Editing Mid-American Conference (section)

==History==
The five charter members of the Mid-American Conference were [[Ohio University]], [[Butler University]], the [[University of Cincinnati]], [[Wayne University]] (now Wayne State University), and Western Reserve University, one of the predecessors to today's [[Case Western Reserve University]]. Wayne University left after the first year. [[Miami University]] and [[Western Michigan University]] took the place of those charter members for the 1948 season. The MAC added the [[University of Toledo]] (1950), [[Kent State University]] (1951), and [[Bowling Green State University]] (1952). The University of Cincinnati resigned its membership February 18, 1953, with an effective date of June 1, 1953. Cincinnati's decision was based on a new requirement that at least 5 conference football games would have to be scheduled each season, university president [[Raymond Walters]] saying they "...regretfully resign...as the university could not continue under the present setup..."<ref>'''The Lima News''', February 19, 1953</ref>

The membership was steady for the next two decades except for the addition of [[Marshall University]] in 1954 and the departure of Western Reserve in 1955.<ref>{{cite web |title=Volume high, but conference movement itself not unprecedented |url=http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/NCAANewsArchive/2003/Division+I/volume%2Bhigh,%2Bbut%2Bconference%2Bmovement%2Bitself%2Bnot%2Bunprecedented%2B-%2B12-8-03.html |publisher=NCAA |access-date=December 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224211547/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/NCAANewsArchive/2003/Division+I/volume%2Bhigh,%2Bbut%2Bconference%2Bmovement%2Bitself%2Bnot%2Bunprecedented%2B-%2B12-8-03.html |archive-date=February 24, 2014 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref> Marshall was expelled from the conference in 1969 due to NCAA violations.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wilson|first=Tracy|title=The Real Story Behind We Are Marshall|url=http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/we-are-marshall2.htm|access-date=November 8, 2011|date=2006-12-15}}</ref> The first major expansion since the 1950s took place in the mid-1970s with the addition of [[Central Michigan University]] and [[Eastern Michigan University]] in 1972 and [[Ball State University]] and [[Northern Illinois University]] in 1973. NIU left after the 1985–86 season. The [[University of Akron]] joined the conference in 1992. The conference became the largest in Division I-A with the re-admittance of Marshall and NIU in 1997 and addition of the [[Buffalo Bulls|Bulls]] from the [[University at Buffalo]] in 1998. The [[University of Central Florida]], a non-football all-sports member in the [[Atlantic Sun Conference]] at the time, joined for football only in 2002, becoming the first football-only member in conference history. Marshall and Central Florida left after the 2004–05 academic year, both joining [[Conference USA]] in all sports.

In May 2005, the [[Temple Owls football|Temple Owls]] in [[Philadelphia]] signed a six-year contract with the MAC as a football-only school and began play in the East Division in 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dropbox.com/s/we91ugx6xfbim5u/2016+MAC+Football+Media+Guide+--+History+&+Records.pdf?dl=0|title=2016 MAC Football Media Guide -- History & Records.pdf|website=Dropbox}}</ref>

The [[Louisville Cardinals]] were a MAC affiliate for field hockey for a number of years when Louisville was a member of the [[Metro Conference]] and Conference USA, winning two MAC tourney titles in 2003 and 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://getsomemaction.com/documents/2015/8/17/2015_Season_Field_Hockey.pdf|title=2015 FH Record Book|website=Mid-American Conference}}</ref>

The [[Missouri State Bears]], [[Evansville Purple Aces]], and [[Southern Illinois Salukis]] participate in the MAC for men's swimming and diving.<ref>{{cite web|title=Missouri State Will Join Mid-American Conference in Men's Swimming |url=https://missouristatebears.com/news/2009/8/7/Missouri_State_Will_Join_Mid_American_Conference_in_Men_s_Swimming.aspx |publisher=Missouri State University |access-date=June 25, 2020 |date=August 7, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211044949/http://www.missouristatebears.com/sports/c-swim/spec-rel/080709aaa.html|archive-date=December 11, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2012, the [[West Virginia Mountaineers]] joined the [[Florida Atlantic Owls]] and [[Hartwick Hawks|Hartwick College Hawks]] as men's soccer affiliates.<ref>{{cite web|last=Carvelli |first=Michael |title=West Virginia men's soccer team to join the Mid-American Conference next season |url=http://www.thedaonline.com/a-e/west-virginia-men-s-soccer-team-to-join-the-mid-american-conference-next-season-1.2836883 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912021743/http://www.thedaonline.com/a-e/west-virginia-men-s-soccer-team-to-join-the-mid-american-conference-next-season-1.2836883 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 12, 2012 |publisher=The Daily Athenaeum |access-date=July 7, 2012 |date=April 3, 2012}}</ref> Florida Atlantic departed upon joining Conference USA in 2013. Hartwick's contract was not renewed by the MAC in 2015. Nine schools are wrestling affiliates; most became affiliates when the MAC absorbed the former [[Eastern Wrestling League]] in 2019. [[Appalachian State University]] and [[Longwood University]] are associates in field hockey; Missouri State had also been a member in that sport from 2005 until dropping field hockey after the 2016 season. [[Binghamton University]] is an affiliate in men's tennis. In June 2017, [[SIU Edwardsville]] (SIUE) was invited to become an affiliate member in both men's soccer and wrestling in 2018.<ref name="Hustle Belt/Vox Media, Inc">{{cite web |publisher=Hustle Belt/[[Vox Media, Inc]] |title=SIU-Edwardsville joins Mid-American Conference as affiliate member in two sports |url=http://www.hustlebelt.com/2017/6/2/15729058/siu-edwardsville-joins-mid-american-conference-affiliate-member-mens-soccer-wrestling |date=June 2, 2017 |access-date=July 14, 2017}}</ref> When Buffalo suddenly dropped four sports, including men's soccer, SIUE's move in that sport was made immediately.<ref name= "Cougars soccer">{{cite news |newspaper=The Telegraph |title=SIUE men's soccer to join MAC immediately |url=http://thetelegraph.com/sports/103613/siue-mens-soccer-to-join-mac-immediately |date=June 8, 2017 |access-date=July 14, 2017}}</ref>

The [[UMass Minutemen football|UMass Minutemen]] joined the MAC as a football-only member in July 2012; the university announced that the team would leave the MAC at the end of the 2015 season due to contractual issues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/index.ssf/2011/04/university_of_massachusetts_fo.html |title=University of Massachusetts football to join Mid-American Conference, sources say |author=Elton Alexander |date=April 19, 2011 |work=[[The Plain Dealer]] |access-date=April 19, 2011}}</ref><ref>[http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/032614aaa.html UMass Football Will Leave Mid-American Conference at End of 2015 - University of Massachusetts Official Athletic Site] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093834/http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/032614aaa.html |date=March 4, 2016}}. Umassathletics.com (2014-03-26). Retrieved on 2014-04-12.</ref> Meanwhile, Temple ended its affiliation with the MAC in football and joined the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East]] for football in July 2012. Following the [[2010–2013 Big East Conference realignment|split of the Big East]] into football-sponsoring and non-football conferences in July 2013, Temple became a full member of the football-sponsoring portion, the [[American Athletic Conference]], ending its membership in the [[Atlantic 10 Conference|Atlantic 10]] at that time.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/campusrivalry/post/2012/03/temple-officially-joining-big-east-for-football-2012/1/|title=Temple joining Big East for football in 2012, other sports in 2013|access-date=June 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/temple-owls-join-big-east-football-2012-sports-2013-article-1.1034896/|title=Temple to play Big East football next season|website=[[New York Daily News]]|access-date=June 2, 2017}}</ref> The [[Chicago State Cougars]] were an affiliate for men's tennis until joining the [[Western Athletic Conference]], which sponsors that sport, in July 2013.

The conference unveiled the addition of women's lacrosse to its sport sponsorship in November 2019.<ref>{{cite news |author=Staff |title=MAC adding women's lacrosse for 2020-21 |url=https://apnews.com/3996973775494eaa8005f06b93b38778 |date=November 6, 2019 |access-date=February 4, 2020 |publisher=Associated Press}}</ref> Lacrosse began competing under the MAC banner with six teams in the 2021 season with MAC members Akron, Central Michigan and Kent State joined by associate members Detroit Mercy, Robert Morris, and Youngstown State. Eastern Michigan became the seventh women's lacrosse member when it added the sport in the 2022 season.<ref name=MACWLAXAdd>{{cite news |last=Logue |first=Brian |title=MAC Starts Division I Women's Lacrosse League; Eastern Michigan To Add Program |url=https://www.insidelacrosse.com/article/eastern-michigan-to-add-women-s-lacrosse-mac-to-start-di-lacrosse-league/55544 |access-date=February 4, 2020 |publisher=US Lacrosse Magazine |date=November 6, 2019}}</ref>

At the end of the 2022 season, the MAC discontinued men's soccer as a sponsored sport. While the [[2021–2024 NCAA conference realignment|conference realignment]] of the early 2020s did not affect the MAC's core membership up to that time, it significantly impacted the amount of men's soccer sponsoring programs within the conference, and ultimately led to the conference lacking enough teams to maintain its automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.<ref name=MSoc23>{{cite press release|url=https://getsomemaction.com/news/2022/11/11/mac-to-suspend-sponsoring-mens-soccer-following-2022-season.aspx |title=MAC to Suspend Sponsoring Men's Soccer Following 2022 Season |publisher=Mid-American Conference |date=November 11, 2022 |access-date=November 23, 2022}}</ref> Of the four full MAC members that sponsored men's soccer in the 2022 season, Bowling Green, Northern Illinois, and Western Michigan moved the sport to the [[Missouri Valley Conference]],<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://mvc-sports.com/news/2022/11/11/missouri-valley-conference-to-expand-in-mens-soccer-for-2023.aspx |title=Missouri Valley Conference To Expand in Men's Soccer for 2023 |publisher=Missouri Valley Conference |date=November 11, 2022 |access-date=November 23, 2022}}</ref> and Akron moved it to the [[Big East Conference]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.bigeast.com/news/2022/11/16/big-east-adds-akron-for-mens-soccer.aspx |title=BIG EAST Adds Akron For Men's Soccer |publisher=Big East Conference |date=November 16, 2022 |access-date=November 17, 2022}}</ref>

The MAC eliminated its East and West divisions for football in January 2024. The divisions had already been eliminated for other sports in 2020.<ref>{{cite press release|title=MAC Announces Future Football Schedule Formats for 2024-26|url=https://getsomemaction.com/news/2024/1/25/mac-announces-future-football-schedule-formats-for-2024-26.aspx|date=January 25, 2024|publisher=Mid-American Conference|access-date=September 9, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Strack"/> Later that year, in late February, it was announced that the [[UMass Minutemen and Minutewomen]] will join the conference as a full member beginning in 2025, returning UMass football to the MAC.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://apnews.com/article/umass-mac-realignment-519f806947a7f597cc783290546b585e|first=Tom|last=Withers|title=UMass will join Mid-American Conference as a full sports member in 2025, MAC commissioner says|date=February 27, 2024 |access-date=February 27, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2024/02/26/umass-to-join-mac-conference/72752755007/|first=Victoria|last=Hernandez|title=UMass to join MAC conference, including previously independent football, per reports|date=February 26, 2024 |access-date=February 27, 2024}}</ref> In July, the conference announced that it would begin sponsoring women's rowing for the 2025–26 season; full members Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and UMass would be joined by affiliate members Delaware, High Point, and Temple.<ref name="row">{{cite press release|url=https://getsomemaction.com/news/2024/7/18/general-mid-american-conference-to-add-womens-rowing-in-2025-26.aspx|title=Mid-American Conference to add Women's Rowing in 2025-26 |publisher=Mid-American Conference |date=July 19, 2024 |access-date=July 19, 2024}}</ref>

On January 3, 2025, it was reported that Northern Illinois had accepted an invitation from the [[Mountain West Conference]] to join as an affiliate member for football in 2026.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/northern-illinois-set-to-move-to-mountain-west-as-football-only-member-221640586.html |title=Northern Illinois set to move to Mountain West as football-only member |first=Nick |last=Bromberg |website=Yahoo Sports |date=January 3, 2025 |access-date=January 5, 2025}}</ref> This move was made official on January 7, after approval by NIU's governing board.<ref>{{cite press release |url=https://niuhuskies.com/news/2025/1/7/niu-football-joins-mountain-west-conference.aspx |title=NIU Football Joins Mountain West Conference |publisher=Northern Illinois Huskies |date=January 7, 2025 |access-date=January 7, 2025}}</ref> Current MAC bylaws stipulate that all members must play football within the conference; correspondingly, multiple media reports in February 2025 indicated that NIU was set to rejoin the [[Horizon League]], a non-football conference in which it had been a member from 1994–1997, in 2026. This move was also made official on February 27, after approval by NIU's governing board. NIU has applied to maintain MAC affiliate membership in women's gymnastics and men's wrestling, neither of which the Horizon sponsors.<ref name=NIUHorizonAth>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6157419/2025/02/24/northern-illinois-horizon-league/ |title=Northern Illinois plans to move non-football programs to Horizon League in 2026 |first1=Chris |last1=Vannini |first2=Matt |last2=Baker |work=The Athletic |publisher=The New York Times |date=February 24, 2025 |access-date=February 24, 2025}}</ref><ref name=NIUHorizonSI>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/college-basketball/northern-illinois-intends-jump-mac-horizon-league-non-football-teams-2026 |title=Northern Illinois Intends Jump to Horizon League for All Non-Football Teams |first=Blake |last=Silverman |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=February 24, 2025 |access-date=February 24, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url=https://horizonleague.org/news/2025/2/27/general-horizon-league-welcomes-niu.aspx|title=Horizon League Welcomes NIU|publisher=Horizon League|date=February 27, 2025|access-date=February 27, 2025}}</ref>