0 | 2 | 2005, 2010, 2011 | – | |
| 3 | Ohio | 0 | 2 | 2006, 2009, 2011 | – | |
| 2 | Western Michigan | 0 | 2 | 1999, 2000 | – | |
| 1 | Akron | 1 | 0 | 2005 | 2005 | |
| 1 | Buffalo | 1 | 0 | 2008 | 2008 | |
| 1 | Ball State | 0 | 1 | 2008 | – | |
| 1 | Bowling Green | 0 | 1 | 2003 | – | |
| 0 | Central Florida | 0 | 0 | – | – | |
| 0 | Eastern Michigan | 0 | 0 | – | – | |
| 0 | Kent State | 0 | 0 | – | – | |
| 0 | Temple | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Current conference members in bold