Northern Illinois Becomes Record Fourth MAC Team To Enter Top 25

It took until the final week of the regular season, but NIU at 10-1 clocks into the AP poll for the first time this year at No. 24. Kent State slides up a couple spots to No. 23. If you've been keeping score, that's now four MAC teams that have made the AP Poll in 2012, and that's a new MAC record.

Sure, in 2003 BGSU, NIU and Miami all made the poll in the same week, and this is the first week more than one team graced the rankings, but this is a new benchmark that defines the parity of the most excellent teams.

MAC teams in Top 25 poll by year:

2012: Ohio, Toledo, Kent State, Northern Illinois
2010: Northern Illinois
2009: Central Michigan
2008: Ball State
2004: Bowling Green
2003: Northern Illinois, Bowling Green, Miami
2002: Marshall, Bowling Green
2001: Toledo, Marshall
2000: Toledo
1999: Marshall
1997: Toledo
1995: Toledo
1985: Bowling Green
1976: Miami
1975: Miami
1974: Miami
1973: Miami, Bowling Green, Kent State
1971: Toledo
1970: Toledo
1969: Toledo
1968: Ohio
1955: Miami
1951: Cincinnati