Sports

MAC Commissioner Says Replay Error Cost Western Michigan Win Over Michigan

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

Mid-American Conference Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher issued a statement saying that further review has confirmed replay protocol was not correctly followed in determining whether time remained on the clock at the end of the Western Michigan-Michigan football game. According to Steinbrecher, established procedure requires officials to use the game clock shown on the program feed when making such determinations. However, the Big Ten Conference replay crew instead used the clock feed built into its own replay system. This led to one second being restored to the game clock and an extra play being granted. Steinbrecher clarified that the issue was not a judgment call about how much time should have remained, but a procedural error in applying the correct replay protocol for that end-of-game scenario. He stated that if the program-feed clock had been used as required, no additional play would have occurred, and Western Michigan would have won the game 12-7. In response, the Mid-American Conference has filed formal appeals with both the NCAA FBS Oversight Committee and the College Football Playoff. The conference is asking these organizations to recognize Western Michigan as the game's rightful winner for purposes of rankings, evaluations, and playoff selection considerations, and to take any other corrective measures within their authority.