| Game Name: | MAC Championship Game |
| Title Sponsor: | Rocket Mortgage |
| Subheader: | Conference Championship |
| Date Game Played: | December 18 |
| Year Game Played: | 2020 |
| Football Season: | 2020 |
| City: | Detroit, Michigan |
| Home School: | University of Buffalo |
| Home Name Short: | Buffalo |
| Home Nickname: | Bulls |
| Home Record: | 5–0 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 23 |
| Home Rank Coaches: | NR |
| Home Rank Cfp: | NR |
| Home Coach: | Lance Leipold |
| Home 1Q: | 14 |
| Home 2Q: | 7 |
| Home 3Q: | 7 |
| Home 4Q: | 0 |
| Visitor School: | Ball State University |
| Visitor Name Short: | Ball State |
| Visitor Nickname: | Cardinals |
| Visitor Record: | 5–1 |
| Visitor Coach: | Mike Neu |
| Visitor 1Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 28 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 3 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Mvp: | Offense: Drew Plitt (QB, Ball State) Defense: Jimmy Daw (LB, Ball State) |
| Odds: | Buffalo by 13 |
| Referee: | Tom Stapleton |
| Us Network: | ESPN |
| Us Announcers: | Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst) and Katie George (sideline) |
The 2020 MAC Championship Game was a college football game played on Friday, December 18, 2020, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, to determine the 2020 champion of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).[1] The game was contested by the Buffalo Bulls, East Division champions, and the Ball State Cardinals, West Division champions. Sponsored by mortgage lending company Quicken Loans through their Rocket Mortgage brand, the game was officially known as the Rocket Mortgage MAC Championship Game. Ball State defeated Buffalo, 38–28 to claim their first MAC championship since 1996.[2]
See main article: 2020 Ball State Cardinals football team. Ball State entered the championship game as West Division champions, having compiled a 5–1 record, all in conference games. After losing their first game of the season to Miami (OH), the Cardinals won five consecutive games leading up to the conference championship game. Ball State's only prior appearance in the MAC Championship Game had been a loss to Buffalo in the 2008 edition.
See main article: 2020 Buffalo Bulls football team. Buffalo entered the championship game as East Division champions, having compiled a 5–0 record, all in conference games. The Bulls scored at least 42 points in each of their five games, winning each game by at least 19 points. Buffalo's two prior appearances in the MAC Championship Game had been a win over Ball State in 2008 and a loss to Northern Illinois in the 2018 edition.