oceanic ridge
Continuous, submarine mountain chain extending approximately 50,000 mi (80,000 km) through all the world's oceans, separating them into distinct basins. The main ridge extends down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, passes between Africa and Antarctica, turns north to the Indian Ocean, then continues between Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica and across the Pacific basin to the mouth of the Gulf of California. Lateral ridges extend from islands on the axis of the oceanic ridge to coasts of adjacent continents. The oceanic ridge system is the largest feature of the Earth's surface after the continents and the ocean basins themselves; it is explained by the theory of plate tectonics as a boundary between diverging plates where molten rock is brought up from deep beneath the Earth's crust. Seealso subduction zone.
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Submarine ridge lying along the floor of the central Atlantic Ocean. It is a long mountain chain running about 10,000 mi (16,000 km) in a general but curving north-south direction from the Arctic Ocean to the southern tip of Africa. The mountains sometimes reach above sea level, forming such islands or island groups as Ascension, the Azores, St. Helena, and Tristan da Cunha.
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The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members located in Illinois, Indiana and New York. For football, the MAC participates in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision.
The MAC is headquartered in the Public Square district in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The MAC has been referred to as the Conference of Quarterbacks because of the accomplishments of numerous former players in the National Football League. The MAC ranks highest among all eleven NCAA Division I FBS conferences for graduation rates.
Member schools participate in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross-country, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, women's gymnastics, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track, women's volleyball and wrestling.
Member schools
There are twelve schools with full membership:| Institution | Nickname | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Endowment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Division | ||||||
| University of Akron | Zips | Akron, Ohio (217,074) | 1870 | Public | 24,704 | $212 million |
| Bowling Green State University | Falcons | Bowling Green, Ohio (29,636) | 1910 | Public | 22,882 | $70 million |
| University at Buffalo | Bulls | Buffalo, New York (292,648) | 1846 | Public | 28,054 | $566 million |
| Kent State University | Golden Flashes | Kent, Ohio (27,946) | 1910 | Public | 22,352 | $80 million |
| Miami University | RedHawks | Oxford, Ohio (21,943) | 1809 | Public | 20,126 | $320 million |
| Ohio University | Bobcats | Athens, Ohio (21,342) | 1804 | Public | 20,437 | $240 million |
| West Division | ||||||
| Ball State University | Cardinals | Muncie, Indiana (65,287) | 1918 | Public | 20,113 | $117 million |
| Central Michigan University | Chippewas | Mount Pleasant, Michigan (25,946) | 1892 | Public | 26,788 | $41 million |
| Eastern Michigan University | Eagles | Ypsilanti, Michigan (22,362) | 1849 | Public | 22,974 | $50 million |
| Northern Illinois University | Huskies | DeKalb, Illinois (39,018) | 1895 | Public | 25,313 | $63 million |
| University of Toledo | Rockets | Toledo, Ohio (295,029) | 1872 | Public | 19,706 | $173 million |
| Western Michigan University | Broncos | Kalamazoo, Michigan (77,145) | 1903 | Public | 24,818 | $197 million |
Four schools have affiliate membership status:
| Institution | Nickname | Location | Founded | Affiliation | Enrollment | Sport | Endowment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago State University | Cougars | Chicago, Illinois | 1867 | Public | 7,131 | Men's tennis | $3 million |
| Florida Atlantic University | Owls | Boca Raton, Florida | 1964 | Public | 26,245 | Men's soccer | $194 million |
| Hartwick College | Hawks | Oneonta, New York | 1797 | Private | 1,520 | Men's soccer | $59 million |
| Missouri State University | Lady Bears | Springfield, Missouri | 1905 | Public | 17,425 | Field hockey | $55 million |
| Temple University | Owls | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 1884 | Public | 34,218 | Football | $204 million |
Division breakdown
MAC East- Akron Zips
- Bowling Green Falcons
- Buffalo Bulls
- Kent State Golden Flashes
- Miami RedHawks
- Ohio Bobcats
- Temple Owls (football only)
MAC West
- Ball State Cardinals
- Central Michigan Chippewas
- Eastern Michigan Eagles
- Northern Illinois Huskies
- Toledo Rockets
- Western Michigan Broncos
History
The Mid-American Conference charter members were Ohio University, Butler University, the University of Cincinnati, Wayne State University and Western Reserve University, one of the predecessors to today's Case Western Reserve University. Wayne State never participated and quickly bowed out. Butler left after the first year. Miami University and Western Michigan University took the place of those charter members for the 1948 season. By the time the University of Cincinnati left after the 1952–1953 season, the MAC had already added University of Toledo (1950), Kent State University (1951) and Bowling Green State University (1952).
The membership stayed steady for the next two decades except for the addition of Marshall University in 1954 and the departure of Western Reserve, which chose to de-emphasize intercollegiate athletics. Marshall was kicked out of the conference in 1969. 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. Northern Illinois left after the 1986 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 Northern Illinois and addition of the University at Buffalo's Bulls in 1997 and 1998, respectively. The University of Central Florida joined for football only in 2001, becoming the first football-only member in conference history. Marshall (a second time) and Central Florida would leave after the 2004–2005 academic year, both joining Conference USA in all sports.
In May 2005, Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania signed a six year contract with the MAC as a football-only school and began play in the East Division in 2007.
University of Louisville was 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.
In addition to football affiliate Temple, Missouri State University is an affiliate for field hockey, Hartwick College is an affiliate for men's soccer and Chicago State University is an affiliate for men's tennis.
Former members
- Butler Bulldogs
- Cincinnati Bearcats
- Marshall Thundering Herd
- UCF Golden Knights
- Wayne State Tartars
- Western Reserve Red Cats
Membership time line
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bar:1 color:green from:1947 till:1950 text:Butler (1947–1950)
bar:2 color:green from:1947 till:1953 text:Cincinnati (1947–1953)
bar:3 color:green from:1947 till:1955 text:Western Reserve (1947–1955)
bar:4 color:green from:1947 till:End text:Ohio (1947–present)
bar:5 color:green from:1948 till:End text:Miami (1948–present)
bar:6 color:green from:1948 till:End text:Western Michigan (1948–present)
bar:7 color:green from:1951 till:End text:Kent State (1951–present)
bar:8 color:green from:1951 till:End text:Toledo (1951–present)
bar:9 color:green from:1952 till:End text:Bowling Green (1952–present)
bar:10 color:green from:1954 till:1969 text:Marshall (1954–1969)
bar:11 color:green from:1972 till:End text:Central Michigan (1972–present)
bar:12 color:green from:1972 till:End text:Eastern Michigan (1972–present)
bar:13 color:green from:1973 till:1986 text:Northern Illinois (1973–1986)
bar:14 color:green from:1973 till:End text:Ball State (1973–present)
bar:15 color:green from:1992 till:End text:Akron (1992–present)
bar:10 color:green from:1997 till:2005 text:Marshall (1997–2005)
bar:13 color:green from:1997 till:End text:Northern Illinois (1997–present)
bar:16 color:green from:1999 till:End text:Buffalo (1999–present)
bar:17 color:green from:2002 till:2005 text:Central Florida (2002–2005)
bar:18 color:green from:2007 till:End shift:(-190,0) text:Temple (2007–present)
bar:19 color:green from:2007 till:End shift:(-190,0) text:Hartwick (2007–present)
bar:20 color:green from:2008 till:End shift:(-190,0) text:Chicago State (2008–present)
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text:"Membership History"
Commissioners
- Dave Reese, 1946–1964
- Bob James, 1964–1971
- Fred Jacoby, 1971–1982
- Jim Lessig, 1982–1990
- Karl Benson, 1990–1994
- Jerry Ippoliti, 1994–1999
- Rick Chryst, 1999–present
Championships
Football
The MAC is contracted to provide a team for three college football bowl games, the GMAC Bowl, Motor City Bowl and International Bowl. In the event that a Big East team cannot be provided for the newly created Papajohns.com Bowl, a fourth MAC team is selected.Basketball
In March of 2006, Commissioner Rick Chryst and Cleveland Cavaliers president Len Komoroski announced that the Mid-American Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments would remain in Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena through 2011. Both tournaments have flourished since moving to Cleveland in 2000, with the men's semi-finals and championship regularly drawing large crowds at Quicken Loans Arena (the 2007 semi-final between Akron and Kent State drew a crowd of more than 15,000). In 2007, the MAC also announced a format change for both tournaments, bringing all twelve men's and women's teams to Cleveland. The MAC also co-hosted the 2007 Women's Final Four at Quicken Loans Arena after successfully hosting the 2006 NCAA Women's Basketball Regional at the same facility.Hall of Fame
The Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame was the first Division I conference Hall of Fame. It was established in 1987 and classes have been inducted in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1994.In order to be eligible, a person must have participated during the time the university was in the MAC and five years must have passed from the time the individual participated in athletics or worked in the athletic department.
The following list are the members of the MAC Hall of Fame, along with the school they were affiliated with, the sport(s) they were inducted for and the year they were inducted.
- Harold Anderson, Bowling Green, Basketball, 1991
- Janet Bachna, Kent State, Gymnastics, 1992
- Joe Begala, Kent State, Wrestling, 1991
- Tom Beutler, Toledo, Football, 1994
- Kermit Blosser, Ohio, Golf, 1988
- Jim Corrigal, Kent State, Football, 1994
- Hasely Crawford, Eastern Michigan, Track and field, 1991
- Caroline (Mast) Daugherty, Ohio, Basketball, 1994
- Chuck Ealey, Toledo, Football, 1988
- Fran Ebert, Western Michigan, Softball, Basketball, 1992
- John Gill, WMU Athlete, Coach, Administrator, 1994
- Maurice Harvey, Ball State, Football, 1992
- Bill Hess, Ohio, Football coach, 1992
- Gary Hogeboom, Central Michigan, Football, 1994
- Fred Jacoby, MAC Commissioner, 1990
- Bob James, MAC Commissioner, 1989
- Ron Johnson, Eastern Michigan, Football, 1988
- Ted Kjolhede, Central Michigan, Basketball, 1988
- Ken Kramer, Ball State, Football, 1991
- Bill Lajoie, Western Michigan, Baseball, 1991
- Jack Lambert, Kent State, Football, 1988
- Frank Lauterbur, Toledo, Football, 1990
- Mel Long, Toledo, Football, 1992
- Charlier Maher, Western Michigan, Baseball, 1989
- Ray McCallum, Ball State, Basketball, 1988
- Jack McLain, MAC Football Official, 1992
- Karen Michalak, Central Michigan, Basketball, Track and field, Field hockey, 1992
- Gordon Minty, Eastern Michigan, Track and field, 1994
- Steve Mix, Toledo, Basketball, 1989
- Thurman Munson, Kent State, Baseball, 1990
- Ira Murchinson, Western Michigan, Track and field, 1990
- Don Nehlen, Bowling Green, Football, 1994
- Manny Newsome, Western Michigan, Basketball, 1988
- Bob Owchinko, Eastern Michigam, Baseball, 1992
- Ara Parseghian, Miami, Football, 1988
- Doyt Perry, Bowling Green, Football, 1988
- John Pont, Miami, Football Player/Coach, 1992
- John Pruis, Ball State, President, 1994
- Trevor Rees, Kent State, Football, 1989
- David Reese, MAC Commissioner, 1988
- George Rider, Miami, Track and field, 1989
- William Rohr, Miami, Basketball coach 1994
- Don Roundfield, Central Michigan, Basketball, 1990
- Bo Schembechler, Miami, Football Coach, 1991
- Dick Shrider, Miami, Basketball, 1990
- Jim Snyder, Ohio, Basketball, 1991
- Shafer Suggs, Ball State, Football, 1989
- Phil Villapiano, Bowling Green, Football, 1992
- Nate Thurmond, Bowling Green, Basketball, 1989
- Bob Welch, Eastern Michigan, Baseball, 1990
- Dave Wottle, Bowling Green, Track and field, 1990
- Bob Wren, Ohio, Baseball, 1989
Conference facilities
| School | Football stadium | Capacity | Basketball arena | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | Rubber Bowl | 35,202 | James A. Rhodes Arena | 5,500 |
| Ball State | Scheumann Stadium | 25,400 | John E. Worthen Arena | 11,500 |
| Bowling Green | Doyt Perry Stadium | 23,724 | Anderson Arena | 5,000 |
| Buffalo | University at Buffalo Stadium | 31,000 | Alumni Arena | 6,100 |
| Central Michigan | Kelly/Shorts Stadium | 30,199 | Daniel P. Rose Center | 5,200 |
| Eastern Michigan | Rynearson Stadium | 30,200 | Convocation Center | 8,800 |
| Kent State | Dix Stadium | 29,287 | Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center | 6,327 |
| Miami | Yager Stadium | 24,286 | Millett Hall | 9,200 |
| Northern Illinois | Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium | 31,000 | Convocation Center | 10,000 |
| Ohio | Peden Stadium | 24,000 | Convocation Center | 13,080 |
| Temple * | Lincoln Financial Field | 68,532 | Liacouras Center † | 10,224 |
| Toledo | Glass Bowl | 26,248 | Savage Hall | 9,000 |
| Western Michigan | Waldo Stadium | 30,200 | University Arena | 5,421 |
† Atlantic Ten Conference member for basketball
Broadcasts
A number of MAC sports, including football, men's and women's basketball, baseball, soccer, wrestling and volleyball, are telecast on FSN Ohio.Ball State produces its own comprehensive television package with the Ball State Sports Network. Affiliate stations include WIPB in Muncie, WNDY in Indianapolis, The CW in Fort Wayne, WHME in South Bend, WTVW in Evansville, WYIN in Merrillville and Comcast in Michigan.
External links
References
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Monday September 22, 2008 at 14:27:58 PDT (GMT -0700)
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