A house divided: The new MAC divisions and UB's 2012 schedule

The MAC Divided

Back in April most readers correctly picked the new division alignment for the Mid American Conference.

Bowling Green joins Toledo in the west making their rivalry game a divisional affair and freeing up both squads to play two against the MAC east. Geographically, politically, and in terms of balancing out the divisions this may have been the best available move.

It's sad to see the Falcons move out west, personally I'd rather have lost Miami or Kent but with more intradivisional games keeping natural rivals in the same division makes sure that teams will get to face off against their cross divisional conference mates on a relatively regular schedule.

As far as I have heard this does not impact Basketball or any other MAC sport. Where there are divisions in sports like Basketball the conference will maintain the same alignment.

I imagine convincing the conference to do something really cool, like drop hoops divisions, would involve the various conference presidents playing out an epic roshambo match.

That in itself would be worth paying for the year long subscription to MAC All Access.

A road game, in Amherst?

Buffalo will face UMass on the road which, technically, will not be played in Amherst but at Gillette stadium in Foxborough. Still Umass itself in in Amherst so perhaps the Bulls will drive by the campus on the way?

In cross divisional play Buffalo will take on Bowling Green and Toledo. This extends the series against the Falcons to eight consecutive years. It will be the first time UB has faced Toledo since 2007 when the Bulls beat the Rockets 44-33.

despite being in the same division with Kent coach Jeff Quinn has yet to face the flashes but with balnce restored to the conference he will finally get a shot this season. The last time UB played Kent they won a real shootout.... 9-6. The game was the last for UB coach Turner Gill.

The dates for divisional games will be announced in march giving the folks who have to set the schedule some time off after years of trying to balance 13 teams. I think they have earned it.