The History of the MAC: College Sports' Underdog

[@lukeontheplains]

7:52 SAMPLE

[@Simply_Ando]

wdym

[@ncaa12cfb92]

It’s de- kalb not dekab

[@CanyonBerry]

​@@Simply_Andosmoke?😊

[@Jackal_McCackle]

@@Simply_Andoit says “sample” on the bottom right of the magazine cover-looking graphic

[@invaderjaymz]

My husband follows this conference. He is a massive nerd.

[@yorkqueer]

MAC has always had a soft spot in my heart, nothing's better than watching a dark snowy night game between NIU and Western Michigan.

[@N.J.D.M.S]

Facts.

[@jakec.8925]

On a tuesday

[@invaderjaymz]

​@@jakec.8925lol true.

[@mralbrecht8736]

I looked forward every year to this lol this is facts

[@randylochtefeld2806]

With about 1200 folks left in the stands as the 4th quarter starts after10:30pm on a Tuesday

[@ColeAdams]

The lack of change, the weeknight games, the grit attitude of all of these programs. The MAC is the greatest conference in college football and nobody can change my mind.

[@darthsilversith667]

It’s MACTION TIME BABY!!

[@dylanjwagner]

Get ready for some MACTION!

[@Dexter037S4]

I'd argue the Canadian University Conferences are just the MAC again lol.

[@Flashfm3000]

The MAC also gave us the “Boom goes the dynamite” guy from Ball State. Absolute legend.

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

I've always loved the MAC. Schools from the same region as the Big 10 but more student oriented. The MAC is what college sports were supposed to be about.

[@MajorFuzzelz]

I wouldn’t go that far. Lol Its a double edge sword when it comes to having games during the week day. It was so frustrating because people still evening exams, labs, and other mandatory academic responsibilities on home game nights. It’s hard to tailgate all day and have a good time when you have class all day and next morning. From a students logistical perspective it kind of sucks actually lol

[@lu.cas1213]

@@MajorFuzzelzit’s quite simple as someone who attends western michigan, however, there’s no classes on game days lol

[@troybaxter]

With all the BS going on in the college world, I am slowly beginning to admire the MAC and their relative unchanging nature. It feels like a conference that is, by and large, for the students. Sure the weekday games are not the most ideal, but considering most teams are near each other, they can get away with it without conflicting with academics too much. I wish we had more conferences like the MAC. Regional conferences that are more focused on maintaining the rivalries and traditions that they currently have.

[@lakerskid2013]

Exactly, geography should still hold some value. The MAC may not be a conference that has anyone ranked consistently but when they do, they tend to have pretty good ranked teams. Western Michigan in 2016 definitely helped the conference out and pretty much every year they win against a Big Ten team or are at least competitive with them

[@Danfrombackhome]

@@lakerskid2013niu in the early 2000’s was borderline a powerhouse tbh

[@Know26874]

​@@Danfrombackhomeback when Marshall and UCF were members

[@darthsilversith667]

@@lakerskid2013Ohio University has been carrying its weight and then some the last decade and a half. We’ve had the occasional down year in that time span.. but we’ve also had some damn good years and we’ve toppled some big P5 teams over the years and played many B1G/SEC teams close on the road. We had some really good baseball and basketball teams in the 60’s and 70’s too including some runs to the college World Series and have Mike Schmidt as an alumni. Basketball team has toppled several traditional power house teams and in recent years too like North Carolina twice and Georgetown to name a couple. But back to football.. Ohio can get to the MAC Championship game on a regular basis but we just can’t win the damn thing lol.. we would’ve last year if our starting quarterback hadn’t gone down.

[@bbryant9455]

​@@Danfrombackhomeshout out Garrett Wolfe! 💯 bro was a baller in college haha

[@ryanlapp7488]

12 years old just got back from christmas tree shopping and watching undeafeated northern illinois vs bowling green in the MAC championship is such a core memory for me

[@famouskev5589]

Sounds like an Ohio kid through and through 😂

[@jimmaloney1121]

A number of my relatives went to BGSU and I still have family who live there. I'll always have a soft spot for BGSU and the MAC. Love me some MACtion!

[@stevec9704]

I have always loved watching MAC FB on weekdays, they are always entertaining and that’s what it’s about. I give credit to the MAC for hanging tough through the changing tides in conferences.

[@jdunc3789]

Theres nothing better than turning on espn on a cold Thursday night to find the random Toledo vs Northern Illinois game playing. The vibes are immaculate.

[@devon303]

Both terrible team’s forever

[@CamBoone]

This is the quickest I’ve clicked play, like, and commented in a while! I absolutely love this series you’re doing

[@marklohrum9160]

One of the best aspects of MAC football is travel. With 6 programs in Ohio and 3 in Michigan, road trips are easy. Students can follow their team easily, with a road trip, tailgating, and a football game all on a Saturday, and get Sunday to catch up on homework and get back to classes on Monday.

[@Thetallguy_zz]

College sports at its absolute finest.

[@rosswelling6339]

Growing up around the MAC schools it brings me joy knowing that other people can watch and appreciate their sports. These schools all know each other very well and actually have good rivalries. I live in between Toledo and BGSU and every year the battle of I-75 is must watch for everyone (go Falcons).

[@Shelby20874]

Bo Shembechler was also a Miami (OH) head coach for a time. As an University of Akron alumni I really appreciate this video as I have a good amount of love for this conference.

[@weskeaton1]

One addition/subtraction you missed was that Missouri joined the MAC for wrestling in 2013, dominated in a way that made everyone realize that it was horrible for the conference, and then left in 2022. MAC wrestling has also recently added a bunch of other schools including Cleveland State.

[@darthsilversith667]

The local high school here in Athens (Ohio University) is kinda the same.. (The Plains (Athens High School)), used to be in the SEOAL.. which is the “big school conference” for SE Ohio until about the same time (early 2010’s).. but they absolutely sucked in that conference for most sports and so they joined the TVC.. SE Ohio’s version of the MAC for high school.. full of mid to small ball schools that usually have 100 kids or less per graduating class.. compared to Athens High School that has.. considerably larger classes (same high school Joe Burrow came from actually).. and ever since they joined the TVC around 10 years ago.. they’ve absolutely owned every sport in the conference and it’s the lamest shit ever. I knew this is what was gonna happen but it’s unlikely that Athens will ever be kicked out because of the money they make the conference.

[@Thetallguy_zz]

Cleveland state recruited me for basketball before covid! (Basketball) (I tore my acl) so I’m connected to the Mac ❤️❤️

[@MetalGod999]

Excellent video about the MAC! You know, what I like about the MAC is that it really is an underdog conference, but it’s also like the Little Engine That Could. Always reliable and capable of hanging with the Big Boys. More importantly, the MAC has, by and large, done a great job of staying true to their Middle America roots. And a lot of sports legends, particularly in football, have made their mark in the MAC. Great history.

[@andrewsever98]

I love this series. Thank you for making it

[@WilltheHam]

Great stuff man. Would love to see a video about any of the HBCU conferences or the Big Sky conference.

[@magallan1]

Shout out to Dri Archer for giving Kent State their only ever double digit win season in 2012

[@Phoenix-pm2qr]

I went to Kent State during his years and got to meet him. too. Nice guy and was a beast on the field.

[@supersasukemaniac]

Huh, Julian Edelman didn't pull that off?

[@zerolazer96]

@@supersasukemaniache did not

[@twobadour]

Can't wait to see some MAC conference realignment now that this video is done. You know it's going to happen

[@lukeontheplains]

NO PLEASE I joke, but WKU and MTSU would have been great fits for the MAC, and I kinda want to see them there eventually. The CUSA is a big break for the 4 new teams, but it's held together by boogers and string.

[@twobadour]

@@lukeontheplains As an MTSU alum I wouldn't mind the MAC

[@Stationjoke]

NDSU and SDSU anyone?

[@trevinschaerr3732]

TBH it’s kind of a surprise that Youngstown State hasn’t moved to the MAC yet since they have an old rivalry with Kent State. Not like the Penguins will win anymore FCS titles anytime soon.

[@kurtisokc]

Illinois State and Southern Illinois would be good fits. So would UW-Milwaukee if it could be convinced to add a football team.

[@chasmeinecke4322]

Very interesting video. It’s nice to see a conference know and accept what they are, build their brand on that, and have some consistency while being able to avoid the ridiculousness that has become conference realignment…

[@peytonsawyer9461]

Maction is one of my favorite parts of college football every year, the mac not being a big time conference for me is what makes it more fun to watch year after year

[@williamrauschenberg8383]

Frank Solich never getting his MAC title is a tragedy. Ohio Bobcats football is truly cursed.

[@trustyduffman]

Thanks for making this…as a Ball State grad it was really interesting to see the full history of the conference

[@MajorFuzzelz]

Growing up in Ohio I did not respect MAC much as a kid. I didn’t understand how to appreciation the conference or the opportunities it brought. MAC was a great stepping stone. But this is also why people think Ohio is the cradle of football. So many great players, coaches and sports legends roots start in Ohio and the MAC. From an academic standpoint, Ohio Universitie and Bowling Green were sabotaged by the Ohio State University and through laws regulating graduate level education (PhDs). To this day no school was ever able to catch up to Ohio State with money/funding and sports. Cincy is finally breaking this barrier. Ohio should have never been a one university football state. To this day, BGSU Hockey homes games is awesome. Packed stadium every night (students and community fans). You’ll even find more people at hockey games than football.

[@Nohandleentered]

It’ll be interesting to see if the MAC has any luck at all with the 12 team format or if that 5th and 6th spot will just be a consistent contest between the MWC and AAC champs. Then again I wouldn’t be surprised if the SEC gets its way and eliminates or reduces the number of auto-bids. I’d hate that; instead of giving more conferences a chance just to get one more 10-2, 9-3 big 10 or SEC team in. I really hope they stick with 6 auto-bids

[@lukeontheplains]

I really don't think the current model is sustainable. They'll 100% change the verbiage in the playoff ruling to make every slot an at-large, and just fill it with 5 SEC / 5 B1G teams and 2 from the ACC and Big 12 and call it a day. The sad thing is, the average college football fan WANTS that; they WANT to see 11-1 Ohio State vs 9-3 Ole Miss in the first round instead of 11-1 Texas Tech or 12-0 Boise State. The MAC might be ahead of the curve here because they hardly ever produce an undefeated team. They're like the cockroaches in the apocalypse; things might continue this direction and blow everything up or they might not, but the MAC will still be playing the same way they are now regardless

[@UserName-ts3sp]

the mac might have the occasional year where they send someone. like when northern illinois was a BCS buster

[@stevenvitte]

@@lukeontheplains I can see slight changes to the format, such as going to a 5+7 model. I believe if the CFP Committee tries to pull that garbage where it's just B1G and SEC and nobody else can go, there should be an uproar and an antitrust lawsuit on the horizon. Most fans across the country won't put up with the 12-team B1G/SEC Invitational long-term. The outgoing 4-team CFP has been obnoxious as it is with just B1G and SEC. How do we know what the average college football fan wants? The CFP Committee clearly don't ask the fans before they perform all their corporate nonsense. Anyway, about the MAC; this conference will be just fine. The MAC will survive conference realignment. Main reasons for this are 1) The B1G doesn't view the MAC as a threat. The MAC are in B1G territory, but clearly there are differences in how the 2 conferences are run. No one is confusing the Ohio Bobcats with the Ohio State Buckeyes, for example. 2) There are no real desirable conference expansion targets in MAC schools. The only MAC school you can somewhat make a case for would be Northern Illinois, but even then Northwestern would give that a hard "no" if the B1G was ever interested.

[@jordandennis6794]

MAC Conference was my favorite to play in during the superstar modes in the NCAA games

[@damnmarkey]

Loving the conference series. Hope we get more conference story like you did with The Boarder conference

[@football1712]

Honestly MAC football teams are underrated because a lot NFL players come from there. Like James Harrison, Jack Lambert, Mack from Buffalo who played for raiders, Crosby who plays for raiders came from Eastern Michigan, and many many many more.

[@AR18123]

I’m not a Steelers fan, but Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown were also MAC products!

[@darthsilversith667]

Big Ben came from Miami and lead them to a 13-0 year and nearly a top 10 ranking his senior year.

[@darthsilversith667]

And Mike Schmidt came from Ohio in baseball.

[@farminstoltzfus]

Julian Edelman was a quarterback for Kent State

[@joemarvin5170]

Josh Cribbs was also a QB at Kent state.

[@1234Peacekeeper]

Back when I played EA NCAA, I always played as a MAC team, usually Ohio.

[@elcrazychris7816]

First video I’ve seen of yours and I was impressed. About to binge through the rest of your videos now, cheers

[@Thetallguy_zz]

Cheers

[@captainspartan04]

Love that you keep making these conference history videos. They extremely informative and fun. Funny you did the Mac as it feels like this is the one conference that won’t really ever change. Maybe Youngstown st and eastern Illinois take the fcs jump to fbs. Or you mentioned western Kentucky being very unhappy so with Marshall rejoins the mac for them to have a partner

[@scanza6084]

It still boggles my mind that Toledo had that win streak back in the late 60s and early 70s. And even tho I’m a UT fan, I always hope for the MAC to do good.

[@dylanjwagner]

Good vid. MACtion is always fun, and in the dumbest timeline with constant conference flux it’s nice to have the MAC stand fairly steady.

[@supersasukemaniac]

I honestly like that the MAC is just Ohio and friends.

[@pnw_jxsh1334]

Dude I was bored and looking for something to watch football related on KZbin and found this gem! This was outstanding and a nice watch while relaxing on the couch. I’m not from the land of the MAC but growing up i have distinct memories of watching Dan LeFevour 😂

[@Penguins2900]

Love this series! Would love to see an episode on the A-10 at some point!

[@BABILA.]

god, i LOVE THESE VIDEOS

[@BABILA.]

please keep it up

[@coleberger6265]

DUDE RIGHT! This is professional level like legit really fucking good content.

[@brycehawes38]

When my friends started our dynasty a couple weeks ago I wanted the fun belt for obvious reasons but the feel of all these mac stadiums and the weather and everything just felt like football. Never been a maction watcher but I sure will be this year

[@trentoncarter9956]

I agree the mac is great , my brother played at ball state and watching skky Moore was so fun , along with guys like Danny Pinter , kalil pippelton , Jared Patterson , Justin hall , Corey Davis and more .

[@StephenHSmith-mn4iq]

any plans on cusa vid? been loving this conference history series

[@brand3241smith]

As an Akron alum, I love this video……Go Zips!

[@uttermanbo]

Never knew Cincy was a founding member. Shocked even more to learn UCF started their ascent in the MAC. I used to really enjoy those October Maction shootouts on Thursdays.

[@artycat0811]

Another fantastic conference, MACtion, history video! Can't wait for the Sun Belt conference video.

[@RJsModernLife]

Would love to see a vid on Conference USA next. That conference has been so fluid

[@fox117-s4l]

Love watching Mac games during the week

[@Panthersigma]

Born and raised in Central Ohio and know countless people who attended and played sports at a MAC school, make no mistake Ohio is proud of it's MACtion !

[@kendrezflournoy2429]

Can you do an video of the SWAC conference?

[@calebwells9838]

You should consider looking into the renaissance conference of the Missouri Valley. Great Video

[@bokkebokke7]

Central Michigan alum. We gave the world Eric Fisher and Dan Majerle. Plus we became the only MAC school to date to win the Sun Bowl a couple years ago. Fire Up Chips!

[@RobJaskula]

My high school quarterback Dan LeFevour played there. Great guy and one of the most underrated college football players ever!

[@bokkebokke7]

@@RobJaskula forgot about LeFevour. He was criminally underrated. Should’ve been at least in the Heisman running.

[@GrantHolmstrom]

And can't forget Antonio Brown!

[@TabascoKid]

Genuinely blew my mind with the Ball State tidbit

[@zachdavis7004]

Keep up the good work! Love finding these in my inbox!

[@itstherealbrace6424]

I think I found my new favorite college football KZbin essay channel

[@patrickb33339]

Appreciate you talking about the MAC conference.

[@Rebelghast]

Thank you for making this, the MAC is so much fun to watch on the weekdays and the rivalries are also really fun. I’m from Toledo and go to UToledo and will always be about that MACtion. GO ROCKETS AND FUCK BG

[@wotintarnation8388]

Uh oh, here comes UMass

[@bbryant9455]

MACtion is fire late in the year. It was either last year or the year before that awesome snow game between Western Michigan and somebody i can't remember. I just remember the game being cold and entertaining AF. Love that shit personally 💯👈

[@i_unknown2954]

This was a beautiful video. Great work.

[@Nevetswalks]

Fun fact about Eastern Michigan XC/Track: They were one of the first programs in the country to recruit internationally!

[@jacklincoln8231]

I’d still love to see them add UMass and UConn as football only schools in 2024. With Don Brown and Jim Mora there, they could bring something a little more to the table.

[@punchy5668]

The Mac is dear to my heart being from Detroit I go to the conference game every year have been doing it since I was 5 growing up playing football we dreamed of just being able to commit to a Mac school and that was good enough for us

[@Ian00003]

This gave me a newfound appreciation for the MAC. It would be cool if NDSU and SDSU joined but I don’t see them making the jump to FBS

[@nicholassmirz6041]

Would love to see Findlay in the MAC or one of the other div II schools move up.

[@ZSW43]

That would be great to see Findlay in the Mac

[@A_Chunky_Kiwi]

Youngstown State, Dayton, Indiana State, and Butler would make great additions to the MAC.

[@BNiche]

Fantastic video yet again! Curious if you have the Atlantic 10 in your radar.

[@DHC000]

Always here for some MACtion

[@MrNobody91]

Id love to see a conference USA video tbh since my fav team was in it forever n dominated pretty much. Southern Miss.

[@treybradshaw9435]

Man you keep on outdoing yourself with these videos! I rarely comment but I'd like to thank you for the consistenly good content!

[@scottmann4093]

Toledo (class of '03). As mentioned I kinda enjoy the fact that the league is the same now as it was when I was an undergrad at UT. The schools in the conference really do have a lot in common athletically and academically.

[@leelendmccormick3811]

Awesome video really cool series man

[@LymetimeProductions]

We need the Big Ten soon and the ACC as well

[@GridironGuru123]

these vids are so good. thanks for making the vids.

[@supersasukemaniac]

I find the MACs expansion plans pretty funny. "Do your programs not like each other, come to the MAC, where you two can beat up on each other to your hearts content. Try not to get blood on the carpet,i just bought it."

[@vinylhorror]

Proud MAC Alumnus from Central Michigan. Our best sport I believe is wrestling. Was really nice having Brian Kelly and Dan Lafevour on the football field for a bit.

[@hunterrenick3338]

Beautiful work man

[@mrgoetz3424]

I’m a CMU grad and mac sports will always hold a special place. They just have a feeling jo other conference has. It feels old school and familiar. I’ll always root for MAC schools. Except western

[@excitedpatsfanwx681]

You missed a school, Bloomsburg University’s wrestling team is a member of the MAC

[@MajorFuzzelz]

I could be wrong but I think he was analyzing football schools because he forgot a lot of schools in different sports. The other tidbits of info in other sports were secondary to the main story of football. Rough season for Bloomsburg. Best of luck this winter!

[@neelyw.7028]

You should do a Mountain States Conference video!

[@clarkysparky]

toledo having that rokcet pointing towards bg is priceless

[@michaelsmith-ws2mb]

As an avid college football fan who always loved the Mac.esp when they play on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

[@johnpannebaker5757]

MAC should have absolutely taken WKU and Middle Tennessee. Just something to galvanize the conference and give it a jolt. Maybe they'd take someone in the FCS wanting to move up, like Northern Iowa or Missouri State.

[@higgy04]

I remember Eastern Michigan's Men's Basketball team reaching the Sweet 16 in 1991 bowing out to North Carolina in a match that each school featured a Canadian player on their roster. EMU had Kory Hallas from Almonte (birthplace of James Naismith), Ontario and UNC had Rick Fox from Toronto. Sure Rick Fox was more recognizable playing in the NBA with the Lakers (and was married to Vanessa Williams for a short time) but Hallas got to play for Team Canada at the 1994 FIBA World Championships in Toronto. If anyone is curious why I would mention Kory Hallas it's because I went to the same high school in Almonte, Ontario. Someone already mentioned Ball State being known for the 'Boom goes the dynamite' guy but a glaring omission is that David Letterman attended the same school. Western Michigan's hockey team back in the 1970's had one of my favourite ESPN personalities (and fellow Canadian) John Saunders on the team. RIP John Saunders.

[@lobecosc]

I love college football. Thanks to the MAC in November, football (college and pros) is literally on every single day. Team MAC conference.

[@LRXC1]

Great history video! Go NIU!

[@dennisbowen452]

The mac is honstly fun in the video game career mode stuff. Man, i hope that game comes out next year

[@chesterpanda]

As an Ohio resident with a budget. I’ll go watch one of the Ohio MAC teams because the tickets aren’t that expensive, and I’ll watch the Bucks on TV.

[@sensatorclause7436]

Iam From a place in Ohio where my school is a division 4 team and OU recruits from us sometimes

[@cnpeters3]

Go Zips! God I love the MAC. As an aside, UMass didn’t get kicked out per se - they were offered the ability to stay but only as a full member. The opted out, I assume so they could hold tight with their A-10 basketball affiliation.

[@rstates8864]

Wrestling is big for the MAC as well, and they have a few small D2 schools like Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Clarion, and Edinboro

[@Phoenix-pm2qr]

Nothing beyter than Kent State vs The School Down the Road (Akron, 12 Miles). Go Kent State, Go The MAC, and SCREW THE ROO!!!!!!

[@MajorFuzzelz]

You know that Kent state alumni won’t be able to read this? 😄

[@Phoenix-pm2qr]

@@MajorFuzzelz Prison allows Akron alumni to watch KZbin?

[@kevinhover461]

Why is UB’s placement on the map in Watertown at the edge of Lake Ontario instead of Buffalo on the edge of Lake Erie ?

[@danielkopcha2011]

and then there’s UMASS as a full member

[@FlyEaglesFly727]

I love these sm

[@ohiotalk1475]

As a BGSU student, I love my MACtion!

[@dclark142002]

I think a better way to describe the MAC is that it's current members share a very robust sense of vision for what they want the conference to be. The MAC is, almost by definition, the second tier set of sports schools for the Big10 / Midwest area. Most of its members clearly WANT to be in that type of conference. There is no desire by the Central Michigan's of the world to try to be the next Ohio State. Plus, the conference knows this and owns it as part of how they run. MACtion is a stroke of marketing genius...because not only is it advertising that you can watch football on odd nights... ...the football you watch isn't teams seriously driving for national championships and playoffs spots, with conservative styles...but teams which feature innovative coaching styles, flamboyant players, and weaknesses which can be exploited...meaning the games are flashy and exciting. The meme for MACtion includes the idea that that Tuesday night game will feature some absurd and exciting action. I have a bit of a soft spot for the MAC, having grown up less than an hour away from Central Michigan. It's a wonderful conference. Long may it remain stable.

[@CoachChef]

Born and Raised on the southside of Chicago the MAC is my 2nd Favorite conference behind of course the Big10

[@mahtinp]

You mentioned BGSU winning the National Championship in hockey, though hockey is not a MAC sponsored sport, therefore BGSU and Miami play in the CCHA and NCHC respectively, and continue to compete with the top programs nationally. As a Miami alum, hockey was often the highest attended sport. On the subject of "MACTION" Tuesday night games, I have fond memories of one of those Tuesday games in Oxford where only EIGHT Miami students showed up.

[@BorderlineBryan]

Love watching mac games. Fun to bet on too

[@rustyrafferty8719]

There’s nothing better than midweek MAC football

[@wolfgamingnetwork3542]

My grandfather played for Toledo in the mid to late 70's Also at the same time kent state had a guy on their coaching staff names Nick Saban

[@gronie17]

Saban and Lou Holtz played at Kent.