MAC releases men's, women's basketball conference schedules
Noises in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse echo during halftime of a game between Central Michigan and Toledo March 11 in Cleveland, OH. Only family members and media personnel were allowed to attend the game.
While there have been many of changes made, the Mid-American Conference has released its conference schedules for men's and women's basketball.
Those changes to the slate released on the conference's website on Sept. 3 include a 20-game, conference-only schedule, instead of 18 games, which teams played last season. With the entirety of the football season postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it's entirely possible that this 20-game slate makes up the entirety of the season for these schools.
Additionally, the conference has trimmed down its postseason tournament field. Instead of every team qualifying for the tournament, only the top eight squads will participate. In the past, the conference has been split into West and East divisions, however that will no longer be the case.
Every team will be competing for the same regular-season championship. On the women's side, Central Michigan wears the target as it is coming off a 16-2 conference performance a season ago. Akron is the reigning men's champion, finishing 14-4 last year. The Chippewa men started 6-2 in conference play but finished with nine losses in their last 10 games to finish 7-11.
As of Sept. 3, no non-conference games are available on the MAC website.
Here's how the tentative schedules look for the Chippewa men and women in 2020-21:
Men:
Jan. 2 vs Miami (Ohio)
Jan. 5 at Akron
Jan. 9 at Bowling Green
Jan. 12 vs Kent State
Jan. 16 vs Eastern Michigan
Jan. 19 at Toledo
Jan. 23 vs Bowling Green
Jan. 26 at Buffalo
Jan. 30 at Kent State
Feb. 2 vs Ohio
Feb. 6 at Northern Illinois
Feb. 9 vs Ball State
Feb. 13 vs Buffalo
Feb. 16 at Ohio
Feb. 20 vs Western Michigan
Feb. 23 at Eastern Michigan
Feb. 27 at Ball State
March 2 vs Toledo
March 5 vs Northern Illinois
March 8 at Western Michigan
Women:
Dec. 30 vs Miami (Ohio)
Jan. 2 at Ohio
Jan. 6 vs Akron
Jan. 9 at Buffalo
Jan. 13 at Northern Illinois
Jan. 16 vs Ohio
Jan. 20 vs Eastern Michigan
Jan. 23 at Akron
Jan. 27 at Toledo
Jan. 30 vs Buffalo
Feb. 3 vs Ball State
Feb. 6 at Western Michigan
Feb. 10 at Miami (Ohio)
Feb. 13 vs Kent State
Feb. 17 at Bowling Green
Feb. 20 vs Western Michigan
Feb. 24 vs Toledo
Feb. 27 at Eastern Michigan
March 3 at Ball State
March 6 vs Northern Illinois
