2025 Mid-American Conference football season

Last updated
2025 Mid-American Conference football season
Mid-American Conference logo.svg
League NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
Sport Football
DurationAugust 29 - December 7
Number of teams12
Regular season
MAC Championship Game
Seasons
  2024
2026  
2025 Mid-American Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
Akron  0 0   0 0  
Ball State  0 0   0 0  
Bowling Green  0 0   0 0  
Buffalo  0 0   0 0  
Central Michigan  0 0   0 0  
Eastern Michigan  0 0   0 0  
Kent State  0 0   0 0  
Miami (OH)  0 0   0 0  
Northern Illinois  0 0   0 0  
Ohio  0 0   0 0  
Toledo  0 0   0 0  
UMass  0 0   0 0  
Western Michigan  0 0   0 0  
Championship: December 6, 2025
As of January 28, 2025

The 2025 Mid-American Conference football season will the 80th season for the Mid-American Conference (MAC), as part of the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Non-conference play will begin on August 28. [1] Conference play will begin on September 13 and conclude with the MAC championship game on December 6 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. [2] Just as it was in 2024, the MAC will not have divisions. The Championship game will feature the two teams with the best conference records. [3] The MAC will see its first change in membership since 2015 with the addition of UMass. [4] This will be Northern Illinois' last season as the are joining the Mountain West Conference in 2026. [5]

Contents

Previous season

Miami and Ohio finished the season with 7-1 conference records and the Battle of the Bricks rivalry happened twice in the same season for the first time with a rematch in the Championship Game. Ohio avenged the regular season loss to Miami, winning 38–3, and won the MAC Championship for the first time since [[1968. [6]

Coaches

Coaching changes

The MAC enters the 2025 season with three head coaching change from 2024.

Ball State

Ball State head coach Mike Neu was fired on November 16 with two games remaining in the 2024 season. Neu had 40 wins and 63 losses in nine seasons. [7] He won the MAC Championship in 2020 [8] It was his only winning season. Colin Johnson succeeded him as interim head coach. [7] On December 4, Ball State named Butler head coach Mike Uremovich as the new head coach. [9]

Central Michigan

Central Michigan head coach Jim McElwain announced on November 20 that he would retire at the end of the 2024 season [10] He retired with a 33–36 at the school. On December 9, 2024, Army assistant coach Matt Drinkall was hired as the next head coach. [11]

Ohio

On December 7, 2024 Ohio head coach Tim Albin resigned after winning the 2024 MAC Football Championship Game to become the head coach at Charlotte [12] Albin exited the team bus on the way back to campus to accept the position. [13] Associate Head Coach Brian Smith was named the interim head coach for the 2024 Cure Bowl. [14] Ohio named him the permanent head coach on December 18. [15]

Head coaching records

TeamHead coachPrevious JobYears at schoolRecord at schoolMAC recordMAC titles
Akron Joe Moorhead Oregon (offensive coordinator)38–28 (.222)5–19 (.208)0
Ball State Mike Uremovich Butler Bulldogs football 10–0 (–)0–0 (–)0
Bowling Green Scot Loeffler Boston College (offensive coordinator/QB coach)727–41 (.397)20–25 (.444)0
Buffalo Pete Lembo South Carolina (associate head coach/special teams coordinator)29–4 (.692)6–2 (.750)0
Central Michigan Matt Drinkall Army (OL coach)10–0 (–)0–0 (–)0
Eastern Michigan Chris Creighton Drake 1257–75 (.432)33–53 (.384)0
Kent State Kenni Burns Minnesota (associate head coach/running backs)31–23 (.042)0–16 (.000)0
Miami Chuck Martin Notre Dame (offensive coordinator/QB coach)1165–67 (.492)51–32 (.614)2
Northern Illinois Thomas Hammock Baltimore Ravens (running backs coach)732–38 (.457)21–25 (.457)1
Ohio Brian Smith Ohio (associate head coach/offensive coordinator)11–0 (1.000)0–0 (–)0
Toledo Jason Candle Toledo (offensive coordinator)1073–40 (.646)47–23 (.671)2
UMass Joe Harasymiak Rutgers (defensive coordinator)10–0 (–)0–0 (–)0
Western Michigan Lance Taylor Louisville (offensive coordinator)310–15 (.400)8–8 (.500)0

Source - [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

Rankings

 PreWk
1
Wk
2
Wk
3
Wk
4
Wk
5
Wk
6
Wk
7
Wk
8
Wk
9
Wk
10
Wk
11
Wk
12
Wk
13
Wk
14
Wk
15
Final
AkronAP
C
CFPNot released
Ball StateAP
C
CFPNot released
Bowling GreenAP
C
CFPNot released
BuffaloAP
C
CFPNot released
Central MichiganAP
C
CFPNot released
Eastern MichiganAP
C
CFPNot released
Kent StateAP
C
CFPNot released
MiamiAP
C
CFPNot released
Northern IllinoisAP
C
CFPNot released
OhioAP
C
CFPNot released
ToledoAP
C
CFPNot released
UMassAP
C
CFPNot released
Western MichiganAP
C
CFPNot released
Legend
  Improvement in ranking
 Drop in ranking
 Not ranked previous week
 No change in ranking from previous week
RVReceived votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll
тTied with team above or below also with this symbol

Schedule

[2] [1] [29]

Index to colors and formatting
MAC member won
MAC member lost
MAC teams in bold

All times Eastern time.

Week 1

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
August 28TBA Buffalo Minnesota Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN TBA   
August 30TBA Western Michigan Michigan State Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI TBA   
August 30TBA Toledo Kentucky Kroger FieldLexington, KY TBA   
August 30TBA Temple UMass McGuirk Alumni StadiumHadley, MA TBA   
August 30TBA Miami Wisconsin Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI TBA   
August 30TBA Wyoming Akron InfoCision StadiumAkron, OH TBA   
August 30TBA Lafayette Bowling Green Doyt Perry StadiumBowling Green, OH TBA   
August 30TBA Ohio Rutgers SHI StadiumPiscataway, NJ TBA   
August 30TBA Merrimack Kent State Dix StadiumKent, OH TBA   
August 30TBA Ball State Purdue Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN TBA   
August 30TBA Central Michigan San Jose State CEFCU StadiumSan Jose, CA TBA   
August 30TBA Eastern Michigan Texas State UFCU StadiumSan Marcos, TX TBA   
August 30TBA Holy Cross Northern Illinois Huskie StadiumDeKalb, IL TBA   
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 2

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
September 6TBAAkron Nebraska Memorial StadiumLincoln, NE TBA   
September 6TBA Saint Francis Buffalo UB StadiumAmherst, NY TBA   
September 6TBA Western Kentucky Toledo Glass BowlToledo, OH TBA   
September 6TBABall State Auburn Jordan-Hare StadiumAuburn, AL TBA   
September 6TBA West Virginia Ohio Peden StadiumAthens, OH TBA   
September 6TBANorthern Illinois Maryland SECU StadiumCollege Park, MD TBA   
September 6TBACentral Michigan Pittsburgh Acrisure StadiumPittsburgh, PA TBA   
September 6TBA LIU Eastern Michigan Rynearson StadiumYpsilanti, MI TBA   
September 6TBA North Texas Western Michigan Waldo StadiumKalamazoo, MI TBA   
September 6TBAKent State Texas Tech Jones AT&T StadiumLubbock, TX TBA   
September 6TBAMiami (OH)RutgersSHI Stadium • Piscataway, NJTBA   
September 6TBABowling Green Cincinnati Nippert StadiumCincinnati, OH TBA   
September 6TBA Bryant UMassMcGuirk Alumni Stadium • Hadley, MATBA   
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 3

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
September 13TBAAkron UAB Protective StadiumBirmingham, AL TBA   
September 13TBAEastern MichiganKentuckyKroger Field • Lexington, KYTBA   
September 13TBA Morgan State ToledoGlass Bowl • Toledo, OHTBA   
September 13TBACentral Michigan Michigan Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI TBA   
September 13TBAOhio Ohio State Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH TBA   
September 13TBA Liberty Bowling GreenDoyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OhioTBA   
September 13TBAWestern Michigan Illinois Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH TBA   
September 13TBAUMass Iowa Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA TBA   
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 4

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
September 20TBANorthern Illinois Mississippi State M. M. Roberts StadiumHattiesburg, MS TBA   
September 20TBA Duquesne AkronInfoCision Stadium • Akron, OHTBA   
September 20TBA Gardner–Webb OhioPeden Stadium • Athens, OHTBA   
September 20TBA Wagner Central Michigan Kelly/Shorts StadiumMount Pleasant, MI TBA   
September 20TBAKent State Florida State Doak Campbell StadiumTallahassee, FL TBA   
September 20TBA Troy BuffaloUB Stadium • Amherst, NYTBA   
September 20TBA UNLV Miami (OH) Yager StadiumOxford, OH TBA   
September 20TBABall State UConn Rentschler FieldEast Hartford, CT TBA   
September 20TBABowling Green Louisville L&N Federal Credit Union StadiumLouisville, KY TBA   
September 20TBA Louisiana Eastern MichiganRynearson Stadium • Ypsilanti, MITBA   
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 5

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
September 27TBA San Diego State Northern IllinoisHuskie Stadium • DeKalb, IllinoisTBA   
September 27TBA Lindenwood Miami (OH)Yager Stadium • Oxford, OHTBA   
September 27TBA Rhode Island Western MichiganWaldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MITBA   
September 27TBAUMass Missouri Faurot FieldColumbia, MO TBA   
September 27TBAUConnBuffaloUB Stadium • Amherst, NYTBA   
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 6

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
October 4TBAKent State Oklahoma Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial StadiumNorman, OK TBA   
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 7

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 8

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 9

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
October 25TBAToledo Washington State Martin StadiumPullman, WA TBA   
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 10

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 11

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 12

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 13

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Week 14

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
#Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

MAC Conference Championship Game

DateTimeVisiting teamHome teamSiteTVResultAttendanceRef.
December 6TBATBDTBD Ford FieldDetroit, MI ESPN    
#Rankings from College Football Playoff. All times are in Eastern Time.

Head to head matchups

2025 MAC Head to head
TeamAkronBall StateBowling GreenBuffaloCentral MichiganEastern MichiganKent StateMiamiNorthern IllinoisOhioToledoUMassWestern Michigan
Akron
Ball State
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Kent State
Miami
Northern Illinois
Ohio
Toledo
UMass
Western Michigan

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