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Where Does The Mid-American Conference Stand
In NCAA D1 Football?

October 14th 2025

Where does the Mid-American Conference currently stand... in NCAA D1 Football?

It's Never Over

And personally, college sport's in America today were bothering me as a writer. So, on this 10th anniversary (*really year 14) of CiviliansNews.com I decided to dedicate an article to my Alma Mater, Central Michigan University.

Nevertheless, this is a very serious question... where do Mid-American Conference school's stack up versus; South Eastern Conference, Big 25, PAC whoever, Sunbelt school's and Mississippi State University? Because I couldn't even begin to tell you... how many essay's that I've written over these past 30 years. Nevertheless, and with that being said... I do owe it to my college to ask the question, "where do we stand as a group," versus some of the other school's in America today? Whereby, often times this, "debacle of comparing one American University to the next," is fruitlessly explained through college football and college basketball. So who are we? And where does Central Michigan University belong... versus some of the bigger programs in the NCAA today?

And before I get too nitpicky... let me also explain... that football isn't everything. The University of Michgian has arguably the most expensive hospital in the country and my Alma Mater, "Central Michigan University," has since not only cloned Yale's library but also brought a medical school to the college (*albeit past my years).

Nevertheless, from 2005-2010, when I was attending Central Michigan University... Chicago native Danny Lefeveur was breaking NCAA D1 touchdown record's and Antonio Brown was just beginning a Hall Of Fame, NFL career. So it was never a, "secret," to me... that success was attainable within the, "MAC Conference." Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Staley and Greg Jennings... all had prolific NFL career's after ascending through Mid-American Conference school's. Regardless, most of that talent has always gone through Central Michigan University in the form of recruits either dismissed from bigger problems or academically ineligible to play in bigger Conference's, including Antonio Brown. Yet, today, Central Michigan University has ties all over the country to programs in; Florida, the Midwest and Alabama, and I think that today Central Michigan University is in a key position to ascend through NCAA sport's. Whereby, Central Michigan University boasts ties to the Chippewas Indian Tribe which control billions of dollars in Casino resources... and beyond just the financing, "CMU," provides a unique educational opportunity to people from the tribe and from the South seeking a somewhat, "inviting," college experience. We didn't lock our doors in college in 2008, there was no need, although, that's me.

But looking back and especially on this 10th year anniversary of, "the reboot," of CiviliansNews.com... I can't help but wonder where this writer, as well as other's, "might fit in," in the post-college professional landscape. And while Antonio Brown has mocked my un-professionalism, "The Huffington Post," is an absolute joke to me in the year 2025 and Ariana Huffington's massive Greek fortune is bewildering. But let's not harp on negativity, the point here is... where does, "CMU," go from here and where does the, "Mid American Conference," place me amongst the best mind's in America? And let's explain that through college sports...

So Who Are We?

And personally, I've seen many things change over the year's in college football, here in America. Mississippi State University has become a, "POWER 5 SCHOOL," boasting significant resources from the attendance that they garner at football games...

Pause.

And how has DEI ruined college sports? With Spencer Rattler getting an unfair opportunity at Oklahoma and now in New Orleans? I don't know. But, as a Central Michigan University Alumni... I do have my own thoguhts on the situation, albeit, here on a "fake news" platform. And I actually almost went to many schools, believe it or not. My Father is a Notre Dame Alumni, my Brother graduated with honors from The Michigan State University and I had a desire to go to; Notre Dame, Duke, and The University of Hawaii... as a High Schooler, before eventually landing on Central Michigan.

Times Change

Nevertheless, despite those aspiration's... I attended a M.A.C. School... and to this day, I cannot tell you... what that means to people? I don't know? I just work here. Regardless, I don't regret it. I am very appreciative of my education, actually, despite the duldrums of writing a million essay's and the biases of most college professor's. With that said, however, I would encourage any young person to apply at Central Michigan Univesity because it is an EASIER COLLEGE without so much stress and hardship, education wise. Which I think was good for me personally in college, while also benefiting a player like Antonio Brown.

The Future

But the question remains... what is OUR PLACE in college football? And college basketball, for that matter? Detroit boasts some of the best young basketball player's in the country, so there is no reason that Central Michigan University cannot compete nationally in both sport's, perhaps we'd rather focus our resources on edcuational needs and perhaps our student body isn't ready for that type of national exposure? However, I think that our school is ready to take the next step and let me further explain how I WOULD LIKE that to play out over these next 10-15 years, through NCAA Division 1 sport's. Now, today, "The Power 5 Conference's," have begun basically monopolizing government resources in D1 sports, for their programs, which are mostly in the South... and the first piece of this equation is LOCATION, in my opinion. Central Michigan University is 2 hours North of Detroit, in Mount Pleasant, Michigan... 4 miles away from the biggest Casino in Michigan, Soaring Eagle Casino, which is also owned by the Chippewas Indian Tribe. That Casino then boasts revenues of over 300,000,000$ a year and the tribe itself get stipends of 15k dollars per person, every Christmas, on top of 1000,000$ a year from their tribe... so the resources are there. So where do we go?

And let me just say it... I'd like to see Central Michigan University break away from the rest of the Mid-American Conference and first go INDEPENDENT like Notre Dame has successfully done for the ;ast 100 year's in neighboring South Bend, Indiana. Central Michigan University football/basketball could easily schedule a base set of rivalry games vs the likes of; UofM, MSU, Western Michigan and Northern Illinois even as an independent school and likely could continue it's relationship with the Mountain West Conference and keep a game vs a West Coast school every year, as well. So that's 6 football games... that could be EASILY scheduled independently, without the rest of the Conference... and then those other 6 games could be THE TURNING POINT for the University moving forward. And I encourage my overlords to take that step. Whereby, I'm kind of tired of 1) feeling somehow "beneath" Michigan State, UofM and Ohio State and 2) not competing nationally. There is NO REASON that CMU can't compete nationally on the biggest stage. We have the resources, we have the manpower and we have the leadership... now it's just about the courage and the finances, in my opinion. Or maybe the tribe just wants to get obese and not do anything? I don't know. Furthermore, Oregon State, a handful of PAC 12 rejects and other Conference's have recently re-aligned, leaving other school's in a precarious position to do the same, notably Stanford, who's Alumni I compete with regularly. So if CMU could somehow bridge that gap... between our alumni and Notre Dame and Stanford, independently... then who knows? Right?

-William Larsen, Founder CiviliansNews.com