2008–09 Mid-American Conference season

The 2008–09 Mid-American Conference season is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference. The Mid-American Conference (MAC) sponsors 23 sports (11 men's and 12 women's). The MAC is made up of 12 full-time members and five affiliate members.

The 2008–09 season is the 63rd season in existence.

Member schools
There are twelve schools with full membership:

Five schools have affiliate membership status:

Reese and Jacoby trophies
The Reese and Jacoby trophies are awarded to the top men's and women's athletic departments in the Mid-American Conference.

Points are awarded based on each school's finish, with the overall total divided by the number of sports sponsored by each school. An institution may count either indoor track and field or outdoor track and field but not both.

Reese standings
'' * Affiliate status only. Does not qualify for trophy.''

Jacoby standings
'' * Affiliate status only. Does not qualify for trophy.''

Players of the week
The following are the MAC men's basketball players of the week. Number of awards won this season are in parentheses.

Standings
Through March 8, 2009

West
 * Receives E3 seed based on 2–0 head-to-head record vs. Miami.

Cross country (men's)
Eastern Michigan won its fourth consecutive MAC Championship in 2008. The All-MAC team consisted of Ryan Bloom (Buffalo), Josh Karanja (Eastern Michigan), Sammy Kiprotch (Central Michigan), Aiman Scullion (Kent State), Kevin Silver (Miami), Pat Sovacool (Miami) and Curtis Vollmar (Eastern Michigan).

Sovacool of Miami was the only runner to qualify for the NCAA Championship. He finished 65th overall.

In the preseason poll voted by the MAC head coaches, Eastern Michigan was chosen to win the 2008 men's MAC Cross Country Championship. EMU had won the past three MAC Championships and had five All-MAC runners returning.

MAC Championship results

 * 1) Eastern Michigan, 42 points
 * 2) Miami, 56
 * 3) Kent State, 61
 * 4) Central Michigan, 103
 * 5) Ohio, 122
 * 6) Buffalo, 169
 * 7) Akron, 179
 * 8) Toledo, 186
 * 9) Bowling Green, 270

MAC Championship results

 * 1) Miami, 39 points
 * 2) Akron, 81
 * 3) Ohio, 107
 * 4) Central Michigan, 141
 * 5) Bowling Green, 147
 * 6) Toledo, 165
 * 7) Buffalo, 177
 * 8) Kent State, 184
 * 9) Western Michigan, 218
 * 10) Eastern Michigan, 238
 * 11) Ball State, 251
 * 12) NIU, 355

Football
Ball State started the 2008 football season 12–0, going undefeated in conference play and defeating Indiana and Navy in out of conference games. BSU was ranked as high as 12th in the Associated Press Poll and 13th in the Coaches' Poll. They were also ranked 12th at one point in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) rankings. However, Ball State was upset by Buffalo in the MAC Championship game, lost their bowl game vs. Tulsa and finished unranked in each of the polls.

In regular season non-conference games, the MAC defeated BCS opponents #25 Pittsburgh (Bowling Green won 27–17), Syracuse (Akron won 42–28), Indiana (Ball State won 42–20 and Central Michigan won 37–34), Illinois (Western Michigan won 23–17) and Michigan (Toledo won 13–10).

Despite having a successful non-conference record and gaining five bowl bids, the MAC finished the bowl season poorly. The MAC was the only conference to not win a bowl game and finished 0–5.

MAC Championship

 * 1. Kent State (1217)
 * 2. Eastern Michigan (1256)
 * 3. Akron (1297)
 * 3. Western Michigan (1297)
 * 5. Toledo (1305)
 * 6. Ball State (1313)
 * 7. Ohio (1318)
 * 8. NIU (1366)
 * 9. Bowling Green (1401)

MAC Championship results

 * 1) Eastern Michigan, 1046.5 points
 * 2) Buffalo, 639.5
 * 3) Miami, 588
 * 4) Ball State, 267

MAC Championship results

 * 1) Miami, 639½ points
 * 2) Ohio, 611½
 * 3) Toledo, 568½
 * 4) Eastern Michigan, 497½
 * 5) Akron, 347
 * 6) Buffalo, 335
 * 7) Bowling Green, 305½
 * 8) Ball State, 200½

Indoor MAC Championships

 * 1) Kent State, 159 points
 * 2) Eastern Michigan, 132
 * 3) Akron, 109
 * 4) Central Michigan, 64
 * 5) Buffalo, 61

Indoor MAC Championships

 * 1. Akron, 126 points
 * 2. Kent State, 101
 * 3. Miami, 73
 * 3. Ball State, 73
 * 5. Western Michigan, 62
 * 6. Buffalo, 52
 * 7. Central Michigan, 44½
 * 8. Ohio, 42½
 * 9. Eastern Michigan, 42
 * 10. Toledo, 35
 * 11. Bowling Green, 11
 * 12. NIU, 1