WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
Thursday, August 28
Lafayette at Bowling Green………………………………..6 PM ET (ESPN+)
Ohio at Rutgers ………………………………………………………6 PM ET (BTN)
Wyoming at Akron……………………………………………..7 PM ET (ESPN+)
Buffalo at Minnesota ……………………………………………….8 PM ET (FS1)
Miami at Wisconsin…………………………………………………9 PM ET (BTN)
Friday, August 29
Western Michigan at Michigan State ………………………7 PM ET (FS1)
Central Michigan at San Jose State………………….10:30 PM ET (FS1)
Saturday, August 30
Merrimack at Kent State …………………………………..12 PM ET (ESPN+)
Ball State at Purdue……………………………………………….12 PM ET (BTN)
Toledo at Kentucky……………………………………….12:45 PM ET (SECN)
Temple at UMass………………………………………….. 3:30 PM ET (ESPN+)
Holy Cross at Northern Illinois……………………… 3:30 PM ET (ESPN+)
Eastern Michigan at Texas State…………………………8 PM ET (ESPN+)
2 MINUTE DRILL
• The Toledo Rockets have been selected as favorites to win both the regular season crown and Mid-American Conference (MAC) Football Championship Game title in the 2025 Football Head Coaches Preseason Poll. Head Coaches were not allowed to vote for themselves in the poll. The Rockets received seven first place votes to claim the regular season championship, while notching six votes to win the 2025 conference title game.
• For the first time since 1968, the Ohio football team won the MAC Championship, defeating Miami 38-3 on Dec. 7, 2024. This marked the largest margin of victory in a MAC Championship Game. Additionally, this was Ohio’s first-ever MAC Football Championship Game title.
• The MAC posted five bowl wins following the 2024 regular season, the most in conference history. In total, the MAC had seven teams appear in bowl games, the most since 2021. This marked the third straight year and the ninth time since 2011 that the MAC has had six or more programs reach bowl eligibility. Additionally, this was the 16th time in MAC history that five or more programs became bowl eligible in a single season.
• Four former MAC student-athletes were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft this past April. Darius Alexander (Toledo) was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round (65th Pick) before Harold Fannin Jr. (Bowling Green) was selected by the Cleveland Browns just two picks later. Western Michigan’s Bilal Kone (Baltimore Ravens, Sixth Round, 178th Pick) and Central Michigan’s Donte Kent (Pittsburgh Steelers, Seventh Round, 229th Pick) rounded out the MAC’s draft picks.
• Six new head coaches joined MAC football programs prior to the 2025 season: Mike Uremovich (Ball State), Eddie George (Bowling Green), Matt Drinkall (Central Michigan), Joe Harasymiak (UMass), Mark Carney (Interim, Kent State) and Brian Smith (Ohio).
• Nick Saban (Toledo, Kent State) and Urban Meyer (Bowling Green) were both named to the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class. Kent State men’s basketball alumnus Antonio Gates was inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of its 2025 Class.
