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Toledo selected No. 1 in 2025 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll

July 24, 2025 by Hustle Belt

Pittsburgh v Toledo - GameAbove Sports Bowl
Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

The Rockets are tabbed as the preseason favorite after an 8-5 finish in 2024.

The Mid-American Conference held its annual media day at Ford Field on Thursday, July 24.

Though many conferences such as the Big 12, American Conference, and Conference USA scrapped their preseason polls this year, the MAC is still going strong with theirs.

The MAC unveiled its 2025 preseason poll, as voted on by the 13 head coaches of the conference. Head coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

The Toledo Rockets were selected as the MAC favorite for the second time in three seasons, similarly receiving the designation in 2023. Toledo received seven first place votes in the poll, while Miami (OH) and Ohio — the participants of the 2024 MAC Championship Game — received three apiece.

The coaches separately voted which team they believe will win the MAC Championship Game, and once again, they were barred from voting for their own program. In this poll, Toledo received a MAC-high six votes to win the league, while Miami garnered four, and Ohio accrued two votes to defend its 2024 title.

Toledo receives status as the MAC favorite coming off the heels of an 8-5 campaign. The Rockets’ 2024 season was highlighted by a 41-17 road domination at Mississippi State, conference victories over Miami and Northern Illinois, and an unforgettable record-breaking six overtime GameAbove Sports Bowl win over Pitt. Toledo returns two-time MAC champion head coach Jason Candle for his 10th season at the helm, a veteran starting quarterback in Tucker Gleason, and four All-MAC selections from 2024 — wide receiver Junior Vandeross III, cornerback Avery Smith, punt returner Bryson Hammer, and guard Ethan Spoth.

The Rockets narrowly edged Miami by four points for the top spot in the poll. Miami adds former Toledo quarterback, MAC champion, and 2023 MAC MVP Dequan Finn to its roster this season. The RedHawks appeared in back-to-back MAC Championship Games under head coach Chuck Martin, claiming the crown in 2023 while falling to Ohio in 2024.

Ohio, the defending champion, checked in eight points behind Miami at third place. The Bobcats lost a bulk of their production from the 2024 MAC title team, as well as head coach Tim Albin and a slew of assistants that fled for Charlotte last December. However, Ohio retains star dual-threat quarterback Parker Navarro, the reigning Second Team All-MAC quarterback.

On the other side of the poll, Kent State was a unanimous last place selection. The Golden Flashes mustered up an 0-12 record in 2024, and led by interim head coach Mark Carney, they aim to snap an FBS-high 21-game losing streak this fall.

Situated right above Kent State in the poll was the conference’s lone newcomer, UMass. The Minutemen tied for 11th place with Akron, as they rejoin the MAC after a 9-year stint of operating as an FBS independent.

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