MAC's Jon Steinbrecher talks legislation, playoffs at media day

DETROIT — The Mid-American Conference is not your father's Mid-American Conference.

>Sure, the MAC remains Midwest heavy. Universities in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana will probably still form a good chunk of it in the years to come.

>For the first time, though, the MAC is a coast-to-coast conference. Massachusetts came aboard last year and made headlines during the men's basketball conference tournament when the Minutemen handed Miami its first loss. During the MAC football media day at Ford Field on July 22, commissioner Jon Steinbrecher welcomed Sacramento State as a football-only member.

>The MAC's minimal changes pale in comparison to how different the landscape of college athletics is now. Power conferences have grown and continue to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Name, image and likeness opportunities have been a financial whirlwind for athletes. The transfer portal has made it easier for athletes to cash in or bigger NIL opportunities.

>Steinbrecher is hopeful the proposed Protect College Sports Act passed by the Senate Commerce Committee and awaiting a full floor vote will bring stability to a landscape many feel is out of control.

>"This represents the most significant congressional effort to date to establish a national framework for athletics, one that addresses NIL student-athlete rights, governance and legal consistency," Steinbrecher said. " ... As I've said before, it is difficult to conduct national championships without national rules.

>"The objective is not to eliminate differences among institutions and conferences. The objective is to establish a consistent framework where competition, education and opportunity can thrive. This legislation would provide conferences and the NCAA for the ability to establish and enforce educationally-sound eligibility rules and sound transfer rules while continuing to administer national championships."

>The current health of college athletics and the NCAA's ability to govern became a major talking point during this week's SEC football media days. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey did now downplay talk of his conference breaking away from the NCAA, creating its own rules and hosting its own playoff.

>"We understand the conversations they're having and we'll leave it to them," Steinbrecher said. "We'll continue to work collectively with our partners to make the entity we have better, stronger and more efficient. We'll see where that goes."

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>Steinbrecher said the College Football Playoff management committee will continue to discuss the playoff format in the coming months. A 12-team playoff will be held again this year. Any decision to expand the field beyond 12 teams in 2027 must be made by Dec. 1.

>"I, and more importantly our membership, have not formalized a stance on bracket expansion at this point," Steinbrecher said. "As with most things, the devil is within the details. How will teams be selected? How will teams be bracketed? Will the bracket expansion affect the regular season or our ability to hold a conference championship game? What are the financial implications? We do not have answers to those questions yet."

>Can a MAC team crack the playoff field, especially if the format is expanded? Steinbrecher said the conference is "smack in the middle of every conversation" when it comes to the playoffs.

>"It's in part why we had members of the CFP staff here today and with our athletic directors this morning," Steinbrecher said. "It's an ongoing conversation.

>"I think it will be very interesting to watch as we continue to discuss the future format. How do we balance access? How do we balance what's right for the regular season?

>"I think we all have expectations. We want to have a team play in that event."

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>This article originally appeared on The Repository: MAC's Jon Steinbrecher talks legislation, playoffs at media day