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MAC Football Championship Game

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The MAC Football Championship Game is an annual postseason college football game played to determine the champion of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).

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68-463: 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

136-665: A 9–3 league team. For the 2020 season only, Notre Dame competed for the ACC conference championship and was eligible for all games, including the Orange Bowl. Although the NCAA does not determine an official national champion for Division I FBS football, several ACC members claim national championships awarded by various "major selectors" of national championships as recognized in the official NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records . Since 1936 and 1950 respectively, these include what are now

204-465: A consortium that provides a vehicle for inter-institutional academic and administrative collaboration between member universities. Growing out of a conference-wide doctoral student-exchange program that was established in 1999, the ACCAC has expanded its scope into other domestic and international collaborations. The stated mission of the ACCAC is to "leverage the athletic associations and identities among

272-429: A former Southern Conference charter member that had been independent since 1937, into the conference. Virginia's president Colgate Darden argued fiercely against joining the ACC or any conference, while UVA athletics director Gus Tebell argued in favor. In the end, UVA's Board of Visitors approved joining the ACC by a vote of 6–3. In 1960, the ACC implemented a minimum SAT score for incoming student-athletes of 750,

340-461: A four-year cycle (the standard length of a college player's career). Participation in the ACC championship game will also no longer be determined by the winners of the two divisions; the two teams with the highest conference winning percentage will play instead. The designated rivals under this system were as follows: With the 2024 arrival of California, SMU, and Stanford, the ACC adopted a new scheduling model effective that season and running through

408-658: A home-and-home non-conference series in 2019 and 2021. Prior to this, the division format was as follows: For the 2020 season, changes were made to the football schedule model due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of divisions was suspended, with conference games being scheduled on a regional basis. The top two teams by winning percentage against conference opponents advanced to the ACC Championship Game. All teams played 10 conference games and were permitted to play one non-conference game of their choice as long as

476-734: A linear network in August 2019. On August 24, 2021, the ACC formed an alliance with the Big Ten and Pac-12 conferences. In 2022, the ACC brought back old rivalries like the Backyard Brawl between the University of Pittsburgh Panthers and the West Virginia University Mountaineers . A friendly rivalry between University of Pittsburgh Panthers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in memory of

544-909: A portion of the income generated by the ACC Football Championship Game and by supplemental allocations by individual universities and various grants. Major academic programs that have been implemented under ACCAC include: The ACCAC also supports periodic meetings among faculty, administration, and staff who pursue similar interests and responsibilities at the member universities either by face-to-face conferences, video conferences, or telephone conferences. ACCAC affinity groups include those for International Affairs Officers, Study Abroad Directors, Teaching-Learning Center Directors, Chief Information Officers, Chief Procurement Officers, Undergraduate Research Conference Coordinators, Student Affairs Vice Presidents, Student Leadership Conference Coordinators, and Faculty Athletic Representatives To

612-735: A set of bylaws for the creation of a new league, the seven withdrew from the Southern Conference at the spring meeting on the morning of May 8, 1953, at the Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina . The bylaws were ratified on June 14, 1953, and the new conference was created. The conference officials indicated a desire to add an eighth member, and candidates mentioned were Virginia , VPI and West Virginia . On December 4, 1953, officials convened in Greensboro, North Carolina , and admitted Virginia,

680-511: A team in the " Power 5 " conferences since 2017. Games against Notre Dame also meet the requirement. In January 2015, the conference announced that games against another FBS independent , BYU , would also count toward the requirement. This requirement can also be met by scheduling other ACC teams in non-conference games; the first example of this was also announced in January 2015, when North Carolina and Wake Forest announced that they would play

748-530: 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

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816-606: Is ending, who are individually invited by game organizers. These games are scheduled to follow the team-competitive bowls, to allow players selected from bowl teams to participate. The all-star games may include some players from non-FBS programs. This is restricted to coaching changes taking place on or after May 1, 2024, and will include any changes announced after a team's last regularly scheduled game but before its bowl game. For coaching changes that occurred earlier in 2024, see 2023 NCAA Division I FBS end-of-season coaching changes . The list includes coaching changes announced during

884-514: Is not considered a football member and is not eligible to play in the ACC Championship Game. On June 28, 2022, the ACC approved a new football schedule format, set to take effect in the 2023 season. Under this format, the conference will remove divisions, and instead play a 3–5–5 format, where each team plays 3 designated rivals every year along with two separate 5-team rotations that flip every other year, such that every team will have at least one home game and one away game against every other team in

952-418: Is the first year under the expanded College Football Playoff format. Under this format, the five highest-ranked conference champions will receive automatic bids, while the next seven highest-ranked teams will receive at-large bids. The four highest-ranked conference champions will receive a first-round bye in the playoff. Each of these games features college seniors, or players whose college football eligibility

1020-545: The 1956 Sugar Bowl and Bobby Grier , during the last game, actor Anthony Mackie appeared on field to honor Grier and the game. On September 1, 2023, the conference voted to expand and add three new members: California , SMU , and Stanford . The announcement was initially controversial, given the distance between the schools and its current members. SMU joined on July 1, 2024, from the American Athletic Conference , while Cal and Stanford joined

1088-693: The ACC in 2024. Overall, 10 schools from the Pac-12 left for another conference in 2024. The 10 teams and their new conferences are: The remaining two schools in the Pac-12, Oregon State and Washington State , made an agreement with the Mountain West Conference (MW) such that each remaining Pac-12 team will play six MW teams in 2024. The 2024 season is the last for one team as an FBS independent. Two FCS schools, Delaware and Missouri State , started transitioning their programs to FBS in

1156-575: The ACC Championship Game to determine the conference championship, which guarantees a berth in a New Year's Six bowl game. The inaugural Championship Game was played on December 3, 2005, in Jacksonville, Florida , at the venue then known as Alltel Stadium , in which Florida State defeated Virginia Tech to capture its 12th championship since it joined the league in 1992. Notre Dame began playing several ACC teams each year in 2014, but

1224-649: The COVID-19 pandemic in the United States , the ACC reached an agreement to allow Notre Dame to play a full, 10-game conference schedule and be eligible to play for the ACC championship. Since August 2, 2024, the 18 members of the ACC are: In 1971, the University of South Carolina left the ACC to become an independent , later joining the Metro Conference in 1983 and moving to its current home,

1292-791: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the 49th of the highest level of competition, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The regular season began on August 24 and is scheduled to end on December 14. The postseason will begin on December 14, and, aside from any all-star games that are scheduled, end on January 20, 2025, with the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta . This will be

1360-708: The SEC Championship Game . CBS will start airing Big Ten games in the 3:30 ET slot full-time this season. Oregon State and Washington State , the two remaining members of the Pac-12 Conference , announced a one-year agreement with The CW and Fox (2 games) on May 14, 2024. After extending their contract in March with the College Football Playoff , ESPN will sublicense two first round games to TNT Sports . These will be

1428-637: The Southeastern Conference , in 1991. On July 1, 2014, the University of Maryland departed for the Big Ten Conference . Full members  Non-football members  Independent  Other Conference  Other Conference  The ACC was established on June 14, 1953, when seven members of the Southern Conference left to form their own conference. These seven universities became charter members of

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1496-804: The United States Department of Education as shown on the DOE Equity in Athletics website for the 2022–23 academic year. The following table shows Atlantic Coast Conference distributions during the fiscal year ending June 2023 as reported by ProPublica using Schedule A of the Atlantic Coast Conference tax filings The Atlantic Coast Conference sponsors championship competition in thirteen men's and fifteen women's NCAA-sanctioned sports. The most recently added sports are women's gymnastics and fencing . Gymnastics

1564-526: The 13 men's ACC sports for the 2024–25 academic year. Member-by-member sponsorship of the 15 women's ACC sports for the 2024–25 academic year. The ACC began sponsoring women's gymnastics in 2023–24. Women's varsity sports not currently sponsored by the Atlantic Coast Conference which are played by ACC schools: The ACC is considered to be one of the Power Five conferences , all of which receive automatic placement of their football champions into one of

1632-399: The 15 ACC universities in order to enrich the educational missions of member universities." To that end, the collaborative helps organize various academic initiatives, including fellowship and scholarship programs, global research initiatives, leadership conferences, and extensive study abroad programs. Funding for its operations, 90% of which is spent on direct student support, is derived from

1700-681: The 2024 season. The two schools are respectively playing that season in CAA Football and the Missouri Valley Football Conference , but will not be eligible for the FCS playoffs due to NCAA transition rules. Both will join CUSA in 2025. On September 12, 2024, the Pac-12 announced that MW members Boise State , Colorado State , Fresno State , and San Diego State would join the Pac-12 in 2026. On September 24, 2024,

1768-430: The 2026 season; it had to add at least one more such member no later than 2028–29 to preserve its FBS status. The needed eighth member proved to be current football-only member Hawaii . On October 14, Hawaii athletic director Craig Angelos confirmed outside reports that the school would upgrade to full MW membership in 2026. The MW officially announced this move the next day. The following rule changes were approved by

1836-466: The 2030 season. A total of 16 matchups will be protected, with 11 retained from the 2023 model, two (Miami–Virginia Tech and NC State–Wake Forest) restored from the former divisional format, and the three new members filling the remaining three slots. All teams will play each other at least twice in the cycle (once home, once away). Each of the pre-2024 members will play three times in California during

1904-653: The ACC Bowl structure. Notre Dame is now eligible for ACC Bowl selection beginning with the ReliaQuest Bowl (previously named the Outback Bowl) and continuing through the league's bowl selections. However, Notre Dame must be within one win of the ACC available team which has the best overall record, in order to be chosen. In other words, if an ACC team were 9–3, a 7–5 Notre Dame team could not be chosen in its place. Notre Dame would have to be 8–4 to be chosen over

1972-582: The ACC and not the school. The move also left the SEC as the only one of the FBS Power Five conferences without a GOR. In July 2016, the GOR was extended through the 2035–36 school year, coinciding with the signing of a new 20-year deal with ESPN that would transform the then-current ad hoc ACC Network into a full-fledged network. The new network launched as a digital service in the 2016–17 school year and as

2040-427: The ACC on August 2, 2024, due to the fiscal year of the Pac-12 Conference , their former conference, being different from most athletic conferences. Among the major NCAA athletic conferences that sponsor NCAA Division I FBS football, including the current " power conferences ", the ACC has been regarded as having the highest academically ranked collection of members based on U.S. News & World Report and by

2108-767: The ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)'s Division I . ACC football teams compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision . The ACC sponsors competition in twenty-eight sports with many of its member institutions held in high regard nationally. Current members of the conference are: Boston College , California , Clemson , Duke , Florida State , Georgia Tech , Louisville , Miami , North Carolina , NC State , Notre Dame , Pittsburgh , SMU , Stanford , Syracuse , Virginia , Virginia Tech , and Wake Forest . ACC teams and athletes have claimed dozens of national championships in multiple sports throughout

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2176-557: The ACC's geographical footprint are California , Florida , Georgia , Indiana , Kentucky , Massachusetts , New York , North Carolina , Pennsylvania , South Carolina , Texas , and Virginia . The geographic domain of the conference is predominantly within the Southern and Northeastern United States along the US Atlantic coast, but recent conference realignment has brought it to California and Texas. It stretches from Florida in

2244-577: The ACC, Miami, and Boston College for allegedly conspiring to weaken the Big East Conference. Then-Virginia governor Mark Warner , who feared Virginia Tech being left behind in a weakened Big East, pressured the administration of the University of Virginia to lobby on behalf of their in-state foe. Eventually Virginia Tech replaced Syracuse in the expansion lineup and ACC expansion was agreed upon. Miami and Virginia Tech joined on July 1, 2004, while Boston College joined on July 1, 2005, as

2312-475: The ACC. Total revenue includes ticket sales, contributions and donations, rights and licensing, student fees, school funds and all other sources including TV income, camp income, concessions, and novelties. Total expenses includes coach and staff salaries, scholarships, buildings and grounds, maintenance, utilities and rental fees, recruiting, team travel, equipment and uniforms, conference dues, and insurance. The following table shows institutional reporting to

2380-487: The ACC: Clemson , Duke , Maryland , North Carolina , North Carolina State , South Carolina , and Wake Forest . They left partially due to the Southern Conference's ban on post-season football play that had been initiated in 1951. (Clemson and Maryland had both defied the Southern Conference's bowl rule following the 1951 season and were banned from playing other conference teams in the 1952 season.) After drafting

2448-579: The Big East announced they had reached a settlement allowing Notre Dame to join the ACC effective July 1, 2013. On November 19, 2012, the University of Maryland's Board of Regents voted to withdraw from the ACC to join the Big Ten Conference effective in 2014. The following week, the Big East's University of Louisville accepted the ACC's invitation to become a full member, replacing Maryland effective July 1, 2014. The ACC's presidents announced on April 22, 2013, that all 15 schools that would be members of

2516-584: The Big East on July 1, 2013. On September 12, 2012, Notre Dame agreed to join the ACC in all conference sports except football and men's ice hockey (as the ACC does not sponsor men's ice hockey; of all other ACC universities, only Boston College sponsors men's ice hockey) as the conference's first member in the Midwestern United States . As part of the agreement, Notre Dame committed to play five football games each season against ACC schools beginning in 2014. On March 12, 2013, Notre Dame and

2584-473: The MAC). Temple , UCF and UMass were previously in the conference during this era and never reached the championship game; UMass will return to the MAC in 2025. Matchups that have occurred more than once: Source: 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2024 NCAA Division I FBS football season is the ongoing 155th season of college football in the United States, the 119th season organized by

2652-686: The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel for the 2024 season: Points of emphasis for the 2024 season include: The regular season began on Saturday, August 24 with four games in Week 0 . Rankings through Week 10 reflect the AP Poll . Rankings for Week 11 and beyond will list College Football Playoff Rankings first and AP Poll second. Teams that failed to be a top 10 team for one poll or the other will be noted. This section lists unranked teams defeating AP Poll-ranked during

2720-490: The NCAA requirement that FBS schools field at least 16 teams in NCAA-recognized varsity sports. However, the ACC itself requires sponsorship of only four sports—football, men's basketball, women's basketball, and either women's soccer or women's volleyball. All ACC members sponsor all five of the named sports except Georgia Tech, which sponsors women's volleyball but not women's soccer. Member-by-member sponsorship of

2788-592: The NCAA's Academic Progress Rate . Nine ACC institutions are members of the Association of American Universities : Cal, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Stanford, and Virginia. Syracuse was a member until 2011 but voluntarily withdrew over a dispute on how to count non-federal grants. The members of the ACC participate in the Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Consortium (ACCAC),

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2856-533: The Pac-12 announced that another MW member, Utah State , would also join alongside the four aforementioned schools in 2026. This will bring the Pac-12 to seven members, one short of the number needed to preserve its status as an FBS conference. On October 1, 2024, UTEP announced that it would join the Mountain West from Conference USA starting in 2026. This gave the MW seven full football-sponsoring members in

2924-523: The addition of Georgia Tech from the Metro Conference , announced on April 3, 1978, and taking effect on July 1, 1979, except in football, in which Tech would remain an independent until joining ACC football in 1983. The total number of member schools reached nine with the addition of Florida State , also formerly from the Metro Conference, on July 1, 1991, in non-football sports and July 1, 1992, in football. The additions of those schools marked

2992-478: The conference in 2014–15 had signed a grant of media rights (GOR), effective immediately and running through the 2026–27 school year, coinciding with the duration of the conference's then-current TV deal with ESPN . This move essentially prevents the ACC from being a target for other conferences seeking to expand—under the grant, if a school leaves the conference during the contract period, all revenue derived from that school's media rights for home games would belong to

3060-470: The conference the following day, once again expanding the conference footprint like previous expansions. Because the Big East intended to hold Pitt and Syracuse to the 27-month notice period required by league bylaws, the most likely entry date into the ACC (barring negotiations) was July 1, 2014. However, in July 2012, the Big East came to an agreement with Syracuse and Pitt that allowed the two schools to leave

3128-415: The conference's history. Generally, the ACC's top athletes and teams in any particular sport in a given year are considered to be among the top collegiate competitors in the nation. Additionally, the conference enjoys extensive media coverage. With the advent of the College Football Playoff in 2014, the ACC is one of the "Power Four" conferences with a contractual tie-in to a New Year's Six bowl game in

3196-435: The cycle, and none will travel to California in back-to-back seasons. Additionally, this allows for each team to schedule four non-conference games. Since the 2014 season, one of the four non-conference games is against Notre Dame every two to three years, as Notre Dame plays against five ACC opponents in non-conference games each season. ACC members are also required to play at least one non-conference game each season against

3264-450: The first conference to do so. This minimum was raised to 800 in 1964, but was ultimately struck down by a federal court in 1972. On July 1, 1971, South Carolina left the ACC to become an independent . Racial integration of all-white collegiate sports teams was high on the regional agenda in the 1950s and 1960s. Involved were issues of equality, racism, and the alumni demand for the top players needed to win high-profile games. The ACC took

3332-634: The first expansions of the conference footprint since 1953, though both schools were still located with the rest of the ACC schools in the South Atlantic States. The ACC added three members from the Big East Conference during the 2005 conference realignment . Initially, the conference targeted Boston College, Miami, and Syracuse . The expansion was controversial, as Connecticut , Rutgers , Pittsburgh , and West Virginia (and, initially, Virginia Tech) filed lawsuits against

3400-668: The first games to air on the TNT network since 2006. ESPN will also sublicense two quarterfinal bowl games to TNT beginning in 2026. Beginning this season, TNT Sports will also air third-tier Mountain West Conference games on TruTV . Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the United States . Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina ,

3468-420: The first season of the new College Football Playoff (CFP) system, with the bracket being expanded to 12 teams. One school is playing its first FBS season in 2024; Kennesaw State (from FCS independents ) began its transition from Division I FCS in 2023 and joined Conference USA (CUSA) in July 2024. One formerly independent school, Army , joined the American Athletic Conference in 2024. SMU joined

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3536-615: The game was played in-state. In addition, Notre Dame played an ACC conference schedule and was eligible to (and ultimately did) play in the ACC Championship Game. Within the College Football Playoff , the Orange Bowl serves as the home of the ACC champion against Notre Dame or another team from the SEC or Big Ten. If the conference's champion is selected for the CFP, another ACC team will be chosen in its place. The other bowls pick ACC teams in

3604-422: The lead. First they started to schedule integrated teams from the north. Finally ACC schools—typically under pressure from boosters and civil rights groups—integrated their teams. With an alumni base that dominated local and state politics, society and business, the ACC flagship schools were successful in their endeavor—as Pamela Grundy argues, they had learned how to win: The ACC operated with seven members until

3672-565: The league's twelfth member and the first from the Northeast. The ACC Hall of Champions opened on March 2, 2011, next to the Greensboro Coliseum arena, making the ACC the second college sports conference to have a hall of fame after the Southern Conference . On September 17, 2011, Big East Conference members Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh both applied to join the ACC. The two schools were accepted into

3740-489: The membership to nine. Since 2000, with the widespread reorganization of the NCAA, ten additional schools have joined, and one original member (Maryland) has left to bring it to the current membership of 18 schools. The additions in recent years extended the conference's footprint into the Northeast , Midwest , and West . The ACC has 18 member institutions from 12 states. Listed in alphabetical order, these 12 states within

3808-725: The most pervasive and influential selectors, the Associated Press poll and Coaches Poll . In addition, from 1998 to 2013 the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) used a mathematical formula to match the top two teams at the end of the season. The winner of the BCS was contractually awarded the Coaches' Poll national championship and its AFCA National Championship Trophy as well as the MacArthur Trophy from

3876-433: The order set by agreements between the conference and the bowls. Beginning in 2014, Notre Dame is eligible for selection as the ACC's representative to any of its contracted bowl games. The ACC's bowl selection will no longer be bound by the rigidity of a "one-win rule" but will have a general list of criteria to emphasize regionality and quality matchups on the field. A one-win rule does apply to Notre Dame's participation in

3944-576: The rare occasion in which a conference champion does not meet eligibility requirements, they are usually still chosen for bowl games via tie-ins for their conference. Number of bowl berths available: 82 Number of bowl-eligible teams: 77 Number of bowl-ineligible teams: 41 Rankings in this section are based on CFP rankings released prior to the games Ranks are per the final CFP rankings, released in December 2024, with win–loss records at that time. College Football Playoff participant This

4012-430: 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. ‡ 2020 game attendance

4080-417: The season that did not take effect until the end of the season. All times Eastern . Rankings are from the AP Poll (before 11/5) and CFP Rankings (thereafter). This is the first year of a new 10-year television deal for the Southeastern Conference . SEC games will air exclusively on ESPN networks . ABC replaces CBS as the over-the-air television home of the SEC and exclusive television home of

4148-686: The season. The Top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls There are 41 team-competitive FBS post-season bowl games, with two teams advancing to a 42nd—the CFP National Championship game. Normally, a team is required to have a .500 minimum winning percentage during the regular season to become bowl-eligible (six wins for an 11- or 12-game schedule, and seven wins for a 13-game schedule). If there are not enough winning teams to fulfill all open bowl slots, teams with losing records may be chosen to fill available bowl slots. Additionally, on

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4216-450: The six major bowl games. Seven of its members claim football national championships in their history, with two having won the now-defunct Bowl Championship Series (BCS) during its existence between 1998 and 2014 and one having won under the current College Football Playoff (CFP) system. Five of its members are among the top 25 of college football's all-time winningest programs. Three ACC teams, Florida State, Miami, and Clemson, are listed in

4284-451: The south to New York in the north and from California in the west to Massachusetts farthest east. When Notre Dame joined the ACC, it chose to remain a football independent . However, its football team established a special scheduling arrangement with the ACC to play a rotating selection of five ACC football teams per season. For the 2020 season , due largely to the suspension of most non-conference games by other Power Five conferences due to

4352-563: The sport of football. The ACC was founded on May 8, 1953, by seven universities located in the South Atlantic States , with the University of Virginia joining in early December 1953 to bring the membership to eight. The loss of South Carolina in 1971 dropped membership to seven, while the addition of Georgia Tech in 1979 for non-football sports and 1983 for football brought it back to eight, and Florida State's arrival in 1991 for non-football sports and 1992 for football increased

4420-414: The top 10 of most successful football programs since 2000. In 2005, the ACC began divisional play in football. At the time, the ACC was the only NCAA Division I conference whose divisions were not divided geographically (e.g., north–south, East/West), but rather into Atlantic and Coastal (this arrangement continues today for the sports of baseball and men's soccer). The two division leaders then competed in

4488-419: Was added for the 2023–24 school year with Clemson, North Carolina, North Carolina State, and Pitt participating. Fencing was added for the 2014–15 school year after having been absent from the conference since 1980; Boston College, Duke, North Carolina, and Notre Dame participate in that sport. Since all current ACC members (including non-football member Notre Dame) field FBS football teams, they are subject to

4556-418: 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. Below are

4624-629: Was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic . Eastern Michigan is the only team currently in the conference to have not qualified for a Championship Game. Marshall is the only Championship Game Winner to not be a current member of the MAC. Bowling Green is the only team that has represented both the East and West Divisions in the Championship Game (was a member of the West Division prior to Marshall's departure from

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