The 2024 Mid-American Conference football season was the 79th season for the Mid-American Conference (MAC), as part of the 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Non-conference play began on August 29. Conference play began on September 21 and concluded with the MAC championship game on December 7 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. For the first time since 1996, the MAC did not have divisions. The Championship game featured the two teams with the best conference records. This was the conference's last season with 12 members as in 2025. it will see its first change in membership since 2015 with the addition of UMass.
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. Bowling Green's tight-end Harold Fannin Jr. was the Offensive Player of the Year and won the Vern Smith Leadership Award. Linebacker Shaun Dolac of Buffalo was Defensive Player of the Year. Tim Albin of Ohio won Coach of the Year.
Ohio avenged the regular season loss to Miami, winning 38–3, and won the MAC Championship for the first time since 1968. Parker Navarro won Offensive Player of the Game with 235 passing yards with 2 touchdowns and 73 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. Bradley Weaver was Defensive Player of the Game. Gianni Spetic hit a 51-yard field goal and won Special Teams Player of the Game.
Seven MAC teams qualified for bowls with a record of five wins and two losses.
Preseason
The MAC Football Kickoff was held on Friday, July 19, 2024 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio from 9:00 am EDT to 1:30 pm EDT. Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher spoke. Each team had their head coach and a student athlete from both the offense and the defense available to speak to the media.
Akron – Head Coach Joe Moorhead, Bryan McCoy, Jr., LB, Bennett Adler, Sr., DL Ball State – Head Coach Mike Neu, Tanner Koziol, Jr., TE, Keionte Newson, Sr., LB Bowling Green – Head Coach Scot Loeffler, Connor Bazelak, Sr., QB, Jordan Oladokun, Sr., CB Buffalo – Head Coach Pete Lembo, Shaun Dolac, Grad., LB, Red Murdock, R-So., LB Central Michigan – Head Coach Jim McElwain, Donte Kent, Sr., DB, Brayden Swartout, Sr., OL Eastern Michigan – Head Coach Chris Creighton, Justin Jefferson, Sr., DL, Jere Getzinger, Sr., TE Kent State – Head Coach Kenni Burns, Chrishon McCray, R-So., WR, Oliver Billotte, Jr., DE Miami – Head Coach Chuck Martin, Brett Gabbert, 6th-Sr., QB, Matt Salopek, 6th-Sr., LB Northern Illinois – Head Coach Thomas Hammock, J.J. Lippe, R-Sr., OL, Jashon Prophete, Sr., S Ohio – Head Coach Tim Albin, Parker Navarro, Grad., QB, Jeremiah Wood, Grad., S Toledo – Head Coach Jason Candle, Jerjuan Newton, Sr., WR, Maxen Hook, Sr., S Western Michigan – Head Coach Lance Taylor, Hayden Wolff, R-Sr., QB, Damari Roberson, R-Sr., LB
Preseason polls
Coaches Poll On July 19, the MAC announced the preseason coaches poll. Defending MAC champion Miami was named the preseason favorite to win the conference while defending West division champion Toledo was picked to finish second.
MAC Coaches poll 1 Miami 119 (9) 2 Toledo 109 (3) T3 Bowling Green 92 T3 Northern Illinois 92 5 Ohio 81 6 Eastern Michigan 64 7 Western Michigan 60 8 Central Michigan 59 9 Ball State 42 10 Buffalo 37 11 Akron 24 12 Kent State 13
Coaches poll (MAC Championship) 1 Miami 10 2 Toledo 2
Individual Award Preseason Watchlists
Lott Trophy noneDodd Trophy none HC —Maxwell AwardTerion StewartBowling GreenRBJr.Antario BrownNorthern Illinois RBSr.Patrick Mannelly Award noneLS Outland TrophyJacob GideonWestern MichiganOLSr.Reid HolskeyMiamiR-Sr.Alex WollschlaegerBowling GreenSr.Bronko Nagurski Trophy Maxen HookToledoSSr.CJ Nunnally IVAkronDLSr.Matt SalopekMiamiLB6thJim Thorpe AwardMaxen HookToledoDB Sr.Donte KentCentral MichiganSr.Jordan OladokunBowling GreenSr.Paul Hornung Award Marion LukesCentral MichiganRBSr.Trayvon RudolphNorthern IllinoisWRR-Sr.Jacquez StuartToledoRBSr.Wuerffel TrophyJordan OladokunBowling GreenCBSr.Taji JohnsonBuffaloWRGSDominic SerapigliaCentral MichiganOLR-Sr.David Carter Jr.Eastern MichiganDBSr.Cameron GoldenKent StateOLGSCade HabermanNorthern IllinoisDTSr.Michael DenningToledoPKSr.Boone BonnemaWestern MichiganLBR-Sr.Lou Groza Award nonePK Ray Guy AwardAlec BevelhimerMiamiPSr.Mitchell TomasekEastern MichiganSr.Walter Camp AwardTerion StewartBowling GreenRBJr.Marion LukesCentral MichiganRBSr.Antario BrownNorthern IllinoisRBSr.Jalen BuckleyWestern MichiganRBR-So.
Doak Walker AwardTerion StewartBowling GreenRB Jr.Marion LukesCentral MichiganSr.Antario BrownNorthern IllinoisSr.Jalen BuckleyWestern MichiganR-So.Comeback Player of the YearDemetrius HardamonBowling GreenLBSr.Jake OrlandoBuffaloTEGSBrett GabbertMiamiQB6thJack ColdironMiamiTER-Sr.Biletnikoff Award noneWR Davey O'Brien AwardBrett GabbertMiamiQB6thJohn Mackey AwardHarold Fannin Jr.Bowling GreenTEJr.Anthony TorresToledoSr.Rimington TrophyJacob GideonWestern MichiganOLSr.Bednarik AwardCJ Nunnally IV AkronDESr.Jordan OladokunBowling GreenCBSr.Matt SalopekMiamiLB6thMaxen HookToledoSSr.Butkus AwardMatt SalopekMiamiLB6thJohnny Unitas Golden Arm AwardBrett GabbertMiamiQB6thHayden WolffWestern MichiganR-Sr.Manning Award noneQBPolynesian College Football Player Of The Year Award noneRotary Lombardi AwardCJ Nunnally IVAkronDLSr.Alex WollschlaegerBowling GreenOTSr.Reid HolskeyMiamiOTR-Sr.Matt SalopekMiamiLB6thJacob GideonWestern MichiganCSr.Earl Campbell Tyler Rose AwardBert Emanual Jr.Central MichiganQBSo.
Coaches
Coaching changes The MAC enters the 2024 season with one coaching change from 2023.
Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist resigned on January 16, 2024, after his team finished the 2023 season with a 3–9 record, to join Kalen DeBoer’s staff at Alabama. On January 21, 2024 Pete Lembo, who was the associate head coach and special teams coordinator at South Carolina and was previously a MAC head coach at Ball State, was hired as the new head coach.
Head coaching records Team Head coach Previous Job Years at school Record at school MAC record MAC titles Akron Joe Moorhead Oregon (offensive coordinator) 3 0 Ball State Mike Neu New Orleans Saints (QB Coach) 9 1 Bowling Green Scot Loeffler Boston College (offensive coordinator/QB coach) 6 0 Buffalo Pete Lembo South Carolina (associate head coach/special teams coordinator) 1 0 Central Michigan Jim McElwain Florida 6 0 Eastern Michigan Chris Creighton Drake 11 0 Kent State Kenni Burns Minnesota (associate head coach/running backs) 2 0 Miami Chuck Martin Notre Dame (offensive coordinator/QB coach) 10 2 Northern Illinois Thomas Hammock Baltimore Ravens (running backs coach) 6 1 Ohio Tim Albin Ohio (associate head coach/offensive coordinator) 4 0 Toledo Jason Candle Toledo (offensive coordinator) 9 2 Western Michigan Lance Taylor Louisville (offensive coordinator) 2 0 Source -
Mid-season changes On November 16, Ball State announced that they had fired head coach Mike Neu. Neu had gone 40–63 with the school during his tenure. Offensive line coach Colin Johnson was named the interim head coach. On December 4, Ball State announced that Mike Uremovich would become the new head coach. Uremovich had previously been head coach at Butler. On December 7, Ohio head coach Tim Albin was announced as the new head coach of Charlotte in the American Athletic Conference. Offensive coordinator Brian Smith was named the interim head coach for Ohio's bowl game.
Post-season changes On November 20, 2024, Central Michigan head coach Jim McElwain announced that he would retire at the end of the season. On December 9, Central Michigan announced Matt Drinkall as the new head coach for the 2025 season. Drinkall had previously been the offensive line coach at Army.
Rankings
Pre Wk1 Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Wk15 Final Akron AP C CFP Not released Ball State AP C CFP Not released Bowling Green AP C CFP Not released Buffalo AP C CFP Not released Central Michigan AP C CFP Not released Eastern Michigan AP C CFP Not released Kent State AP C CFP Not released Miami AP C RV RV RV CFP Not released Northern Illinois AP 25 23 C RV RV CFP Not released Ohio AP RV RVC RV RV CFP Not released Toledo AP RV C RV CFP Not released Western Michigan AP C CFP Not released
+ Legend Improvement in ranking Drop in ranking Not ranked previous week No change in ranking from previous week RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll т Tied with team above or below also with this symbol
Source:
AP -
Coaches -
CFP -
Schedule
Index to colors and formattingMAC member wonMAC member lostMAC teams in bold All times Eastern time.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
MAC Conference Championship Game
Postseason
Bowl Games
Legend MAC win MAC loss
Bowl gameDateSiteTelevisionTime (EST)MAC teamOpponentScoreAttendance Salute to Veterans Bowl December 14 Cramton Bowl • Montgomery, AL ESPN 9:00 p.m. Western Michigan South Alabama L 23–30 12,021 Cure Bowl December 20 Camping World Stadium • Orlando, FL ESPN 12:00 p.m. Ohio Jacksonville State W 30–27 10,518 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl December 23 Albertsons Stadium • Boise, ID ESPN 2:30 p.m. Northern Illinois Fresno State W 28–202OT 10,359 GameAbove Sports Bowl December 26 Ford Field • Detroit, MI ESPN 2:00 p.m. Toledo Pittsburgh W 48–466OT 26,919 68 Ventures Bowl December 26 Hancock Whitney Stadium • Mobile, AL ESPN 9:00 p.m. Bowling Green Arkansas State L 31–38 19,582 Arizona Bowl December 28 Arizona Stadium • Tucson, AZ The CW 4:30 p.m. Miami (OH) Colorado State W 43–17 40,076 Bahamas Bowl January 4, 2025 Thomas Robinson Stadium • Nassau, The Bahamas ESPN2 11:00 a.m. Buffalo Liberty W 26–7 4,610
MAC records vs. other conferences 2024–2025 records against non-conference foes:
Regular season Power Five ConferencesRecordACC0–4Big 120–1Big Ten0–9Notre Dame1–1Pac-120–0SEC 1–6Power 5 Total2–21Other FBS ConferencesRecordAmerican 0–0C-USA 1–2Independents (Excluding Notre Dame) 5–1Mountain West 1–0Sun Belt 1–3Other FBS Total 8–6FCS OpponentsRecordFootball Championship Subdivision 10–1Total Non-Conference Record 18–23
Postseason
Power Five ConferencesRecordACC1–0Big 12 0–0Big Ten0–0Notre Dame0–0Pac-120–0SEC 0–0Power 5 Total1–0Other FBS ConferencesRecordAmerican 0–0C-USA 2–0Independents (Excluding Notre Dame) 0–0Mountain West 2–0Sun Belt 0–2Other FBS Total 4–2Total Bowl Record5–2
Mid-American vs Power 5 matchups This is a list of games the MAC has scheduled versus power conference teams (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, Notre Dame and SEC). All rankings are from the current AP Poll at the time of the game.