2018 Mac Championship Game

Childers finished the game 21-of-33 passing for a career high 300 yards and four touchdowns while also gaining 58 yards on 15 carries, and was named the game's Offensive MVP. Junior Sutton Smith was named the MAC Championship Game Defensive MVP after finishing with 10 tackles, including a pair of sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. Nov 30, 2018 Nov 30, 2018 The University of Buffalo will be playin for its first Mid-American Conference (MAC) title since 2008 on Friday when the team takes on Northern Illinois at Ford Field in Detroit.

Marathon MAC Football Championship Game
Conference Football Championship
Sport	College football
Conference	Mid-American Conference
Current stadium	Ford Field
Current location	Detroit, Michigan
Played	1997–present
Last contest	2019
Current champion	Miami RedHawks
Most championships	Marshall Thundering Herd (5)
TV partner(s)	ESPN2
Official website	MAC-Sports.com football
Sponsors
Marathon Petroleum (2003–present)
Host stadiums
Marshall University Stadium (1997–2000, 2002) Glass Bowl (2001) Doyt Perry Stadium (2003) Ford Field (2004–present)
Host locations
Huntington, West Virginia (1997–2000, 2002) Toledo, Ohio (2001) Bowling Green, Ohio (2003) Detroit, Michigan (2004–present)

The MAC Football Championship Game is a football game between the winners of the East and West divisions of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) to determine the conference champion. The game has been played since 1997, when the conference was first divided into divisions and since 2003 has been sponsored by Marathon Petroleum (officially known as the Marathon MAC Football Championship Game). The winner of the game is guaranteed a berth in a bowl game which the MAC has contractual obligations to field a team. Unlike the MAC's Group of Five contemporaries, which hold their respective championship games on campus sites, the MAC Championship Game is held at a neutral site, Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan since 2004.

In 2000, 2001, and 2007, due to an unbalanced conference schedule, the team with best division record within each division was awarded that division's championship game berth. In other years, the teams with the best overall conference records received a berth.

The game is held on the first Saturday in December, on the same weekend that other NCAA Division I FBS conferences hold their championship games.

Results by year[edit]

Below are the results from all MAC Football Championship Games played. The winning team appears in bold font, on a background of their primary team color. Rankings are from the AP Poll released prior to the game.

From 1997 through 2003, the championship game was played at campus sites. Since 2004, the game has been played at Ford Field in Detroit.

Year	East		West		Site	Attendance
1997	Marshall Thundering Herd	34	Toledo Rockets	14	Marshall University Stadium • Huntington, WV	28,021
1998	Marshall Thundering Herd	23	Toledo Rockets	17		28,085
1999	11Marshall Thundering Herd	34	Western Michigan Broncos	30		28,069
2000	Marshall Thundering Herd	19	Western Michigan Broncos	14		24,816
2001	20Marshall Thundering Herd	36	Toledo Rockets	41	Glass Bowl • Toledo, OH	20,025
2002	24Marshall Thundering Herd	49	Toledo Rockets	45	Marshall University Stadium • Huntington, WV	24,582
2003	13Miami RedHawks	49	20Bowling Green Falcons	27	Doyt Perry Stadium • Bowling Green, OH	24,813
2004	Miami RedHawks	27	Toledo Rockets	35	Ford Field • Detroit, MI	22,138
2005	Akron Zips	31	Northern Illinois Huskies	30		12,051
2006	Ohio Bobcats	10	Central Michigan Chippewas	31		25,483
2007	Miami RedHawks	10	Central Michigan Chippewas	35		25,013
2008	Buffalo Bulls	42	12Ball State Cardinals	24		12,871
2009	Ohio Bobcats	10	Central Michigan Chippewas	20		23,714
2010	Miami RedHawks	26	24Northern Illinois Huskies	21		12,031
2011	Ohio Bobcats	20	Northern Illinois Huskies	23		13,052
2012	18Kent State Golden Flashes	37	19Northern Illinois Huskies	44^2OT		18,132
2013	Bowling Green Falcons	47	16Northern Illinois Huskies	27		21,106
2014	Bowling Green Falcons	17	Northern Illinois Huskies	51		15,110
2015	Bowling Green Falcons	34	Northern Illinois Huskies	14		16,425
2016	Ohio Bobcats	23	13Western Michigan Broncos	29		45,615
2017	Akron Zips	28	Toledo Rockets	45		16,225
2018	Buffalo Bulls	29	Northern Illinois Huskies	30		10,255
2019	Miami RedHawks	26	Central Michigan Chippewas	21		22,427

Results by team[edit]

Appearances	School	Wins	Losses	Win %	Year(s) Won	Year(s) Lost
8	Northern Illinois	4	4	.500	2011, 2012, 2014, 2018	2005, 2010, 2013, 2015
6	Marshall	5	1	.833	1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002	2001
6	Toledo	3	3	.500	2001, 2004, 2017	1997, 1998, 2002
5	Miami	3	2	.600	2003, 2010, 2019	2004, 2007
4	Central Michigan	3	1	.750	2006, 2007, 2009	2019
4	Bowling Green	2	2	.500	2013, 2015	2003, 2014
4	Ohio	0	4	.000	2006, 2009, 2011, 2016
3	Western Michigan	1	2	.333	2016	1999, 2000
2	Akron	1	1	.500	2005	2017
2	Buffalo	1	1	.500	2008	2018
1	Kent State	0	1	.000	2012
1	Ball State	0	1	.000	2008

Eastern Michigan is the only team currently in the conference to have not attended a Championship Game. Marshall is the only Championship Game Winner to not be a current member of the MAC.

MVPs[edit]