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2023 Mid-American Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Basics

Dates

• Thursday, March 9 (quarterfinals)
• Friday, March 10 (semifinals)
• Saturday, March 11 (championship)

Format

Traditional bracket

Site

The Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in downtown Cleveland will host the MAC’s top eight yet again, an arrangement that started in 2020 and is set to continue for the foreseeable future.

Participants

For the third straight edition, the MAC disposed of the on-campus first round, which limits the field to just the top eight. Curiously, that means all three Michigan schools (Eastern Michigan (8-23, 5-13, t9th), Central Michigan (10-21, 5-13, t9th), Western Michigan (8-23, 4-14, 12th)) are absent in 2023 along with Bowling Green (11-20, 5-13, t9th).

Downloadable Bracket

Schedule

All times are p.m. Eastern unless noted. Games marked with an asterisk (*) are the second of a doubleheader, so the tip time is approximate.

Quarterfinals (Thurs., March 9)

Game 1: (8) Miami (Ohio) (12-20, 6-12) 75, (1) Toledo 91
Game 2: (5) Ohio 90, (4) Ball State (20-12, 11-7) 70
Game 3: (7) Northern Illinois (13-19, 9-9) 57, (2) Kent State 76
Game 4: (6) Buffalo (15-17, 9-9) 77, (3) Akron 101

Semifinals (Fri., March 10)

Game 5: (5) Ohio (19-14, 10-8) 75, (1) Toledo 82
Game 6: (3) Akron (22-11, 13-5) 73, (2) Kent State 79

Championship (Sat., March 11)

Game 7: (2) KENT STATE (28-6, 15-3) 93, (1) Toledo (27-7, 16-2) 76

Mayhem Potential

Data originally posted by Bob Vetrone Jr. on Twitter in 2020 with my own additions for the seasons beyond.

Since 2011, one of the MAC’s top two seeds has won the automatic bid just five times. After Buffalo won the tournament as the No. 1 seed in 2018 and 2019, Ohio claimed the title as a 5 when the event resumed in 2021 and Akron won as a 4 last season. Note that the 2010 event was the last won by a team that wouldn’t qualify for today’s eight-team field—and that was a ninth-seeded Bobcat team that ended up stunning Georgetown in a 14-over-3 upset.

• 1 seed (4): 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019
• 3 seed (2): 2012, 2016
• 6 seed (2): 2011, 2017
• 2 seed (1): 2015
• 4 seed (1): 2022
• 5 seed (1): 2021

NCAA Seeding Record Since 2011

Years with an NCAA win are in bold.

• 12 seed (2): 2013, 2015
• 13 seed (4); 2012, 2018, 2021, 2022
• 14 seed (3): 2014, 2016, 2017
• 6 seed (1): 2019
• 15 seed (1): 2011

Akron’s 57-53 loss to UCLA ended a streak that saw the MAC’s three previous 13 seeds win a game in the tournament, with 2012 Ohio reaching the Sweet 16. Curiously, it’s the Bobcats and Buffalo Bulls who are responsible for all of the victories bolded above.

Toledo and Kent State could end up as 12’s in the final bracket, though a 13 is more likely. Akron and Ball State are in the 13-14 range. Of the bottom four seeds, only Ohio has a winning record at the moment, with Buffalo at 15-16, so there’s a chance a surprise winner will end up in Dayton.

Last NCAA Tournament Appearances

Akron: 2022 (13 seed, 1st Round)
Ohio: 2021 (13 seed, 2nd Round)
Buffalo: 2019 (6 seed, 2nd Round)
Kent State: 2017 (14 seed, 1st Round)
Western Michigan: 2014 (14 seed, Round of 64)
Miami: 2007 (14 seed, 1st Round)
Central Michigan: 2003 (11 seed, 2nd Round)
Ball State: 2000 (11 seed, 1st Round)
Eastern Michigan: 1998 (13 seed, 1st Round)
Northern Illinois: 1996 (14 seed, 1st Round, MCC (Horizon) member)
Toledo: 1980 (9 seed, 1st Round)
Bowling Green: 1968 (unseeded, 1st Round)

While every MAC member has participated in March Madness at least once, NIU has yet to do so as a conference member, while Toledo’s last appearance came in a 48-team field and Bowling Green last participated in the unseeded era.