The Bowling Green football team will compete in the Mid-American Conference's West Division in the 2012 season, both the school and the league announced Wednesday. All other BGSU sports will remain in the East Division.
The move is made to accommodate the University of Massachusetts, which will enter the league as a football-only school next season and play in the East Division. UMass, which is in the process of raising its program to FBS status, is not eligible to play in the MAC championship game or a bowl game until the 2013 season.
The Falcons last competed in the West Division in 2002 and 2003, finishing 13-3 in conference play in those two seasons and capturing a division championship in 2003.
The realignment came following a unanimous vote by the MAC Council of Presidents, as recommended by the Council of Directors of Athletics. Bowling Green will join Toledo, Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan in the West Division, while UMass will join Akron, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami, Ohio and Temple in the West.
“Ever since our announcement of the addition of UMass in football last spring, divisional alignment has been a topic of conversation among our Presidents and Directors of Athletics,” said MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher in a statement. “We considered a number of different paradigms and ultimately we focused on the core principles of geography, travel and rivalries.
"We now have a true rotational cycle for football and a scheduling model that will extend for future years.”
This will be the first time since 2006 that the MAC will have balanced divisional schedules. Each member will continue to play an eight-game conference schedule, however each member will now play six divisional games and two non-divisional cross-over games. There will no longer be protected cross-over games.
No dates or times have been announced for the 2012 schedule, but home and away MAC contests are available. Bowling Green will play host to Ball State, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Buffalo (cross-over game). Road MAC games will include trips to Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Ohio (cross-over game).
BGSU’s current non-conference schedule features home games versus Idaho and Rhode Island, with road trips to Florida and Virginia Tech.
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