The 2012 MAC football schedule is upon us, and the nation's college football schedule is pretty much set for the coming season. A few loose ends still remain, and a team or two will surely drop one FCS opponent for another or what have you, but we pretty much know what we're getting into now.
As for the MAC itself, the Temple Owls depart while UMass comes aboard. Nothing drastic, but names have changed. The Minutemen make their MAC debut on Sept. 22 against Miami (Ohio).
2012 MAC Football Schedule (composite by date)
All times listed ET
*Conference Game
#ESPN Multiple-Game Selection Date (an ESPN weekday multiple-game selection date will be announced 12 days prior to the listed date. One (1) game will be selected by each ESPN service listed).
Aug. 30 - Thursday
Central Florida at Akron
*Eastern Michigan at Ball State
Southeast Missouri at Central Michigan
Towson at Kent State
UMass at Connecticut
Sep. 1 - Saturday
Bowling Green at Florida
Buffalo at Georgia
Iowa at Northern Illinois (at Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.)
Miami at Ohio State
Ohio at Penn State
Toledo at Arizona
Western Michigan at Illinois
Sep. 8 - Saturday
Akron at Florida International
Ball State at Clemson
Eastern Illinois at Western Michigan
Kent State at Kentucky
Idaho at Bowling Green
Indiana at UMass
Illinois State at Eastern Michigan
Michigan State at Central Michigan
Morgan State at Buffalo
New Mexico State at Ohio
Southern Illinois at Miami
Tennessee Martin at Northern Illinois
Toledo at Wyoming
Sep. 15 - Saturday
Ball State at Indiana
*Bowling Green at Toledo
Eastern Michigan at Purdue
Miami at Boise State
Morgan State at Akron
Northern Illinois at Army
Ohio at Marshall
UMass at Michigan
Western Michigan at Minnesota
Sep. 19 - Wednesday or Sep. 20 - Thursday
*Kent State at Buffalo, TBD (ESPNU)
Sep. 22 - Saturday
Akron at Tennessee
Bowling Green at Virginia Tech
Central Michigan at Iowa
Coastal Carolina at Toledo
Connecticut at Western Michigan
Eastern Michigan at Michigan State
Kansas at Northern Illinois
Norfolk State at Ohio
South Florida at Ball State
*UMass at Miami
Sep. 29 - Saturday
*Ball State at Kent State
Buffalo at Connecticut
*Central Michigan at Northern Illinois
*Miami at Akron
*Ohio at UMass
Rhode Island at Bowling Green
*Toledo at Western Michigan
Oct. 6 - Saturday
*Bowling Green at Akron
*Buffalo at Ohio
*Central Michigan at Toledo
*Kent State at Eastern Michigan
Miami at Cincinnati
*Northern Illinois at Ball State
*UMass at Western Michigan
Oct. 13 - Saturday
*Akron at Ohio
*Buffalo at Northern Illinois
Kent State at Army
*Miami at Bowling Green
Navy at Central Michigan
*Toledo at Eastern Michigan
*Western Michigan at Ball State
Oct. 20 - Saturday
Army at Eastern Michigan
*Ball State at Central Michigan
*Bowling Green at UMass
Cincinnati at Toledo
*Northern Illinois at Akron
Pittsburgh at Buffalo
*Western Michigan at Kent State
Oct. 27 - Saturday
*Akron at Central Michigan
Ball State at Army
*Eastern Michigan at Bowling Green
Kent State at Rutgers
*Northern Illinois at Western Michigan
*Ohio at Miami
*Toledo at Buffalo
UMass at Vanderbilt
Nov. 1 - Thursday
*Eastern Michigan at Ohio, 6:00 pm ET (ESPNU)
Nov. 3 - Saturday
*Akron at Kent State
*Miami at Buffalo
*UMass at Northern Illinois
*Western Michigan at Central Michigan
Nov. 6 - Tuesday
*Ball State at Toledo, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
Nov. 7 - Wednesday
*Bowling Green at Ohio, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
Nov. 10 - Saturday
*Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan
*Kent State at Miami
*UMass at Akron
*Western Michigan at Buffalo
Nov. 14 - Wednesday
#*Ohio at Ball State, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
#*Toledo at Northern Illinois, 9:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
Nov. 17 - Saturday
*Buffalo at UMass
*Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan
*Kent State at Bowling Green
*Miami at Central Michigan
Nov. 20 - Tuesday
*Akron at Toledo, 7:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
Nov. 23 - Friday
#*Ball State at Miami, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
#*Buffalo at Bowling Green, at Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio (ESPNU/ESPN3)
#*Central Michigan at UMass, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
#*Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
#*Ohio at Kent State, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Nov. 30 - Friday
MAC Championship Game, 7:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
At Ford Field in Detroit
2012 MAC Football Schedule (composite by school)
All times listed ET
*Conference Game
#ESPN Multiple-Game Selection Date (an ESPN weekday multiple-game selection date will be announced 12 days prior to the listed date. One (1) game will be selected by each ESPN service listed).
EAST DIVISION
Akron
Aug.
30 Central Florida
Sep.
8 at Florida International
15 Morgan State
22 at Tennessee
29 *Miami
Oct.
6 *Bowling Green
13 *at Ohio
20 *Northern Illinois
27 *at Central Michigan
Nov.
3 *at Kent State
10 *UMass
20 *at Toledo, 7:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
Bowling Green
Sep.
1 at Florida
8 Idaho
15 *at Toledo
22 at Virginia Tech
29 Rhode Island
Oct.
6 *at Akron
13 *Miami
20 *at UMass
27 *Eastern Michigan
Nov.
7 *at Ohio, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
17 *Kent State
23 #*Buffalo, at Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Buffalo
Sep.
1 at Georgia
8 Morgan State
19/20 *Kent State, TBD (ESPNU)
29 at Connecticut
Oct.
6 *at Ohio
13 *at Northern Illinois
20 Pittsburgh
27 *Toledo
Nov.
3 *Miami
10 *Western Michigan
17 *at UMass
23 #*at Bowling Green, at Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Kent State
Aug.
30 Towson
Sep.
8 at Kentucky
19/20 *at Buffalo, TBD (ESPNU)
29 *Ball State
Oct.
6 *at Eastern Michigan
13 at Army
20 *Western Michigan
27 at Rutgers
Nov.
3 *Akron
10 *at Miami
17 *at Bowling Green
23 #*Ohio, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
UMass
Aug.
30 at Connecticut
Sep.
8 Indiana
15 at Michigan
22 *at Miami
29 *Ohio
Oct.
6 *at Western Michigan
20 *Bowling Green
27 at Vanderbilt
Nov.
3 *at Northern Illinois
10 *at Akron
17 *Buffalo
23 #*Central Michigan, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Miami
Sep.
1 at Ohio State
8 Southern Illinois
15 at Boise State
22 *UMass
29 *at Akron
Oct.
6 at Cincinnati
13 *at Bowling Green
27 *Ohio
Nov.
3 *at Buffalo
10 *Kent State
17 *at Central Michigan
23 #*Ball State, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Ohio
Sep.
1 at Penn State
8 New Mexico State
15 at Marshall
22 Norfolk State
29 *at UMass
Oct.
6 *Buffalo
13 *Akron
27 *at Miami
Nov.
1 *Eastern Michigan, 6:00 pm ET (ESPNU)
7 *Bowling Green, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
14 #*at Ball State, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
23 #*at Kent State, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
WEST DIVISION
Ball State
Aug.
30 *Eastern Michigan
Sep.
8 at Clemson
15 at Indiana
22 South Florida
29 *at Kent State
Oct.
6 *Northern Illinois
13 *Western Michigan
20 *at Central Michigan
27 at Army
Nov.
6 *at Toledo, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
14 #*Ohio, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
23 #*at Miami, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Central Michigan
Aug.
30 Southeast Missouri
Sep.
8 Michigan State
22 at Iowa
29 *at Northern Illinois
Oct.
6 *at Toledo
13 Navy
20 *Ball State
27 *Akron
Nov.
3 *Western Michigan
10 *at Eastern Michigan
17 *Miami
23 #*at UMass, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Eastern Michigan
Aug.
30 *at Ball State
Sep.
8 Illinois State
15 at Purdue
22 at Michigan State
Oct.
6 *Kent State
13 *Toledo
20 Army
27 *at Bowling Green
Nov.
1 *at Ohio, 6:00 pm ET (ESPNU)
10 *Central Michigan
17 *at Western Michigan
23 #*Northern Illinois, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Northern Illinois
Sep.
1 Iowa (at Soldier Field, Chicago, Ill.)
8 Tennessee-Martin
15 at Army
22 Kansas
29 *Central Michigan
Oct.
6 *at Ball State
13 *Buffalo
20 *at Akron
27 *at Western Michigan
Nov.
3 *UMass
14 #*Toledo, 9:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
23 #*at Eastern Michigan, (ESPNU/ESPN3)
Toledo
Sep.
1 at Arizona
8 at Wyoming
15 *Bowling Green
22 Coastal Carolina
29 *at Western Michigan
Oct.
6 *Central Michigan
13 *at Eastern Michigan
20 Cincinnati
27 *at Buffalo
Nov.
6 *Ball State, 8:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
14 #*at Northern Illinois, 9:00 pm ET (ESPN2/ESPNU)
20 *Akron, 7:00 pm ET (ESPN2)
Western Michigan
Sep.
1 at Illinois
8 Eastern Illinois
15 at Minnesota
22 Connecticut
29 *Toledo
Oct.
6 *UMass
13 *at Ball State
20 *at Kent State
27 *Northern Illinois
Nov.
3 *at Central Michigan
10 *at Buffalo
17 *Eastern Michigan
For more on the parties involved, visit MAC blog Hustle Belt.