The Return of the MAC (Gems)

Hey everyone, welcome back to MAC Gems, the only column on the internet* that scours the web to bring you some certifiably cool MAC-themed gear available for purchase!

(* that we know of, anyway.)

It's been a looooong time since we've done something like this, so I think you folks won't mind if we take things slow. This edition is centered on reading for pleasure. So sit back, relax, and find something to drink as we show you some MAC-related wares.

(If you're interested in the listing, you can click the header, which is hyperlinked directly to the item on eBay.)

1996-97 MAC Men's Basketball Media Guide

The 1996-97 season in the Mid-American Conference was a barnburner.

Four teams finished with 10 wins or more in the conference campaign, with Miami and Bowling Green splitting the regular season title at 13-5 back in the days when the MAC had 10 members. Ohio and Eastern Michigan were also contenders, but the conference tournament caused chaos.

Ohio was upset by Western Michigan in the quarterfinals, then Eastern Michigan took down Bowling Green in the semifinals, setting up EMU and Miami in the championship game. Miami, the two-seed, won the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, losing to Clemson in the Round of 64.

Also of note, a bevy of future NBA talent were present amongst the rosters.

Bowling Green's Antonio Daniels won MAC Player of the Year honors before being picked as the #4 overall selection in the 1997 NBA Draft, surrounded by names such as Tim Duncan, Chauncey Billups and Tracy McGrady. Daniels would go on to play 13 seasons in the Association.

Ball State's Bonzi Wells would go on to declare in 1998, picked #11 overall by the Detroit Pistons, directly behind Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki. Wells played in the NBA for 10 seasons.

Eastern Michigan's Earl Boykins went undrafted in 1998, and started his pro career in the CBA before landing with the New Jersey Nets in 1999. Over the next 13 seasons, Boykins, then the shortest player in the NBA at five-foot-five, plied his wares for nine different franchises and also had a stop in Europe with Virtus Bologna.

Wally Szczerbiak was a key reserve for Miami in 1996, but by 1999, had won MAC Player of the Year and set multiple shooting records for the RedHawks, earning second-team All-American honors after leading a Sweet 16 run. He would go on to be the #6 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, spending his first seven seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He won first-team all-NBA rookie team honors in 1999, and would go on to a 10-year career before going into broadcasting, where he is a member of CBS' basketball coverage.

This book, filled with player and coach bios ahead of this awesome season, can be yours for $14.99 with free shipping.

1981 Glass City Classic Program

The concept of the multi-team tournament has faded away from recent memory due to a number of factors, but it was a thriving part of the college basketball experience in headier days.

This particular MTE is nigh on unthinkable today, with MAC rivals Bowling Green and Toledo essentially hosting Illinois of the Big Ten and the Ivy League's Yale Bulldogs at the old Centennial Hall for a post-Christmas event.

The Rockets rode home team advantage to an easy trophy, decimating Yale 90-68 in the first round before doing the same to Illinois in the title game, winning by a final score of 71-51. To their credit, Yale would claim third place with a narrow overtime victory against Bowling Green in the consolation game.

Unfortunately for Toledo, which had won three-straight regular season titles and three postseason appearances prior to this 1981-82 s;ate, it all fell apart towards the end of the campaign, and they finished eighth in the league standings at 15-11 (7-9 MAC) with their last game a loss to eventual MAC Tournament champion Northern Illinois.

BGSU, meanwhile, ascended to the top of the ladder in league play, finishing second in the MAC with an 18-11 (10-6 MAC) record after going 0-2 in the Glass City Classic.

The Falcons would also lose to NIU, the third-place team in the conference, in the MAC Tournament semifinals, extending their NCAA drought– which still stands to this day– to 14 years.

Once again, there is a modern connection to this piece of memorabilia. Last month, Toledo was one late-game shot away from winning the 2026 MAC Tournament against in-state peer Akron, which would have broken their nearly 50-year NCAA Tournament streak.

You can own this unique piece of history for a cool $19.99 with free shipping.

1967 MAC Football Media Booklet

The MAC was a hoppin' conference in the 1960's as it concerned football, with players such as Chuck Ealy and Phil Villapiano defining the MAC's hard-nosed, stick-to-it culture.

The late 1960's set the table for the conference's renaissance period in the 1970's, which saw increased competition alongside a series of expansions.

Unlike 1966, which saw Miami and Western Michigan split the championship at season's end, the Toledo Rockets ran away with the conference in 1967, finishing 9-1 overall and making a clean sweep of the postseason awards, with the Offensive Player of the Year (quarterback John Schneiber), Defensive Player of the Year (DL/LB Tom Beutler) and Coach of the Year (Frank Lauterbur).

Lauterbur, along with Ealy and Villapiano, would be enshrined in the MAC Hall of Fame by the end of their careers.

The intriguing part of this particular media guide are the articles involving off-field developments. For instance, the book includes a page on the MAC's emergent television deal with the NCAA which was set to start in the 1967 campaign. In those days, the conferences had to lobby with the league for inclusion on regional or national television channels, and Commissioner Robert C. James had successfully argued for two MAC games to get regional coverage.

This was an immense effort for a conference with the size and profile of the MAC, and would certainly deserve a mention in what is effectively their introduction to most regional and national media.

Also included are individual bios for All-Americans from the prior season and even a spread for former MAC stars and "where they are now", a fascinating addition even in the 60s. The career paths vary, from high school teachers and car dealers to university department heads and professional athletes.

If you wanted to be the know-it-all MAC fan in your neighborhood in 1967, you could send a dollar to the MAC offices (the equivalent of $9.81 in today's money) and get a copy in the mail.

In 2026, you can pay $24.99 in addition to $9.68 in shipping costs for the privilege– though you could probably send a decent counteroffer their way.

Mid-American Conference 40th Anniversary Commemorative Ice Bucket and Glass Set

Remember how we asked you to get a drink before we started? Well, this is why.

This absolutely beautiful ice bucket with four commemorative glasses is fairly peak 1980's decadence, especially with the felt bucket cover and see-through lid. The original box itself is pretty worn out, and has a Sharpied item description on one of the sides, but the rest of the set is in-tact and appears to have been kept well over the years, showing little sign of wear despite being nearly 50 years old.

About the only visible signs of damage can be seen on the reflective band, which has some age spots around it.

The bucket stands at eight inches tall (13 inches if handle is engaged), with each glass sitting at around four inches– perfect for a neat whiskey, or a Shirley Temple if you're so inclined.

Impress your friends in your MAC cave or the tailgate this fall for the price of $739.99 (after shipping)– though maybe you can negotiate due to the niche nature of this particular market.

If you have your own suggestions for themes or gems to be featured, or want to show off your cool MAC swag, let us know on Twitter @ByTheBelt, Bluesky (bythebelt.bsky.social) or using the tag #MACGems! We are working on getting an email set-up for this as well.