MAC Appeals NCAA Over Michigan-Western Michigan Game Ending

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) has formally appealed to the NCAA and the College Football Playoff (CFP) to recognize Western Michigan University as the victor in its recent controversial loss to Michigan. The game concluded on Saturday, September 5, 2026, with Michigan winning 13-12 on a last-second Hail Mary touchdown pass after a replay review added one second back to the clock. The MAC contends that the replay officials failed to adhere to established protocols during the critical end-of-game sequence. According to MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher, the Big Ten Conference replay crew utilized a clock embedded within its replay system rather than the official game clock displayed on the program feed. The conference asserts that if the correct protocol had been followed, no additional time would have been awarded, and Western Michigan would have secured the victory. "This was not a judgment regarding the proper amount of time to place on the clock," Steinbrecher stated in a release. "It was an error in the application of the established replay protocol governing this specific end-of-game timing situation.