As expected, the University of Massachusetts football program will be in the East Division of the newly redivided Mid-American Conference.

The Minutemen will play annual games against fellow East teams Akron, Buffalo, Kent State, Miami (Ohio), Ohio University and Temple.

They'll play two games against MAC West teams on a rotating basis. The West includes Ball State, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo and Western Michigan.

Bowling Green was previously in the MAC East but moves to accommodate UMass geographically.

"Ever since our announcement of the addition of UMass in football last spring, divisional alignment has been a topic of conversation among our presidents and directors of athletics," MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in a statement released by the conference.

"We considered a number of different paradigms and ultimately we focused on the core principles of geography, travel and rivalries. We now have a true rotational cycle for football and a scheduling model that will extend for future years."

The MAC will announce the 2012 regular season football schedule in March.

UMASS HALL OF FAME - UMass career rushing leader Marcel Shipp will highlight the 2012 induction class to the UMass Athletic Hall of Fame. He'll be joined by Pam Bustin (field hockey 1985-88), Bob Hansen (baseball 1967-69), Bob "Squeaky" Horn (cross country/track & field 1953-56), Greg Menton (men's swimming & water polo 1994-96), and Brian Sullivan (hockey 1969-72).

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at http://www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.