Once upon a time, these weeknight MACtion games made some sense because it was a way of gaining exposure for schools in the conference. It worked. I've lived in California since 2003 and the number of people I run into since MACtion began who know OHIO (not OSU or confusing us as OSU) is astounding. Prior to weeknight MACtion, people here didn't know who OHIO was but now, I get comments from coworkers who flipped on our game (probably by accident) the night before, for example. The awareness in a far away place, like California, has been dramatic. BUT...with all the cord cutting that is going on as well as the advent of ESPN3, Plus, etc., the value of the weeknight MACtion deal is diminishing very fast. Any of us can now subscribe and watch every OU football game - and not just that, I can watch OU volleyball, women's soccer, etc. I get it that ESPN2 or ESPNU is still a more common sports channel that the average fan is likely to just turn on and watch but that is really changing fast and the cord cutting is going to normalize the entire landscape and again, the value of these weeknight games. Case in point, I can now watch my grad school alma mater's (Campbell University) FCS football games every Saturday. Yes, they play almost all their games on Saturday. This is a small school in North Carolina that didn't even have football a decade ago and now they have just as many games broadcast on the ESPN family of networks as our FBS, 100+ year old football program. I would hope that the MAC would not renew the contract once it expires.

Agree ... the money is not nominal. It is a hefty bag of cash. That's the issue. League is essentially being held hostage by ESPN because that carrot is dangled in front of them.

It sucks. I really wish they could find a happy medium.

ESPN pulled the rug on them with this ESPN+ platform that was NOT in play when MAC agreed to this deal. You used to be able to watch almost any and all MAC football & hoops on ESPN3 at worst as long as you had cable subscription.

Now you have to pay EXTRA to get ESPN+

It's garbage.

Playing half your season on weeknights is overkill ... and it's not fair to players or local fan bases.

MAC is tone deaf to it.

Season tickets are down across the league. Stands are empty for all those weeknight games no matter who plays.

Ohio v Toledo was best game in MAC last year ... and Ohio had a JV soccer crowd at Peden for it cause it was a weeknight.

MAC don't care.

I totally see value of each team hosting one weeknight game and playing one on the road. But more than that is a watered down product.

ESPN is a money monster just using these smaller leagues as their puppets because they know they need the money.

I thought this article humanized it from a players perspective. 3 games in 12 days PLUS class?!?! That's just insane!!!

MAC don't care. Chi-ching! 💰💰💰

Hate it. Just hate it.

There will be maybe 5000 in Peden tomorrow .... and would be 15k+ if it was Saturday afternoon.

Toledo also has 3 games in 12 days.

But, remember ... it's all about the student-athlete.

The costs keep rising at a record rate even for a MAC-level team. Got to cover these expenses somehow.

For example, the NCAA now permits schools to pay for the travel of a recruit's parents for campus visits. Big schools automatically started doing this and we are essentially forced to do the same. Huge hit to our recruiting budget.

We have to pay for medical policies for players, and the costs rise every year. Additionally, we cover the significant out-of-pocket expense for each surgery and other medical procedure.

We also need to do more to provide mental health assistance - Ohio does not have a full-time counselor to help student athletes whereas many/most other schools do. We're holding things together with duct tape and baling wire...and need that TV money.

I'd like to see that MAC/ESPN contract and wonder what the fine print looks like regarding ESPN+ since the deal was signed before it was launched. Or if the deal encompasses ESPN as a whole, no matter the platform.

I really think you need to consider the physical aspects of football vs. softball.

Oh, its been considered. I totally agree that football is physically harder on the body and would never argue otherwise. If you read the article the majority of the context is focused on the "student" side of being a student-athlete and how the travel impacts class work. All I'm saying is that the football travel schedule is a bigger deal in regards to player safety than it is for academic challenges. Other student-athletes get it done in the classroom with more rigorous schedules.

I also can't speak on the travel schedules of the other sports that I did not play so I left those teams out of it.

If the MAC is trying to complete with other G5 schools ... which they should be ... here is a breakdown of things the rest of the year.

Group of 5 Saturday games the rest of season:

CUSA - 33
AAC - 25
MWC - 25
Sun Belt - 23
MAC - 7

Weeknight games

MAC - 20
AAC - 6
MWC - 4
CUSA - 3
Sun Belt - 2

How on earth are these other programs able to survive without playing so many weeknight games?!?!

Or maybe ... how is the MAC not able to figure out how to maybe even these numbers out a bit and maybe, hmmm ... play only 10 weeknight games? You have 12 teams in the league ... if each played twice on weeknights during league play, that would give ESPN/CBSSN more than enough options to put games on TV

Do you really think have games on Tues, Wed and Thurs in the same week really benefits the MAC?

You really think that Average Football Fan Joe is choosing to watch on a Thursday night ...

Ohio vs. Ball
Toledo vs. WMU
Akron vs. NIU
Ohio vs. WMU
Toledo vs. Kent

... over the next four weeks rather than watch an NFL game (which I agree are garbage too usually)

I'm sorry. It's overkill by the league. It's a saturated product. They have jumped the shark and it would be nice for them to scale back.

It used to be premier MAC games spotlighting the best in the league on weeknights. Now we get Miami vs. Ball State and CMU vs. BG. C'mon.

This is especially true when you consider that in addition to OUr game, Baylor's playing #13 West Virginia on FS1 and Georgia Tech's playing Va. Tech on ESPN tonight. Heck, even #25 Appalachian State is on TV tonight. I have to think the casual FBS fan, if they are even watching college football tonight, will choose those games over the Ohio-Ball State game.

I understand the need for the $ the MAC's bringing w/ ESPN for these Wed./Thurs. evening games, but it sure comes at a significant cost to both the players and the local fans (not to mention local businesses losing whatever revenue they otherwise would normally see for a Saturday afternoon football game).

At least the MAC struck the deal with ESPN when they did. I have to think in the next round of contracts, the $ ESPN will be willing to spend will be significantly less.

Doesn’t the MAC normally get skunked by other G5 schools? Aren’t we 1 and forever vs them in bowl games last few years?

I worked at several bars on Court Street no one hardly ever knows whats going on with Ohio Sports unless its on the TV

I don't really care how many football junkies watch MACaction. It is only a benefit to OHIO if we attract football players from Texas or Cali or wherever, get more students to enroll at Ohio, or get more alumni money. I suggest someone survey frosh recruits, new students, and alumni to see if the mid week games are worth it. I gotta believe crowds of 20,000 on Saturday would offset some of the ESPN money. Right now, nobody really knows the value of midweek games. And it does look like the MAC gets screwed given how many games the league plays vs the peer conferences.