2026 MAC Tournament

[HoopsFan03]

2 hours ago, LZIp said:

Yup. UMASS feels like the most dangerous team outside of Akron or Miami 

Looking at the schedule. UMass might not make it to Cleveland. 

[Zippy87]

As things currently stand, UMass is on the outside looking in. Buffalo also slipped up today at home against CMU.

 

Bracket is updated as of 4 PM. 

[Reslife4Life]

Wow this current bracket is unbelievable 😂

[Reslife4Life]

Don’t want to take anything away from CMU, but if we could play them in the first round and Miami has to battle Buffalo for a third time and Umass not in it at all. Thats a great scenario, but with us playing CMU on Tuesday I don’t think this will stay

[kreed5120]

6 minutes ago, Reslife4Life said:

Don’t want to take anything away from CMU, but if we could play them in the first round and Miami has to battle Buffalo for a third time and Umass not in it at all. Thats a great scenario, but with us playing CMU on Tuesday I don’t think this will stay

 

If Buffalo (who might be without Frietag) and UMass (play OU) lose CMU losing to us shouldn't matter.

[Reslife4Life]

Also I wouldn’t be surprised if ball state somehow sneaks into the tournament. They play @niu, @wmu, and vs CMU who has won one road game all year

[Zippy87]

If UMass, CMU, and Buffalo all finished tied, they would get the 7, 8, and 9 seeds, respectively. 

 

UMass at Ohio on Tuesday will have an impact on who we end up playing in the 1st round. 

Edited Saturday at 09:15 PM by Zippy87

[Zips1991]

4 minutes ago, Zippy87 said:

If UMass, CMU, and Buffalo all finished tied, they would get the 7, 8, and 9 seeds, respectively. 

 

UMass at Ohio on Tuesday will have an impact on who we end up playing in the 1st round. 

I was curious of how the order would go if there's a three way tie but didn't bother to figure out the three-way tiebreaker. Thanks for posting.

There's a very real chance they all finish 7-11, so according to the above post, we'd play UMass which I don't love. They appear to stink but they also seem to lose a lot of close games so maybe they're just unlucky?

Edited Saturday at 09:20 PM by Zips1991

[kreed5120]

For me it's not that I'd be concerned with losing to UMass (although anything is possible in single elimination tournaments). It's more that having to win 3 games in 3 days requires being able to recover quickly. The bumps and bruises we take on Thursday can have an impact on Friday or Saturday. 

[NWAkron]

https://bball.notnothing.net/mac.php?sport=mbb

 

MAC tournament simulator.  I think it all hangs on the Ohio/UMass game.  If UMass wins, I think they are in as at least an 8.  If they lose, they need Central and Buffalo to lose both games.

Edited Saturday at 11:45 PM by NWAkron

[Let'sGoZips94]

We need to root for Ohio on Tuesday. Very real scenario where Miami OH's side of the bracket becomes Buffalo in the quarters and either Toledo or Ohio in semis. Akron would play CMU in the quarters and either Kent or BG in the semis. 

 

A Miami OH vs Ohio and Akron vs Kent semifinal would be the best case scenario for the MAC. 

[Zips1991]

21 hours ago, Let'sGoZips94 said:

We need to root for Ohio on Tuesday. Very real scenario where Miami OH's side of the bracket becomes Buffalo in the quarters and either Toledo or Ohio in semis. Akron would play CMU in the quarters and either Kent or BG in the semis. 

 

A Miami OH vs Ohio and Akron vs Kent semifinal would be the best case scenario for the MAC. 

The place will be packed if those are the four teams in the semis!

[MDZip]

Article from CBS Sports on the NCAA tournament. 68 things to know about the conference tournaments and big dance.

 

49. Akron (24-5): John Groce has Akron zipping along. Akron owns a deep backcourt that can really get it going from 3-point range, and it has switchable forwards like brothers Eric and Evan Mahaffey, who can help snuff out advantages. Akron versus Miami University in the MAC Tournament title game would be insanely interesting.

[csims0917]

Akron vs Miami in the final would be the most anticipated MAC game in a few years 

[zippy5]

26 minutes ago, csims0917 said:

Akron vs Miami in the final would be the most anticipated MAC game in a few years 

Potential for a very well attended MAC tournament this year I think

[egregiousbob]

Ohio probably won't travel well. Many Ohio fans simply don't like this team and coaching staff..

 

 

[zippy5]

24 minutes ago, egregiousbob said:

Ohio probably won't travel well. Many Ohio fans simply don't like this team and coaching staff..

 

 

The general public will be out to see Miami imo

[kreed5120]

2 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

The general public will be out to see Miami imo

 

Not to mention I would expect a good number of Miami fans who rarely or never make the trip to show up. It should be a decent day or two for downtown Cleveland hotels.

[zippy5]

3 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

 

Not to mention I would expect a good number of Miami fans who rarely or never make the trip to show up. It should be a decent day or two for downtown Cleveland hotels.

I expect them to have at least 50% of the fans at the final if it's us two. They've been pulling 10K each home game and I am sure they'll show up to Cleveland. Of course it would be an easier path if they lose before Saturday, that would be a very fun day as a fan if it's Akron vs Miami

[NWAkron]

Call me crazy but i'm not actually looking to be entertained at the MAC Tournament.  It's survive and move on.  An Akron/BG final (for example) would be much more fun.

[kreed5120]

6 minutes ago, NWAkron said:

Call me crazy but i'm not actually looking to be entertained at the MAC Tournament.  It's survive and move on.  An Akron/BG final (for example) would be much more fun.

 

I mean if we leave Cleveland with a win over Miami, Ohio, Toledo, or whoever that's entertaining, at least to me. Regardless if it's by 1 point or 20.

Edited 1 hour ago by kreed5120

[zippy5]

We're winning either way in my hypothetical

[Let'sGoZips94]

2 hours ago, egregiousbob said:

Ohio probably won't travel well. Many Ohio fans simply don't like this team and coaching staff..

 

 

 

They don't have to travel well. Their high attendance in previous MAC tournaments isn't because Athens County is heading north; a large chunk of their alumni base lives in NEO or at least much closer than NW West Virginia. 

 

1 hour ago, NWAkron said:

Call me crazy but i'm not actually looking to be entertained at the MAC Tournament.  It's survive and move on.  An Akron/BG final (for example) would be much more fun.

 

Path of least resistance is my preference. That being said, Akron vs. Miami OH at 8pm on ESPN2 would garner a lot of national headlines. 

 

8 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

We're winning either way in my hypothetical

 

Amen.