DETROIT – Bowl Championship Series director Bill Hancock reminded media members and Mid-American Conference coaches and players at the MAC Football Media Day Preview that “there is no such thing as a non-BCS conference” in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Still, the MAC has yet to field a representative in the 12-year history of the BCS.
The MAC is one of five BCS conferences – joining Conference USA, the Western Athletic Conference, the Mountain West Conference and the Sun Belt Conference – without an automatic qualifier for the five BCS games. The champions of the Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and Southeastern Conference are guaranteed a BCS berth. Notre Dame automatically qualifies if it finishes with a top-eight BCS ranking, determined by polls and computer rankings.
Four non-automatic-qualifying conference teams have earned BCS berths: Boise State, Hawaii, TCU and Utah.
But Hancock, a guest speaker at the MAC media day luncheon on Friday, said the MAC soon could see a representative because of recent changes in the BCS rules that allow the top-14 ranked teams to receive “at-large” bids.
A MAC team undoubtedly would have to go undefeated – and possibly with wins over multiple automatic-qualifying conference opponents – to qualify for the BCS.
“You MAC schools, you athletes, you are this close to making it in,” Hancock said. “Don’t forget that.”
Filling big shoes: Two of Northern Illinois’ top rivals in the MAC West Division must find a way to replace its posterboys this fall, a main reason the Huskies were voted by media as the preseason favorite to win the division.
First-year Central Michigan coach Dan Enos has the almost impossible job of finding a replacement for quarterback Dan LeFevour, winner of the 2009 Vera Smith Award given to the MAC’s top player. Western Michigan coach Bill Cubit must replace Broncos record re-writer Tim Hiller.
Enos will hold an open competition in training camp to find out who will take over for LeFevour, a sixth-round NFL draft pick of the Bears. The candidates are junior Brandon Fricke, redshirt sophomore Ryan Radcliff, redshirt junior Derek Rifenbury, freshman Kyle Smith and redshirt fresman AJ Westendorp.
“Ultimately, the guy will win the job in fall camp,” Enos said.
Cubit hinted he might have found the guy to fill the shoes of Hiller, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts, in redshirt sophomore Alex Carder.
“I really like him,” Cubit said. “I know everyone’s concerned about Hiller moving on. He was a great quarterback for us, but that’s just an opportunity for the next guy.”
Scheduling conflict: NIU athletic director Jeff Compher said NIU tried to reach an agreement to televise its Sept. 11 home opener against North Dakota on Comcast SportsNet Chicago, but that there was a scheduling conflict.
CSN Chicago is scheduled to broadcast the Cubs at Milwaukee on the same day at 6:10 p.m., near the same time as NIU’s 7 p.m. kickoff.
“We would have put that on, but that wasn’t possible,” Compher said.
No news on Temple: MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said there was nothing new to report on talks with Temple and its membership with the conference. Temple signed a six-year deal with the MAC in 2005 and is a football-only school in the conference.
Steinbrecher did say that he believed talks with Temple were going well.
"I really think, you know, what a great story that the Mid-American Conference facilitated an opportunity for Temple to really grow its program and that's the story to me, above anything else," Steinbrecher said. "Great credit to (Temple AD) Bill Bradshaw and coach (Al) Golden and the student-athletes and what they've done. It's really one of the great, great turnarounds in college sports."
Asked if he reminded Temple officials that the MAC gave the Owls the opportunity to resurrect their football program in the conference, Steinbrecher replied: "They're aware. And they're very appreciative of their membership in the Mid-American Conference. I think they very proudly promote the Mid-American Conference."
