MAC Concludes Spring Meetings
MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE CONCLUDES SPRING MEETINGS
Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference concluded three days of Spring Meetings with the Council of Presidents, Council of Directors of Athletics, Council of Senior Administrators, Council of Faculty Athletics Representatives and the MAC Leaders of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee all in attendance at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel.
The primary focus of the meetings centered on student issues. Specifically, items directed toward students included topics such as academic preparation and success, mental health awareness, time demands, years of eligibility and transfer issues.
One issue receiving significant discussion involved the findings and results from the MAC’s Mental Health Task Force that was created by MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher two years ago. The task force, chaired by Kelly Andrews, Senior Associate Athletic Director at the University of Toledo, recommended a three-pronged approach to the mental health issues of students to include proactive actions, best practice recommendations and follow-up protocol with appropriate personnel. The MAC Joint Council approved these recommendations and institutions will implement beginning with the 2015-16 academic year.
“This task force has provided the most important work from our governance group in some time,” said Steinbrecher. “Mental health issues are challenging and it is important to educate coaches, administrators and students on the complexity of mental health issues, and then ultimately to provide the appropriate resources and assistance needed for their well being.”
In addition, the MAC approved a revised format for the 2016 MAC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments at Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena. Approved by the Council of Directors of Athletics, the revised format will give the top four seeds a bye into the quarterfinals of the tournament at the Q, with the 5-12 seeds playing first round games on campus sites. Seeding will be determined by winning percentage, regardless of division.
The 2016 MAC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments will begin March 7 with opening round games on campus sites. The MAC will host four quarterfinal women’s games on Wednesday, March 9 with four quarterfinal men’s games to be played on Thursday, March 10. Friday, March 11 will feature two women’s and two men’s semifinal contests. The men's and women's championship games will be played on Saturday, March 12 at times to be announced at a later date.
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 10 members of the Football Bowl Subdivison (FBS). With total enrollment of nearly 300,000 students, the league represents institutions of higher learning in five states - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, and Ohio.
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). The conference office is based in Cleveland, Ohio.
