The Mid-American Conference will implement a nine-game conference schedule beginning in the 2028 season.
The league's athletic directors approved the change, which puts the MAC in line with other conferences moving from eight to nine league games per year. The MAC will maintain an eight-game league schedule for the 2027 season and continue to play four nonleague opponents.
"College football continues to change, and our responsibility is to make thoughtful decisions that position the Mid-American Conference and our institutions for long-term success," longtime commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a statement. "Moving to a nine-game conference schedule provides greater conference exposure for our programs while maintaining flexibility for meaningful non-conference competition. ... The MAC has always valued competition, rivalry and opportunity, and this next step reflects those priorities."
The MAC remained a 13-member football league after adding Sacramento State to replace Northern Illinois, which left for the Mountain West. Additional details about the nine-game league schedule and opponent rotations will be announced later, as the MAC will consider factors "related to competitive balance, geographic rivalries, travel, and home-game opportunities."
Ten MAC teams have played road games against Power 4 opponents through the first two weeks of the 2026 season, and six more are set to do so Saturday.
