(6-21-21) Over the past several years we have been aware that the Commissioner of the Midwest Athletic Conference has not been a big fan of the Stateline Sports Network.

The dislike for SSN took place when we posted a story several years ago on attendance figures for the OHSAA State Boys basketball tournament. The numbers were continuing to fall, the story contained several of the MAC Commissioner’s ‘strongly worded‘ tweets he had posted on the situation…that the main cause for decreasing attendance wasto many private schools were competing in the State finals and their lack of fans who follow them.

SSN also in the past had posted that Lehman Catholic (direct from a Lehman Catholic official, ‘didn’t want another private school’) was not admitted to the MAC at the same time Versailles was added…even though the MAC would have an uneven number of football schools…even when that would cause scheduling issues.

From the MAC web site on the history of the MAC –

Before the start of the 1999 fall season, league officials entertained adding Versailles, Sidney Lehman, and Lima Central Catholic to the league. Following a vote, Versailles was the only school accepted, and they began competition in the fall of 2001.

Over recent years the Commissioner has decided not to share MAC All-Conference teams releases or answer any questions we might have…so we quit trying. Other sources would provide us with the those details when requested. We have had all of our Twitter sites we use blocked by the MAC twitter and the past Commissioner twitter accounts. Several (not all) athletic directors have also decided not to share information when requested.

The disappointing part of this is that public schools would act this way, but that is the choice they have made. The losers are the student-athletes who sometimes don’t get honors and recognition. This posting may well see others decline to co-operate with us.

Not the 1st time the MAC has done this to a media source – Local Media Source ‘Locked Out’ Of Midwest Athletic Conference Games.

SSN also covers high school sports in other parts of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and Illinois and have not faced any issues that has taken place with the MAC over the years.

SSN’s recent posting of the MAC approved ticket changes for the upcoming school year came from the minutes of Board of Education meetings not conference, with responses to our requests from several member schools on the approved plan. It has been a difficult time during the pandemic for high school athletic departments, but this issue should have been handled by MAC officials by giving details of why and the considerations of doing this. Were Superintendents and principals included in the MAC talks…don’t know

Local sports fans and family members are the ones who ‘will pay‘ for this in the end. Let’s hope some details on this will be shared by the MAC and the Commissioner.

Note: We are unable to share this on Twitter with MAC officials due to being blocked

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