The MAC currently has 12 teams, divided into two (2) divisions, East & West! The East Division consists of: Ohio, Kent State, Akron, Miami of Ohio, Bowling Green, & Buffalo, while the West is made up of the following universities: Northern Illinois, Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan & Toledo.
The MAC plays eight (8) conference games and schedules four (4) Non-Conference (NC) dates. Like other Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams, they are limited to twelve (12) games in their regular season’s (unless they play Hawaii on the Islands, if so, they can add a thirteenth competition) As a result, the MAC plays 96 conference games (12 X 8 = 96) and schedules 48 NC engagements (4 X 12 = 48)!
If you have read earlier blogs that I have written, re: 2022 schedules, the information provided below will be redundant, I always place this data on/in the blog for 1st time readers!
On Sully’s College Football Page, we use a system of color coding to make the reading of a particular team’s strength of schedule, easily recognized and understood!
The color Red is used to identify conference games, Yellow, for Power Five (P5) opponents, Green, to signify Group of Five (G5) teams, and finally, we use Light Blue for the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). The FCS can offer up to 63 scholarship (not more than 63, yet can offer fewer), while the Football Bowl Subdivision ( P5 & G5) must provide 85 scholarships or lose their status as an FBS program!
In should be noted, the terms P5 & G5 are not NCAA language, but rather the constructs of five conferences (ACC, B-10, B-12, PAC 12, & SEC) and Notre Dame! No one is quiet sure of the origin of these terms, Power Five & Group of Five, they seem to have evolved over time, suffice to say, they are not NCAA Terms!
The link provided below will take you to Sully’s College Football Page (SCFP) featuring Mountain West Conference (MWC) 2022 schedule information!
https://sullyscollegefootballpage.com/Football_Stats/Conference_Listings.cfm?MCID=2&DVID=10&ScheduleYear=2022#Top
The MAC, as mentioned, plays 48 NC games in 2022! Here is the break down
VS P5: The MAC will line-it-up 21 times vs Power Five opponents: The Big Ten & the Southeastern Conference on seven (7) occasions apiece! They take on the Big 12, three (3), the PAC 12 three (3), & the Atlantic Coast Conference once. That said, of these twenty one (21) encounters with P5 programs, only two (2) are played in MAC stadiums ( NIU plays Vanderbilt {SEC} & Western Michigan battles Pitt {ACC} in MAC Arenas)!
In 2022 vs G5 conferences, they will kick-it-off 15 times: American Athletic Conference (AAC) twice (2) C-USA two (2), Mountain West Conference (MWC) a couple (2) of times, the Sun Belt Conference (SBC) in four (4) tilts, & Independents (U-Conn, U-Mass, & Liberty) on five (5) dates! Of these fifteen (15) NC games, vs Group of 5 Conferences, six (6) are played in MAC ‘Houses’ while 9 are settled on the road.
VS FCS (Football Championship Subdivision), as stated earlier, this subdivision can only award, up to, 63 full scholarships compared to the FBS’ 85 full rides.
That said, an FCS program could award 50 full athletic scholarships and then combine the remaining 13 scholarships as partial athletic dollars to/for students, who may have been awarded academic or economic (need) $’s, up to the equivalent of the FCS’ 63 full scholarships allotment. It should also be noted, an FCS program can provide this math combo (Athletic, Academic, Economic dollars) up to a total of 85 students (the # 85 is used to limit an FCS program to the FBS’ allotment of 85 full rides)! In other words, 85 student athletes playing on FCS teams can/could receive full or partial football dollars … not 86!!! … and the dollar amount, can not, exceed the cost of/for providing the 63 scholarships!
This year the MAC plays 12 FCS opponents (every team in the league plays one (1) FCS team). The MAC plays all 12 of these games in their stadiums!
In 2022, the MAC plays 48 NC games, 20 at home, and 28 on the road!
And as always … Enjoy the Games!