As the 2023 season approaches, networks and times for the September games and midweek MACtion contests are becoming more clear.
The official 2023 Mid-American Conference football schedule initially reached the public eye on the first day of March. And on the last day of May, some of the details of that schedule were ironed out.
On Wednesday afternoon, the conference released official kickoff times and networks for all but two games through the first three weeks of the season — only Western Michigan’s Week 2 battle with Syracuse and Central Michigan’s Week 3 showdown at Notre Dame remain TBD. The 2023 MAC season first launches with Ohio’s Week 0 trip to San Diego State, and Western Michigan and Kent State follow suit shortly after with Thursday night Week 1 openers.
Additionally, the times and networks for many conference games, including “midweek MACtion” matchups, were released. The midweek schedule launches on Tuesday, October 31 and carries through to Tuesday, November 21. Every midweek game is slated to kick off at 7 pm or 7:30 pm ET, exclusively broadcast on ESPN2, ESPNU, and CBS Sports Network — a welcome sight after several midweek games were hidden on ESPN+ last November.
The MAC wraps up its pre-bowl campaign with its annual conference championship game at Ford Field in Detroit. For the third year in a row, the MAC Championship Game will transpire on Saturday at noon ET on ESPN.
Below is a week-by-week MAC football schedule, followed by individual team schedules for 2023:
Week 0
Saturday, August 26
- Ohio at San Diego State, 7 pm ET (FS1)
Week 1
Thursday, August 31
- Saint Francis (PA) (FCS) at Western Michigan, 7 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Kent State at UCF, 7 pm ET (FS1)
Friday, September 1
- Howard (FCS) at Eastern Michigan, 6:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Miami (OH) at Miami (FL), 7 pm ET (ACC Network)
- Central Michigan at Michigan State, 7 pm ET (FS1)
Saturday, September 2
- Ball State at Kentucky, 12 pm ET (SEC Network)
- Northern Illinois at Boston College, 12 pm ET (ACC Network)
- Bowling Green at Liberty, 12 pm ET (CBS Sports Network)
- Akron at Temple, 2 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Long Island (FCS) at Ohio, 2 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Buffalo at Wisconsin, 3:30 pm ET (FS1)
- Toledo at Illinois, 7:30 pm ET (Big Ten Network)
Week 2
Saturday, September 9
- Ball State at Georgia, 12 pm ET (SEC Network)
- New Hampshire (FCS) at Central Michigan, 1:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Eastern Illinois (FCS) at Bowling Green, 2 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Southern Illinois (FCS) at Northern Illinois, 3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Texas Southern (FCS) at Toledo, 3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Miami (OH) at UMass, 3:30 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Kent State at Arkansas, 4 pm ET (SEC Network)
- Morgan State (FCS) at Akron, 6 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Fordham (FCS) at Buffalo, 6 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Ohio at Florida Atlantic, 6 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Eastern Michigan at Minnesota, 7:30 pm ET (Big Ten Network)
- Western Michigan at Syracuse, TBD
Week 3
Saturday, September 16
- Iowa State at Ohio, 12 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
- Liberty at Buffalo, 12 pm ET (CBS Sports Network)
- Central Connecticut (FCS) at Kent State, 12 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Indiana State (FCS) at Ball State, 2 pm ET (ESPN+)
- UMass at Eastern Michigan, 2 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Western Michigan at Iowa, 3:30 pm ET (Big Ten Network)
- Northern Illinois at Nebraska, 7 pm ET (FS1)
- Miami (OH) at Cincinnati, 7 pm ET (ESPN+)
- San Jose State at Toledo, 7 pm ET (ESPN+)
- Akron at Kentucky, 7 pm ET (ESPNU)
- Bowling Green at Michigan, 7:30 pm ET (Big Ten Network)
- Central Michigan at Notre Dame, TBD
Week 4
Saturday, September 23
- Ohio at Bowling Green, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Kent State at Fresno State, 10:30 pm ET (CBS Sports Network)
- Western Michigan at Toledo, TBD
- Georgia Southern at Ball State, TBD
- Central Michigan at South Alabama, TBD
- Eastern Michigan at Jacksonville State, TBD
- Tulsa at Northern Illinois, TBD
- Akron at Indiana, TBD
- Buffalo at Louisiana, TBD
- Delaware State (FCS) at Miami (OH), TBD
Week 5
Saturday, September 30
- Northern Illinois at Toledo, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Ball State at Western Michigan, TBD
- Eastern Michigan at Central Michigan, TBD
- Buffalo at Akron, TBD
- Miami (OH) at Kent State, TBD
- Bowling Green at Georgia Tech, TBD
Week 6
Saturday, October 7
- Ball State at Eastern Michigan, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Northern Illinois at Akron, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Kent State at Ohio, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Bowling Green at Miami (OH), 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Central Michigan at Buffalo, TBD
- Toledo at UMass, TBD
- Western Michigan at Mississippi State, TBD
Week 7
Saturday, October 14
- Akron at Central Michigan, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Bowling Green at Buffalo, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Miami (OH) at Western Michigan, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Ohio at Northern Illinois, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Toledo at Ball State, TBD
- Kent State at Eastern Michigan, TBD
Week 8
Saturday, October 21
- Central Michigan at Ball State, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Buffalo at Kent State, 3:30 pm ET (Network TBD)
- Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois, TBD
- Toledo at Miami (OH), TBD
- Western Michigan at Ohio, TBD
- Akron at Bowling Green, TBD
Week 9
Saturday, October 28
- Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan, TBD
- Miami (OH) at Ohio, TBD
Week 10
Tuesday, October 31
- Northern Illinois at Central Michigan, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
- Buffalo at Toledo, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
Wednesday, November 1
- Ball State at Bowling Green, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
- Kent State at Akron, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
Week 11
Tuesday, November 7
- Ball State at Northern Illinois, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
- Central Michigan at Western Michigan, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
- Ohio at Buffalo, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
Wednesday, November 1
- Eastern Michigan at Toledo, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
- Akron at Miami (OH), 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
- Bowling Green at Kent State, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
Week 12
Tuesday, November 14
- Toledo at Bowling Green, 7 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
- Western Michigan at Northern Illinois, 7 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
- Akron at Eastern Michigan, 7 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
Wednesday, November 15
- Central Michigan at Ohio, 7 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
- Buffalo at Miami (OH), 7 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
Saturday, November 18
- Kent State at Ball State, TBD
Week 13
Tuesday, November 21
- Eastern Michigan at Buffalo, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
- Bowling Green at Western Michigan, 7 pm ET or 7:30 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
Friday, November 24
- Toledo at Central Michigan, 12 pm ET (ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
- Ohio at Akron, 12 pm ET (ESPNU/CBS Sports Network)
Saturday, November 25
- Northern Illinois at Kent State, TBD
- Miami (OH) at Ball State, TBD
Week 14
Saturday, December 2
- MAC Championship Game, 12 pm ET (ESPN)