KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO) – With the addition of UMass to the Mid-American Conference for the 2012 season, the MAC announced today the realignment of their division. UMass will be joining the East division, while Bowling Green will be headed to the West, joining Western Michigan.

The new division will now look like this:

 MAC East:  Akron; Buffalo; Kent State; UMass; Miami; Ohio and Temple.

MAC West:  Ball State; Bowling Green; Central Michigan; Eastern Michigan; Northern Illinois; Toledo and Western Michigan.

This is the first time since the addition of Temple in 2006 that the MAC has realigned its divisions.

The Broncos also announced today their MAC opponents for the 2012 season. Western will face Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois and Temple at Waldo Stadium. WMU will travel to Bowling Green, CMU, Ball State and Kent State.  Temple and Kent State are the lone cross over games on the schedule.

Along with these games, Western Michigan boasts a non-conference schedule of Connecticut and Eastern Illinois at home, while Illinois and Minnesota will be road contests in 2012.

WMU will open its season on September 1, 2012 at Illinois and will opening their home schedule against Eastern Illinois the following weekend

UMass will begin conference play for the 2012 football season and will be eligible for the conference football championship game and a bowl game beginning in the 2013 football season.

The conference office will announce the 2012 regular season football schedule by the first week of March.