CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is announcing it has signed a statistical data partnership and sponsorship deal with Genius Sports. As part of this five-year agreement, the MAC is licensing its statistical data rights to Genius Sports creating a single source to manage and market the data for the Conference. The partnership is the first of its kind in collegiate athletics and represents an increased focus around the oversight and control of sports data.  
 
“After significant discussion with our membership, I am pleased that we have reached an agreement to partner with Genius Sports, including both a sponsorship alongside a licensing deal that includes the marketing and managing our statistical data,” noted Mid-American Conference Commissioner Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher. “This partnership will permit us to exert greater control of our statistics, provide increased oversight over events through the utilization of integrity services and provide support and financial benefits for the Conference and its membership. We have the responsibility to manage our assets and leverage those assets for the benefit of the student-athletes and our member institutions. The partnership with Genius Sports will assist us in those efforts.”
 
Genius Sports is recognized as a leader in delivering data and integrity programs for over 400 sports organizations globally, including many of the world’s largest leagues and federations such as the NFL, EPL, FIBA, NCAA, NASCAR, AFA and PGA.
 
“As a global company that sits at the intersection between sports, betting and media, Genius Sports is uniquely positioned to help conferences deliver immersive fan experiences that include real-time opportunities,” said Mark Locke, Genius Sports CEO.  “As one of the most established integrity providers in the market, the MAC chose us while the sector is in its infancy to ensure the league, matches, colleges and players are all protected. We are proud to have signed this ground-breaking partnership with the MAC, connecting one of the premium NCAA conferences with, fans, brands and other partners across the U.S.”
 
The sponsorship agreement was negotiated by the Conference’s marketing rights partner, JMI Sports.
 
Mid-American Conference
Founded in 1946, the Mid-American Conference is an NCAA Division I, 12-member conference that sponsors 24 championships and is one of ten members of the Football Bowl Subdivison (FBS). With total enrollment of nearly 300,000 students, the league represents institutions of higher learning in five (5) states - Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New York, and Ohio.
 
Current full member institutions and the year they joined are -- University of Akron (1992), Ball State University (1973), Bowling Green State University (1952), University at Buffalo (1998), Central Michigan University (1971), Eastern Michigan University (1971), Kent State University (1951), Miami University (1947), Northern Illinois University (1975-86, rejoined in 1997), Ohio University (1946) University of Toledo (1950), Western Michigan University (1947).  The conference office is based in Cleveland, Ohio. To learn more, please visit www.GetSomeMACtion.com
 
JMI Sports
JMI Sports is a leading media rights and venue development company that provides management of collegiate multimedia rights, sponsorship sales agency representation, and project management expertise for the development of collegiate and professional sports facilities. The company serves to maximize each client’s economic potential through customized initiatives, from marketing and branding solutions to facility design strategies. JMI Sports was founded in 2006 by CEO Erik Judson and technology entrepreneur John Moores, former owner of the San Diego Padres. To learn more, please visit www.jmisports.com