Ball State University Athletics
MAC Agrees to Roady's Humanitarian Bowl; GMAC Bowl Date Set
April 16, 2010 | Football
Roady's Humanitarian Bowl executive director Kevin McDonald today announced the signing of agreements that set the stage for a four-year relationship pitting top teams from the Mid-American Conference against top opponents from the Western Athletic Conference.
In addition, the GMAC Bowl has announced it will host the 12th annual game Jan. 6, 2011. The GMAC Bowl will be played on a Thursday at 7 p.m. (CST) and will be televised live on ESPN. The GMAC Bowl pits a Sun Belt Conference team and a MAC team.
For the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, qualifying teams will be selected according to each conference's criteria for bowl participation. The MAC is committed to send its third selection of bowl eligible teams based on the MAC bowl selection process to the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl.
The WAC is committed to send one of its top teams, based on its bowl-eligible teams' regional drawing strength for fans of the Boise-based game.
"Over the past several years the WAC and MAC have demonstrated a very high level of national success on the football field " said WAC Commissioner Karl Benson. "Last season the two conferences were awarded nine bowl berths. We look forward to carrying that success over into Roady's Humanitiarian Bowl."
"We are so excited to have this agreement with the MAC and the WAC. These two conferences are known for playing a brand of explosive offensive football and a great tradition of winning teams that are really a lot of fun to watch," said Kevin McDonald, Roady's Humanitarian Bowl executive director. "Last year's match-up delivered one of the most exciting bowl games of the year. We believe the game will always have that kind of drama and excitement for our fans."
Last year's Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, which featured Bowling Green State University from the MAC and the University of Idaho from the WAC, equaled the game's all-time highest television rating on ESPN. The game received a Nielsen household rating of 2.4, representing over three million total viewers, tying the record for the highest rating ever which was the 2008 Roady's Humanitarian Bowl, matching Maryland and Nevada.
"We are very happy to have in place this tremendous relationship with a long-established and very successful bowl game," said MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher. "Based on last year's match-up between the two conferences, I believe fans of the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl game can look forward to exhilarating and competitive contests in the future."
The Roady's Humanitarian Bowl is the only bowl game in the United States that has humanity in its brand. The Bowl recognizes the positive impact teams, coaches and student-athletes have in their communities and their leadership roles in promoting humanitarian efforts.
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Founded in 1946, the Mid-American Conference is an NCAA Division I, 12-member conference that sponsors 23 championships and is one of 11 members of the Football Bowl Subdivison (FBS). With total enrollment of nearly 300,000 students, the league represents institutions of higher learning in six (6) states - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, and Ohio. In addition a 13th school - Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa. -- is an affiliate member for football only.
Current MAC schools that hold full membership and the year they joined are -- East Division: University of Akron (1992), Bowling Green State University (1952), University at Buffalo (1998), Kent State University (1951), Miami University (1947), Ohio University (1946). West Division: Ball State University (1973), Central Michigan University (1971), Eastern Michigan University (1971), Northern Illinois University (1975-86, rejoined in 1997), University of Toledo (1950), Western Michigan University (1947). Temple University (2007) competes in the East Division in football only. The conference office is based in Cleveland, Ohio.
