One school no longer rows the boat, but MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher isn't extending an oar to all his member schools.

Just a pirate flag.

An annual thorn in the side of many Power Five football opponents, Mid-American Conference are being encouraged to #FlyTheFlag each time this fall after forcing a "superior" opponent to walk the plank.

"The Mid-American Conference and its membership are the pirates of the CFP and the FBS," Steinbrecher told reporters. "Our ships or our stadiums are not always the largest or the shiniest but we are manned by highly-motivated crews. Players and coaches who carry a chip on their shoulder who demonstrate an anytime or anywhere attitude and if respect is not freely given we will earn it, we will take it."

G'yaaaarrrrrrr.

“I have provided a MAC Jolly Roger flag to each institution have asked they after each victory, home or away, that the flag be run up the flag pole and remain there until the next game.” - Commissioner Steinbrecher #FlyTheFlag #MACtion pic.twitter.com/J7gvvk8OCy — #MACtion (@MACSports) July 24, 2018

Northern Illinois beat Nebraska, Eastern Michigan beat Rutgers and both Central Michigan and Ohio beat Kansas. in 2017. The Bobcats were the only MAC team to win their bowl game.

Under the new plan, the conference's Jolly Roger flag would've been raised each time.

So which school will be the first to fly it in 2018?

It could come in Week 1, as Western Michigan hosts Syracuse (Aug. 31), Northern Illinois is at Iowa and Central Michigan travels to Kentucky. Or elsewhere.