The Big Ten Conference is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1896, it predates the founding of its regulating organization, the NCAA. It is based in the Chicago area in Rosemont, Illinois. For many decades the conference consisted of 10 prominent universities, which accounts for its name. As of 2014, it consists of 14 member institutions and 2 affiliate institutions, with 4 new member institutions scheduled to join in 2024. The conference competes in the NCAA Division I and its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, the highest level of NCAA competition in that sport.
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate 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 located in Illinois, Indiana, and New York. For football, the MAC participates in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision.
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision independent schools are four-year institutions whose football programs are not part of an NCAA-affiliated conference. This means that FBS independents are not required to schedule each other for competition like conference schools do.
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University (MSU) in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. The Spartans are members of the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State claims a total of six national championships, including two from major wire-service: AP Poll and/or Coaches' Poll. The Spartans have also won eleven conference championships, with two in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and nine in the Big Ten.
The Central Michigan Chippewas are a college football program in Division I FBS, representing Central Michigan University (CMU). CMU has the 30th highest overall winning percentage of programs playing in NCAA Division I.
The Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference is a high school athletic conference in Southwestern Michigan. It is composed of Class A schools from the MHSAA in Berrien, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties.
The 2014 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University (WMU) in the 2014 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach P. J. Fleck and played their home games at Waldo Stadium as a member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). They finished the season 8–5, 6–2 in MAC play to finish in third place in the West Division. They were invited to the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where they lost to Air Force.
The 2015 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team represented Oklahoma State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cowboys were led by 11th-year head coach Mike Gundy and played their home games at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. They were members of the Big 12 Conference. They finished the season 10–3, 7–2 in Big 12 play to finish in a tie for second place. They were invited to the Sugar Bowl where they lost to Ole Miss.
The 2015 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Jerry Kill, who resigned on October 28, 2015 due to health reasons. Tracy Claeys replaced Kill on an interim basis and was named head coach two weeks later on November 11. The Gophers played their home games at TCF Bank Stadium. They were a member of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. Minnesota finished the regular season with a record of 5–7, 2–6 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for fifth place in the West Division. Despite finishing below .500, the Gophers were invited to the Quick Lane Bowl versus Central Michigan due to there not being enough bowl eligible teams and Minnesota's high Academic Performance Rating. Minnesota defeated Central Michigan 21–14 to finish the season 6–7.
The 2016 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland, College Park in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. It was the Terrapins' third season as a member of the Big Ten Conference, and a member of the East Division. Maryland played its home games at Maryland Stadium in College Park, Maryland. It was their first year under new head coach D. J. Durkin. They finished the season 6–7, 3–6 in Big Ten play to finish in fifth place in the East Division. They were invited to the Quick Lane Bowl where they were defeated by Boston College.
The 2019 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the Crimson Tide's 125th overall season, 86th as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and 28th within the SEC's Western Division. They played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and were led by 13th-year head coach Nick Saban.
The 2020 Missouri Tigers football team represented the University of Missouri in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri, and competed in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by first-year head coach Eliah Drinkwitz.
The 2020 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented Ohio State University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Ryan Day, and played their home games at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. It was the Buckeyes' 131st season overall and 108th as a member of the Big Ten Conference.
The 2020 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland, College Park in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Terrapins played their home games at Maryland Stadium in College Park, Maryland and competed in the East Division of the Big Ten Conference.
The 2020 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team represented Arkansas State University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Red Wolves played their home games at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and competed in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by Blake Anderson, in his seventh season as head coach. Butch Jones was hired to replace Anderson, after the team played to a 4–7 record.
The 2020 Toledo Rockets football team represented the University of Toledo during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Rockets were led by fifth-year head coach Jason Candle and played their home games at the Glass Bowl in Toledo, Ohio. They competed as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
The 2020 Ball State Cardinals football team represented Ball State University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Cardinals were led by fifth-year head coach Mike Neu and played their home games at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Indiana. They competed as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference.
The 2020 Eastern Michigan Eagles football team represented Eastern Michigan University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Eagles were led by seventh-year head coach Chris Creighton and played their home games at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They competed as members of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
The 2020 Western Michigan Broncos football team represented Western Michigan University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Broncos played their home games at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and competed in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The team was led by fourth-year head coach Tim Lester. On August 8, 2020, it was announced that the MAC would be cancelling the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The MAC later changed that decision, with teams playing a six-game conference-only season.
The 2021 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University as a member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by third-year head coach Thomas Hammock, the Huskies compiled an overall record of 9–5 with a mark of 6–2 in conference playing, sharing the MAC's West Division title with Central Michigan. By virtue of a head-to-head win over Central Michigan, Northern Illinois advanced to the MAC Championship Game and defeated Kent State to win the program's six MAC championship. The Huskies invited to the Cure Bowl, where they lost to Coastal Carolina on December 17. The team played home games at Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois.
