This season the Mid-American Conference proved that its teams could stack up against major conference teams, but its bowl representation did not reward the conference for its success any differently than past seasons.
The MAC posted its best season ever but still sent only two teams to bowl games. Despite the conference boasting three teams that finished with 10 or more regular season wins and earning five wins against ranked teams, Miami and Bowling Green were the only teams to earn bids - to the two already guaranteed tie-in bowls. The RedHawks won the GMAC Bowl, defeating Louisville, 49-28, and the Falcons made a late comeback to beat Northwestern, 28-24, in the Motor City Bowl.
Our bowl games really by almost every measure were a big success for the conference
MAC Commissioner Rick Chryst said. Miami's performance was representative of just how good our champion was this year blowing out Louisville like that...Same thing in Detroit - Bowling Green came out with a lot of passion and a lot to prove and they put up a good game.
However, MAC Assistant Commissioner for Media Relations Gary Richter said he and other MAC administrators were disappointed that Northern Illinois, which racked up 10 wins this season, including two wins against ranked teams, did not receive a bid as well.
There is always disappointment when you look at a team like Northern Illinois with two wins over ranked teams
and they don't get in
Richter said. It just shows them that MAC football is getting better
and we can be as good as any other team in the nation
even with less resources. I guarantee the teams we are beating have budgets at least three times what we have to work with.
The difference in payouts for Bowl Championship Series and non-BCS conference teams is incomparable. With the two bowls, the MAC was awarded a little more than $1.5 million in payouts combined, whereas BCS teams receive millions of dollars. The payouts are not spent or divided the same way for each conference, however. The bowls send the payout back to the teams' conference office, which then adds together all payouts and distributes them to schools as it sees fit.
After paying the travel expenses for the two teams sent to bowls and other conference expenses, the MAC distributes the small amount left over equally among member institutions, Chryst said.
Similarly, the Big Ten subtracts bowl-game travel expenses from the total pool of payouts and then divides the remaining balance into 12 equal shares, one share for each of the 11 schools in the league and one for the league office. Other conferences, such as the Big East, divide their payouts among teams based on conference rank.
However, Ohio Director of Athletics Thomas Boeh said for non-BCS schools, the bowl games are valuable for the national exposure.
It's just incredible to have that visibility for the league
he said. In the MAC the bowl experience is more important so we remain competitive nationally and bring in more alums and fans.
The Motor City Bowl set a record in actual attendance with 51,286 at this year's game, the first time the bowl drew more than 50,000. The game's 2.33 television rating on ESPN was a 26 percent increase from last year. Attendance at the 2003 GMAC Bowl was 40,620, just missing the five-year bowl record of 40,646. Television ratings have not yet been reported to the GMAC Bowl, but executive director Frank Modarelli said he expected it to be the highest rating ever.
J.D. Campbell, Bowling Green assistant athletic director for communications, said the Falcons, who finished No. 23 in both the Associated Press poll and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, have reaped the benefits from the attention they have drawn this season in other ways.
The bowl just helps give us a name
Campbell said. Our licensing numbers are up
attendance
merchandise - it all helps financially. People are proud of what we have accomplished
