MAC Basketball--Winning on the Road Remains Difficult

During the season, it becomes almost a cliche---it is hard to win on the road in the MAC. And it is (which I am about to demonstrate). I have always wondered why...is it shooting? Is it fouls? Does the home team get a boost or does the road team find it harder? Is it simple familiarity with surroundings? Is it the travel? Is there some je ne sais quoi which defies definition?

The Wall Street Journal waded into this argument earlier this year, referring to winning on the road in college basketball as the hardest thing in sports. In general, the road team wins 34% of the time.

Even when you throw out the early season mismatches hosted by the major schools, the winning percentage is 38%.

The article poses an interesting theory, which is that the crazy, play-any-night TV schedule has prevented road teams from getting into any kind of routine. That's fine for the big schools, but it doesn't make any sense for the MAC. Our league has a pretty stable schedule, relatively few crazy four-letter accommodations, and it is hard to win in the MAC, too.

I may do some research on this, if I can figure out how. I mean, let's say road teams get more fouls--a real possibility. You still wouldn't know if it was refereeing, or if being on the road makes team commit more fouls.

Counting conference games only, MAC home teams won 65 out of 96 games. That's 67.3%, or 32.7% for the road team, which is slightly worse in line with what you see for the national figures.

There's even more. The high differential between the East and the West was noted throughout the year. But in this area, we don't see it so much. In fact, 11 of the 12 teams in the MAC, varying in skill from the sublime to the sucky, had winning records at home. Toledo had a winning record at home. Only EMU had a losing record on their home floor. (Kent was the best home team at 7-1).

Conversely, (and obviously), we find the opposite on the road side. Only Bowling Green and Buffalo had winning road records. (Akron and Miami were an even .500). Meanwhile UT and NIU threw complete goose eggs, and Ball State and OU won only once on the road.

So, I guess I don't know why, but it appears to transcend leagues and teams. If it is as hard to win on the road in the MAC as it is in the SEC, then I start to think it must be something in the DNA of a basketball player, coach and/or referee.