The Mid-American Conference will continue to discuss the possibility of playing a fall football season, commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said Saturday.
His statement followed a virtual meeting of conference presidents, at which no vote was taken. School presidents voted Aug. 8 to call off all fall sports amid the continued threat of COVID-19.
“Return-to-play models in the sport of football were reviewed,” Steinbrecher said about the meeting. “No decisions were made and we will continue examination of this matter during a meeting next week.”
The Mid-American was the first FBS conference to either cancel or postpone fall sports, including football. The Big Ten and Pac-12 followed their move, but the Big Ten announced Wednesday that a nine-week football schedule will be played beginning in late October. The Pac-12 is also examining a return in time to compete in a fall season.
The Toledo Blade reported Thursday that the MAC could play a six- or eight-game fall season that would begin in late October and finish with a conference championship game at Ford Field in Detroit.
Part of the Pac-12’s growing confidence about a return to play is an agreement with a lab for daily, rapid testing. The MAC has not yet signed such a deal, nor is it known how the conference would pay for it.
Members of the MAC are Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo and Western Michigan.
