5 things to know from MAC Football Media Day

DETROIT —
College football statistics become flowing in all instructions Tuesday at Ford Field throughout the annual Mid-American Conference Media Day.

Here are five matters that got here out of the collection:

1. The “participation record” is probably coming to the MAC.

With many states anticipated to legalize sports playing, commissioner Jon Steinbrecher stated discussions are heating up in regard to a weekly participation record.

That’s some thing a bit exclusive than the injury file utilized by the NFL. It would be much less precise, greater of a “he can or can’t play” type of factor.

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“Some time in the past, five or six years ago I trust, the Pac-12 Conference raised the difficulty of mandating injury reports in pick out sports,” Steinbrecher stated. “While the discussions did no longer bring about any movement at that point, in light of the arrival of legalized sports activities wagering, the want exists to once more keep in mind the implementation of a participation file in place of an harm document. We want to don’t forget HIPAA and FERPA policies in the development of those rules, and transparency could be vital.”

Would it cover all college sports activities, ladies and men? Just soccer? Stay tuned due to the fact no person is aware of for certain proper now.

“It can be something that comes out of the NCAA oversight committee,” Steinbrecher stated. “My feel is it will likely be something chewed on over the path of this yr. I could be aware the (Atlantic Coast Conference) does an harm file on a voluntary basis proper now.”

2. Fly excessive, Jolly Roger.

Steinbrecher is hoping all MAC schools will set up a brand new culture with the MAC Jolly Roger flag this season.

In beyond years, Steinbrecher emailed a replica of the MAC Jolly Roger to a school on every occasion it received a nonconference or bowl sport.

“This yr, we can take a step in addition,” Steinbrecher said. “I actually have provided the MAC Jolly Roger to every of our institutions and have asked (with) every victory, domestic or away, that that flag be run up the flagpole and continue to be there till the following recreation. I wish we broaden a amusing lifestyle of players, college students, boosters, whoever, taking part on this collective victory celebration.”

The MAC maintains to warfare for greater recognize at the national level. Steinbrecher took difficulty with the American Athletic Conference’s move to name itself a “Power 6” league worth of being grouped with the “Power five,” which incorporates the Big Ten, Pac-12, Southeastern, Atlantic Coast and Big 12 conferences.

“The challenge with this Power 6 stuff is it’s undefinable,” Steinbrecher said. “Go to the NCAA rulebooks … not in there anywhere. Go everywhere else … there’s no definition of it. I get what they’re trying to do. They’re trying to fight back in this concept that simply due to the fact we’ve got this governmental designation doesn’t imply that we’re no longer a best group. Somehow, by hook or by crook, we ought to continue to combat again on these labels being slapped. If you can play, you can play.”

3. Midweek video games are here to live.

Television publicity is a huge deal for meetings just like the MAC. There are quite a few midweek video games on the slate again this year, and Steinbrecher believes the positives some distance outweigh the negatives.

He did point out that midweek starting instances were shifting up in latest years in response to fans’ concerns.

“We’ve been doing midweek football I trust on account that 1999,” Steinbrecher stated. “It’s an ongoing discussion, however we’ve also just currently entered into a new agreement that takes us out every other nine years. As I take a seat here today, I don’t assume any changes. We’re asking our fanatics a few times a year for home games to pop out and be part of us. It’s a balancing act.”

4. RedHawks may be on the air.

The majority of Miami’s video games can be televised in the upcoming season.

The time table is as follows: Sept. 1 at home towards Marshall (ESPN-Plus); Sept. 8 at domestic in opposition to Cincinnati (Raycom/ESPN3); Sept. 15 at Minnesota (Big Ten Network); Oct. 6 at Akron (ESPN-Plus); Oct. 30 at Buffalo (ESPN2/ESPNU); Nov. 7 at home against Ohio (ESPN2/ESPNU); Nov. 14 at Northern Illinois (ESPN2/ESPNU); Nov. 20 at domestic against Ball State (ESPNU/ESPN-Plus).

The MAC Championship sport on Nov. 30 at Ford Field may be televised by way of ESPN2.

ESPN-Plus is a new direct-to-consumer subscription video carrier that operates via the ESPN app. Cost is $4.Ninety nine a month or $forty nine.99 if you pay yearly.

Five. Four-team playoff: “If it ain’t broke, don’t monkey with it”

That’s the view of Bill Hancock, government director of the College Football Playoff. He become reachable for Media Day and said the contemporary CFP format is working simply great.

“Most humans are honestly happy with the manner the playoff is going and satisfied that we’ve got a playoff and happy with the format,” Hancock stated. “Occasionally you may pay attention humans say they’d love to do something different, however now not very regularly.

“One of the first rate matters about college soccer is humans have opinions approximately it, and I wouldn’t have it every other way. We have a game that human beings care approximately, so I continually revel in hearing human beings’s opinions.

“There’s no speak approximately expanding the playoff some of the university presidents or the convention commissioners who run the CFP. The motive for that is, to begin with, we’ve got 8 extra years in this settlement. But second of all, 4 is the right quantity because it maintains the point of interest at the regular season. It doesn’t add extra games for the gamers, it doesn’t intrude with the educational calendar, but it shall we us decide the championship on the sector. And certainly the ordinary season is the playoff, not like so many different sports that positioned all the marbles right into a huge postseason and the everyday season doesn’t count as plenty. We have the best normal season in sports, and my feeling is that if it ain’t broke, don’t monkey with it.”