Central, Eastern & Western Deal with MAC Dropping Postseason Tourneys

The Mid-American Conference is eliminating postseason tournaments in eight sports, including baseball and softball, and men's and women's basketball are among nine sports that will have postseasons scaled back.

The MAC's announced the cost-cutting move Tuesday in response to the financial crisis being brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Postseason tournaments will also be discontinued in field hockey, women's lacrosse, men's and women's tennis and men's and women's soccer. Champions in the 12-team conference will be determined by regular-season results in sports without postseason tournaments.

Men's and women's basketball tournaments will only include the top eight teams in the final regular-season standings. Regular-season basketball schedules will increase to 20 conference games and opening round, on-campus tournament games will be eliminated.

Volleyball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field and men's and women's golf will also have postseasons with fewer participants.

The postseason changes cover the next four seasons and will be "evaluated as the economic situation stabilizes and improves," the conference said in a statement.