# Central Michigan Chippewas football

The Central Michigan Chippewas are a college football program in Division I FBS, representing Central Michigan University (CMU). CMU has the 24th highest overall winning percentage of programs playing in NCAA Division I.
The Chippewas have played in six bowl games in the last nine years, most recently defeating Washington State in the 2021 Sun Bowl. CMU drew 60,624 fans in the 2007 Motor City Bowl. CMU has played a total of eighteen post-season games (conference championships and bowl games), winning seven.

## Conference affiliations

Central Michigan has been a member of the following conferences.$^{:109–117}$
* Independent (1896–1949)
* Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1950–1969)
* Independent (1970–1974)
* Mid-American Conference (1975–present)

## Championships
### National championships

The Chippewas won the 1974 NCAA Division II National Championship.
| Year | League | Coach | Record | CG Opponent | Result |
| 1974 | NCAA Division II | Roy Kramer | 12–1 | Delaware | W 54–14 |

### Conference championships

Central Michigan has won 16 conference championships including seven Mid-American Conference Championships.$^{:109–117}$
| Year | Conference | Coach | Record | Conference Record |
| 1952 | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Bill Kelly | 7–2 | 6–0 |
| 1953 | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Bill Kelly | 7–1–1 | 5–0–1 |
| 1954† | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Bill Kelly | 8–2 | 5–1 |
| 1955 | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Bill Kelly | 8–1 | 5–1 |
| 1956 | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Bill Kelly | 9–0 | 6–0 |
| 1962 | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Bill Kelly | 6–4 | 4–0 |
| 1966 | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Bill Kelly | 5–5 | 3–0 |
| 1967† | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Roy Kramer | 8–2 | 2–1 |
| 1968† | Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Roy Kramer | 7–2 | 2–1 |
| 1979 | Mid-American Conference | Herb Deromedi | 10–0–1 | 8–0–1 |
| 1980 | Mid-American Conference | Herb Deromedi | 9–2 | 7–2 |
| 1990 | Mid-American Conference | Herb Deromedi | 8–3–1 | 7–1 |
| 1994 | Mid-American Conference | Dick Flynn | 9–3 | 8–1 |
| 2006 | Mid-American Conference | Brian Kelly | 10–4 | 7–1 |
| 2007 | Mid-American Conference | Butch Jones | 8–6 | 6–1 |
| 2009 | Mid-American Conference | Butch Jones | 12–2 | 8–0 |
† Co-champions

### Division championships

Central Michigan has won 5 division championships:
| Year | Division | Coach | Opponent | CG result |
| 2006 | MAC West | Brian Kelly | Ohio | W 31–10 |
| 2007† | MAC West | Butch Jones | Miami | W 35–10 |
| 2009 | MAC West | Butch Jones | Ohio | W 20–10 |
| 2019 | MAC West | Jim McElwain | Miami | L 21–26 |
| 2021† | MAC West | Jim McElwain | N/A lost tiebreaker to Northern Illinois | N/A lost tiebreaker to Northern Illinois |
† Co-champions

## Head coaches

Many notable coaches have contributed to CMU's culture. Some include legendary "Wild" Bill Kelly who won seven conference championships in sixteen years and whom Kelly/Shorts Stadium is named after; national championship winning coach Roy Kramer who had a 72% winning percentage and never had a losing season in more than a decade; College Football Hall of Fame coach Herb Deromedi who is the winningest coach in MAC history and Brian Kelly and Butch Jones who combined for three MAC Championships in four years, four consecutive bowl appearance and top 25 finish in the nation.
CMU head coaches through the 2024 season.
| Coach | Seasons | Years | Record |
| Pete McCormick | 1896 | 1 | 3–1 |
| Carl Pray | 1897–1899 | 3 | 6–5 |
| Unknown | 1900 | 1 | 1–0 |
| No team | 1901 | | |
| Charles Tambling | 1902–1905, 1918 | 5 | 18–2 |
| No team | 1906 | | |
| Ralph Thacker | 1907 | 1 | 2–4 |
| Hugh Sutherland | 1908 | 1 | 4–3 |
| Harry Helmer | 1909–1912 | 4 | 14–9–2 |
| No team | 1913–1915 | | |
| Blake Miller | 1916 | 1 | 1–5 |
| Fred Johnson | 1917 | 1 | 1–2 |
| Garland Nevitt | 1919 | 1 | 2–2–3 |
| Joe Simmons | 1920 | 1 | 4–3–1 |
| Wallace Parker | 1921–1923, 1926–1928 | 6 | 32–10–6 |
| Lester Barnard | 1924–1925 | 2 | 11–2–3 |
| Butch Nowack | 1929–1930 | 2 | 8–5–2 |
| George Van Bibber | 1931–1933 | 3 | 12–9–2 |
| Alex Yunevich | 1934–1936 | 3 | 9–13–1 |
| Ron Finch | 1937–1946 | 10 | 54–18–1 |
| Lyle Bennett | 1947–1949 | 3 | 8–15–1 |
| Warren Schmakel | 1950 | 1 | 6–4 |
| Kenneth Kelly | 1951–1966 | 16 | 91–58–2 |
| Roy Kramer | 1967–1977 | 11 | 83–32–2 |
| Herb Deromedi | 1978–1993 | 16 | 110–55–10 |
| Dick Flynn | 1994–1999 | 6 | 30–37 |
| Mike DeBord | 2000–2003 | 4 | 12–34 |
| Brian Kelly | 2004–2006 | 3 | 19–16 |
| Jeff Quinn† | 2006 | – | 1–0 |
| Butch Jones | 2007–2009 | 3 | 27–13 |
| Steve Stripling† | 2009 | – | 1–0 |
| Dan Enos | 2010–2014 | 5 | 26–36 |
| John Bonamego | 2015–2018 | 4 | 22–29 |
| Jim McElwain | 2019–2024 | 6 | 33-36 |
| Matt Drinkall | 2025–present | 1 | 0-0 |
† Interim

## Bowl games

Central Michigan holds a 4–9 record in bowl games.$^{:124–136}$
| Year | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 1990 | California Bowl | San Jose State | L 24–48 |
| 1994 | Las Vegas Bowl | UNLV | L 24–52 |
| 2006 | Motor City Bowl | Middle Tennessee State | W 31–14 |
| 2007 | Motor City Bowl | Purdue | L 48–51 |
| 2008 | Motor City Bowl | Florida Atlantic | L 21–24 |
| 2009 | GMAC Bowl | Troy | W 44–41 |
| 2012 | Little Caesars Pizza Bowl | Western Kentucky | W 24–21 |
| 2014 | Bahamas Bowl | Western Kentucky | L 48–49 |
| 2015 | Quick Lane Bowl | Minnesota | L 14–21 |
| 2016 | Miami Beach Bowl | Tulsa | L 10–55 |
| 2017 | Famous Idaho Potato Bowl | Wyoming | L 14–37 |
| 2019 | New Mexico Bowl | San Diego State | L 11–48 |
| 2021 | Sun Bowl | Washington State | W 24–21 |

## Playoff appearances
### NCAA Division II playoffs

The Chippewas made one appearance in the Division II playoffs, with a combined record of 3-0.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1974 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship | Boise State Louisiana Tech Delaware | W, 20–6 W, 35–14 W, 54–14 |

## Rivalries
### Western Michigan

These archrivals first met in 1907 and have faced one another annually since 1943. Since the two schools are separated by a two-hour drive, the visiting team typically has a strong fan and student presence at the game. The winner of the game receives the Cannon Trophy. The outcome also helps determine the winner of the Michigan MAC Trophy, a trophy fought over between Michigan's three MAC football teams: the Chippewas, the Broncos, and the Eastern Michigan Eagles. WMU leads the series overall 51–39–2.

### Eastern Michigan

The Chippewas and Eagles maintain a less prominent, but steady rivalry. CMU holds the series lead over Eastern Michigan, leading 62–30–6.

## Traditions
### Kelly/Shorts game day experience

Central Michigan has the largest on-campus stadium in the Mid-American Conference, seating 32,885 fans and has been playing home football games dating back to 1896. The Sporting News has named Kelly/Shorts Stadium "the finest football facility in the Mid-American Conference" and "the best game day atmosphere in the MAC".
The East End of the stadium (as of 2014) once again hosts the CMU Student section backing the football team. The Chippewa Marching Band, cheerleaders, and dance team add to the game day experience and has helped CMU become one of the nation's winningest schools at home with a .714 winning percentage all-time at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
CMU drew a capacity crowd of 35,127 fans for the Central Michigan–Michigan State game televised on ESPNU and has hosted schools from the ACC, Big Ten, and Big 12 conferences. Future opponents at home include schools from the Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences.
In 2010, the CMU Board of Trustees designed and set course to construct a state of the art stadium expansion to integrate a hotel, restaurant, and conference center connected by a glass atrium to new stadium suites on the east side. This addition will be custom-built into Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
Newer upgrades include a video scoreboard standing six stories and featuring two video replay boards—one facing into the stadium and a second board facing outside the stadium by tailgating areas. NFL-quality permanent lighting has been installed for television and future ESPN night games.

## College Football Hall of Fame

One former Central Michigan coach has been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
| Name | Position | Career | Induction |
| Herb Deromedi | Head coach | 1978–1993 | 2007 |

## Notable players

* Curtis Adams (1984) – AP All-American, San Diego Chargers running back, NFL draft choice
* Jahleel Addae (2012) - Los Angeles Chargers Safety
* Vince Agnew – NFL and CFL player
* Ron Bartell (2004) – cornerback, 2nd round NFL draft choice, nine-year NFL veteran finishing career with the Detroit Lions
* Dan Bazuin (2006) – All-American, Chicago Bears defensive end, 2007 NFL 2nd round draft choice
* Walter Beach (1959) – AP All-American, Cleveland Browns safety, NFL draft choice of the New York Giants
* Nick Bellore (2010) - Seattle Seahawks fullback/linebacker
* Ray Bentley (1985) – Buffalo Bills linebacker, started two Super Bowl games, recent sports radio personality, ABC College Football and NFL on Fox broadcaster
* Novo Bojovic (1984) – St. Louis Cardinals kicker
* John Bonamego (1986) – Los Angeles Rams special teams coordinator and coordinator for five different NFL teams
* Jim Bowman (1984) – AP All-American, New England Patriots free safety, played in Super Bowl, NFL 2nd round draft choice
* Antonio Brown (2009) – 6× Pro Bowl (2011, 2013–2017), 2× First-team All-American (2008, 2009), 2× First-team All-MAC (2008, 2009)
* Tyler Conklin (2018) - New York Jets tight end - drafted in the 5th round
* Titus Davis (2014) – Wide receiver
* Tony Elliott (1984) – Green Bay Packers nickel back and safety
* Eric Fisher (2012) – Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle - 1st overall pick of the 2013 NFL draft, First-team All-American, First-team All-MAC
* Kavon Frazier (2016) - Dallas Cowboys Safety - drafted in the 5th round
* Eric Ghiaciuc (2004) – Cincinnati Bengals center, 2005 NFL 4th round draft choice
* Josh Gordy (2009) – Defensive back - played for several NFL teams, Super Bowl XLV champion
* Brock Gutierrez (1996) – ten-year NFL veteran at center finishing career with the Detroit Lions
* Brett Hartmann (2010) – Houston Texans punter. Suffered a career-ending injury
* Gary Hogeboom (1979) – NFL quarterback 11 seasons, primarily a backup with the Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts; NFL 5th round draft choice; Notable Survivor reality T.V. contestant.
* Tory Humphrey (2004) – New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl champion, tight end.
* Robert Jackson (1981) – Cincinnati Bengals safety, eight seasons and NFL draft choice
* Sean Murphy-Bunting (2018) - Cornerback, First-team All-MAC (2018), 2019 2nd round draft pick (pick 39 overall) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Super Bowl LV champion
* Jake Olson (2013) – offensive tackle - played 3 CFL seasons
* Jim Podoley (1956) – AP All-American, Washington Redskins running back, Pro Bowl player, NFL 4th round draft choice
* Thomas Rawls (2015) - Running back, formerly of New York Jets & Seattle Seahawks
* Scott Rehberg (1996) – New England Patriots offensive lineman and NFL 7th round draft choice
* Cooper Rush (2017) - Dallas Cowboys Quarterback
* Joe Staley (2006) – San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle - 28th pick of the 2007 NFL draft, 6× Pro Bowl (2011–2015,2017)
* L.T. Walton (2015) - Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive end - drafted in the 6th round
* Frank Zombo (2009) - Kansas City Chiefs Linebacker - Super Bowl XLV Starter and Champion, 2x First-team ALL-MAC (2008, 2009)
* Cullen Jenkins (2003) - Green Bay Packers, NY Giants, Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman - Super Bowl XLV Champion

## Retired numbers

Central Michigan Chippewas retired numbers :
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | Ref. |
| 62 | Jim Podoley | HB | 1952–1956 | |

## Media
### Radio

The CMU Sports Network broadcasts all games live throughout Michigan and online for free.
CMU Sports Network Affiliates:
* 1270 AM WXYT, Detroit
* 1210 AM WJNL, Traverse City
* 98.5 FM WUPS, Houghton Lake/ Mount Pleasant
* 96.1 FM WMAX, Grand Rapids
* 1230 AM WTKG, Grand Rapids
* 1090 AM WKBZ, Muskegon
* 1110 AM WWMN, Petoskey

### Television

The ESPN family of channels and Fox Sports affiliates have provided national and local television coverage.
CMU Sports Zone provides live and archive Internet video-feed of games, gameday coverage, and coaches shows.

## Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of August 11, 2024.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2030 |
| at San Jose State (8/30) | at New Mexico State (9/5) | | at Michigan State (8/31) |
| at Pittsburgh (9/6) | Colgate (9/12) | at Michigan State (9/11) | at San Diego State (9/21) |
| at Michigan (9/13) | Wyoming (9/19) | Monmouth (9/18) | |
| Wagner (9/20) | at Miami (FL) (9/26) | at Wyoming (9/25) | |