14 People and a Raccoon in Sunny California – Wednesday 4 PM Afternoon #MACtion in Sacramento is NOT For The Faint of Heart
I wasn't so sure about Sacramento State joining the MAC. Actually, that's not true. I was 100% sure I hated it. College football is long past the point of geography meaning a damn thing, but the MAC was one of the last geographically ethical conferences standing. UMass rejoining had kind of messed it up again, but aside from Amherst, Massachusetts, which relative to other conferences still isn't THAT far out of the way, the MAC was comprised of 6 teams from Ohio (Ohio, Toledo, Miami, Kent State, Bowling Green, Akron), 3 from Michigan (Western Michigan, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan), 1 in Indiana (Ball State), and 1 in New York (Buffalo).
Sadly, this offseason, the MAC finally caved and did something absurd. After losing Northern Illinois to the Mountain West (how's that going by the way, NIU?), they added Sacramento State. To the MAC's credit, they didn't roll out the red carpet for them. Sacramento State had to PAY for it. In addition to the $18M MAC entry fee, Sac State is forgoing all annual conference TV/revenue sharing through 2030. They're also covering the flight tickets for all visiting MAC opponents.
Sacramento State being in the MAC is fucking stupid, but that's college football in 2026. And I would be lying if I said there aren't a couple things about Sacramento State's presence in the MAC that I might be starting to appreciate. A couple of things that I've now seen play out, and find to be extremely #MACtion of them.
For starters, the addition of Sacramento State gives us the annual (or near-annual) Ball Sac Bowl.
Ha. Ball Sac. Hilarious.
Secondly, at least once per year, a MAC school from the Eastern Time Zone will be forced to play a mid-week afternoon game in California. I didn't like it at first. November mid-week MACtion isn't meant to be played in fair weather. As that one YouTube commenter who will go down in MAC history told us, MAC football is meant to be played in a blizzard in front of 14 people and a raccoon.
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But do you know what else screams #MACtion in its own right? The Toledo Rockets being forced to travel 2,000 miles west for a 4 PM Wednesday kickoff in Sacramento… in front of 14 people and a raccoon.
That is no small undertaking. Not every geographically appropriate MAC team, even the good ones like Toledo (7-2), will make it out alive. Hornet Stadium at 4 PM on a Wednesday is like the sleepy Saturday afternoon Northwestern game on steroids estrogen.
I thought the nice weather wouldn't be nearly off-putting enough for midweek November football, but seeing the sun shining in 70-degree weather is such a shock to the system for what Wednesday night MACtion is supposed to be, I can't help but laugh. First and foremost, that's what midweek MACtion is all about – having a laugh.
It's a unique challenge. Just ask the Toledo Rockets. They went into Sacramento State yesterday with a 6-2 record. Meanwhile, Sac State was 2-7, with their only wins coming against Mississippi Valley and Kent State. But the Hornets, who were 25-point underdogs, gave the Rockets all they could handle.
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In the end, Toledo held on for a 20-17 win, but their beautiful afternoon in Sacramento was no walk in the park. That afternoon Sacramento game is going to ruin seasons. Teams will roll in there as 20-point favorites, thinking they'll walk all over them, and before they can wake up, the game is already over. Hornets win. Season over.
At minimum, the addition of Sacramento State to the MAC is an interesting wrinkle. The Mid-American Conference will keep you on your toes. Or lull you to sleep in sunny California at 4 PM on a Wednesday.
P.S. While I'm talking MACtion, I'd be remiss not to mention last night's UMass-Ball State game. The Ball Mass Bowl, as many are calling it, was the game of the night. Shoutout UMass. They're now 5-4 and only 2 wins away from bowl eligibility for the first time as an FBS program. Of course, UMass will need 7 wins to make a bowl this year. Because 2 of their wins are over FCS teams. Go crazy, Amherst.