MAC Football Championship Game
The MAC Football Championship Game is an annual postseason college football game played to determine the champion of the Mid-American Conference.
History
The game has been played since 1997, when the conference was first divided into divisions. For the 2024 season the MAC eliminated divisions and the game now features the teams with the best conference records. A new tiebreaker system was established to compare teams with the same conference record. The winner of the game is guaranteed a berth in a bowl game which the MAC has contractual obligations to field a team. Unlike the MAC's Group of Five contemporaries, which hold their respective championship games on campus sites, the MAC Championship Game is held at a neutral site. Ford Field in Detroit has been the venue since 2004 and is scheduled to host through at least 2025.In 2000, 2001, and 2007, due to an unbalanced conference schedule, the team with best division record within each division was awarded that division's championship game berth. In other years, the teams with the best overall conference records received a berth. Starting in 2024 the MAC will eliminate divisions and include the two teams with the best overall conference records.
The game is held on the first Saturday in December, on the same weekend that other NCAA Division I FBS conferences hold their championship games.
Results
Below are the results from all MAC Football Championship Games played. The winning team appears in bold font, on a background of their primary team color. Rankings are from the AP Poll released prior to the game.From 1997 through 2003, the championship game was played at campus sites. Since 2004, the game has been played at Ford Field in Detroit where it is scheduled to be held through at least 2025. From 1997 to 2015, a MAC Championship MVP award was given to a player from each team. Since 2016, three player were awarded a Player of the Game award: Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams.
2020 game attendance was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results by team
No results by team
and UMass are the only teams currently in the conference to have not yet qualified for a championship game. As of the next MAC football season in 2026, Marshall and Northern Illinois are the only championship game winners to not be current members of the MAC. Bowling Green is the only team that has represented both the East and West Divisions in the Championship Game, as it was a member of the West Division prior to the departure of Marshall from the MAC. Temple and UCF were previously in the conference during this era and never reached the championship game.Common matchups
Matchups that have occurred more than once:| # of Times | East Division | West Division | Record | Years played |
| 4 | Marshall | Toledo | Marshall, 3–1 | 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002 |
| 3 | Bowling Green | Northern Illinois | Bowling Green, 2–1 | 2013, 2014, 2015 |
| 2 | Marshall | Western Michigan | Marshall, 2–0 | 1999, 2000 |
| 2 | Ohio | Central Michigan | Central Michigan, 2–0 | 2006, 2009 |
| 2 | Miami | Central Michigan | Tied, 1–1 | 2007, 2019 |
| 2 | Buffalo | Ball State | Tied, 1–1 | 2008, 2020 |
| 2 | Kent State | Northern Illinois | Northern Illinois, 2–0 | 2012, 2021 |