UMass joins the league, Midweek MACtion returns, and the MAC title game remains on a Saturday at Ford Field.
The MACtion for 2025 is set in stone. On Wednesday morning, the MAC became the final FBS conference to unveil its 2025 schedule.
For a conference that has endured much stability over the years, 2025 sees some sweeping changes in the league. For the first time since 2015, the MAC features 13 members. UMass rejoins after a 9-year hiatus, shedding independent status to become affiliated with the conference once again. UMass received a sample of MAC life last year, scheduling five teams from the league in non-conference play.
But while UMass adjusts to the league, one program delivers its swan song. Northern Illinois, which belonged to the MAC from 1973-85 and from 1997-25, prepares for its final season in the conference.
Prior to UMass joining and Northern Illinois exiting, the MAC announced four 3-team scheduling pods when it scrapped the East and West divisions (shown below). However, the league will not abide by these pods for the 2025 season, as evidenced by the absence of a Bowling Green vs. Northern Illinois matchup. UMass was never formally added to a pod.
- Akron, Buffalo Kent State
- Ball State, Miami (OH), Ohio
- Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, Toledo
- Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan
The 2025 MAC Championship Game at Ford Field will feature the two teams with the best conference record for the second-straight year, as opposed to the traditional MAC East champion vs. MAC West champion format. The 2025 title game is set for Saturday, Dec. 6.
Additionally, we are treated to the return of midweek MACtion, where the conference takes center stage of the college football universe on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The 16 midweek games commence Tuesday, Nov. 4 and continue through Tuesday, Nov. 25 — covering the final four weeks of the regular season as usual. Midweek MACtion is typically broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and CBS Sports Network.
Midweek MACtion schedule
Week 11
- Tuesday, Nov. 4 — UMass at Akron
- Tuesday, Nov. 4 — Miami (OH) at Ohio
- Wednesday, Nov. 5 — Kent State at Ball State
- Wednesday, Nov. 5 — Northern Illinois at Toledo
Week 12
- Tuesday, Nov. 11 — Kent State at Akron
- Tuesday, Nov. 11 — Ohio at Western Michigan
- Wednesday, Nov. 12 — Buffalo at Central Michigan
- Wednesday, Nov. 12 — UMass at Northern Illinois
- Wednesday, Nov. 12 — Toledo at Miami (OH)
Week 13
- Tuesday, Nov. 18 — Akron at Bowling Green
- Tuesday, Nov. 18 — UMass at Ohio
- Tuesday, Nov. 18 — Western Michigan at Northern Illinois
- Wednesday, Nov. 19 — Miami (OH) at Buffalo
- Wednesday, Nov. 19 — Central Michigan at Kent State
Week 14
- Tuesday, Nov. 25 — Bowling Green at UMass
- Tuesday, Nov. 25 — Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan
MAC rivalry and trophy games
- Mallory Cup — Northern Illinois at Miami (OH) — Saturday, Oct. 4
- Battle of I-75 — Toledo at Bowling Green — Saturday, Oct. 11
- Anniversary Award — Bowling Green at Kent State — Saturday, Oct. 25
- Bronze Stalk — Ball State at Northern Illinois — Saturday, Oct. 25
- Battle for the Cannon — Central Michigan at Western Michigan — Saturday, Nov. 1
- Battle of the Bricks — Miami (OH) at Ohio — Tuesday, Nov. 4
- Wagon Wheel — Akron at Kent State — Tuesday, Nov. 11
- Red Bird Rivalry — Ball State at Miami (OH) — Saturday, Nov. 29
Schedule notes and trivia
- The 2025 MAC Championship Game will be held at Ford Field in Detroit for the 22nd consecutive year. The MAC is one of five conferences that features a neutral-site conference championship. Without divisions for the second-straight year, the top two teams by conference record with qualify. Scheduled Saturday, Dec. 6, this is the fifth consecutive year the game will be played on Saturday.
- The MAC officially kicks off its season Thursday, Aug. 28 with four teams in action that night. Bowling Green hosts FCS program Lafayette, Akron hosts Wyoming, Buffalo travels to Minnesota, and Central Michigan travels to San Jose State on that Thursday night.
- Midweek MACtion kicks off Tuesday, Nov. 4 with a two-game slate and continues for four weeks through Tuesday, Nov. 25. There are 16 midweek games on the docket this year. UMass is the only MAC team to play four midweek games. Ball State and Eastern Michigan only play one apiece. Everyone else plays two or three.
- Unlike usual, the MAC plays at least one Saturday game every week of the season. In Week 11, Bowling Green at Eastern Michigan is the lone Saturday game. In Week 12, Eastern Michigan at Ball State is the lone Saturday game. In Week 13, Ball State at Toledo is the lone Saturday game.
- Excluding the first and final weeks of the regular season, as well as Midweek MACtion, every single MAC game transpires on a Saturday in 2025.
- Buffalo is the only MAC team with three non-conference home games. Buffalo, Central Michigan, and Kent State all have three non-conference road games.
- All 13 MAC teams will host an FCS opponent as part of their 2025 non-conference slate.
- MAC play opens Week 3 when Buffalo pays a trip to Kent State on Saturday, Sept. 13.
- There are two non-conference games played outside of September. Kent State at Oklahoma is Saturday, Oct. 4 and Toledo at Washington State is Saturday, Oct. 25.
- Akron has a bye Week 14, which is the final week of the regular season. No FBS team had a Week 14 bye in 2024. This is due to the MAC, which strictly plays conference games in November, operating with 13 teams this year.