# Central Michigan Normalites football, 1896–1909

The Central Michigan Normalites football team (now known as the Central Michigan Chippewas) represented Central Michigan Normal School (now known as Central Michigan University) of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, in American football, beginning in 1896. Highlights of the school's early years of intercollegiate football include the following:
* On October 31, 1896, the team played its first game, losing to Alma High School by a 14–5 score.
* On November 21, 1896, the team won its first game, a 14–4 victory over Bay City High School.
* In 1902, the team compiled a perfect 4–0 record and shut out all four opponents by a combined total of 82 to 0.
* In 1903, the team compiled its second consecutive perfect record of 6–0.
* The team compiled a 17-game winning streak that began with a victory over Cadillac High School in 1899 and continued until November 4, 1905, when it lost to Alma College.
* On November 1, 1902, the team played its first game in the Central Michigan–Eastern Michigan football rivalry. Central won the first game by a 13–0 score.
* On October 19, 1907, the team played its first game in the Central Michigan–Western Michigan football rivalry. Central lost the game by a 29–0 score.

## 1896

The 1896 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1896 college football season. Central Michigan was founded in 1892 and fielded its first varsity football team in 1896. Under head coach Pete McCormick, the first Central Michigan football team compiled a 3–1 record and outscored their four opponents by a combined total of 62 to 22. All four games were played against high school teams. On October 31, 1896, the Central Michigan football team lost to Alma High School, 14–5, in a game played in Mount Pleasant. On November 21, 1896, Central Michigan defeated Bay City High School by a 14–4 score at Mt. Pleasant.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| October 31 | Alma High School | Mount Pleasant, MI | L 5–14 |
| November 21 | Bay City High School | Mount Pleasant, MI | W 14–4 |
| | Saginaw Arthur Hill High School | | W 35–0 |
| | Alma High School | | W 8–4 |

## 1897

The 1897 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1897 college football season. Under head coach Carl Pray, the Normalites compiled a 2–1 record, and were outscored 16 to 18 by their opponents. The most important benchmark during the 1898 season was the program's first game against a collegiate opponent, a 18–0 loss to Alma.

### Schedule

| Opponent | Site | Result |
| Alma | Mount Pleasant, MI | L 0–18 |
| Bay City High School | | W 10–0 |
| Ithaca High School | | W 6–0 |

## 1898

The 1898 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1898 college football season. Under head coach Carl Pray, the Normalites compiled a 1–2 record, but outscored their opponents by a total of 37 to 32.

### Schedule

| Opponent | Result |
| Alma | L 0–27 |
| Mount Pleasant Indian School | W 35–0 |
| Mount Pleasant High School | L 2–5 |

## 1899

The 1899 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1899 college football season. Under head coach Carl Pray, the Normalites compiled a 3–2 record, and outscored their opponents by a total of 35 to 22.

### Schedule

| Opponent | Result |
| Alma | L 0–12 |
| Saginaw All-Stars | L 0–5 |
| Cadillac High School | W 12–0 |
| St. Johns High School | W 17–5 |
| Ferris Institute | W 6–0 |

## 1900

The 1900 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1900 college football season. They only played one game, a 20–5 win against Cadillac High School. Their head coach was unknown.

### Schedule

| Opponent | Site | Result |
| Cadillac High School | | W 20–5 |

## 1902

The 1902 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1902 college football season. Their head coach was Charles Tambling. This was part of a ten-game win streak that started in 1902 and ended in 1904.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| | Mario High School | | W 10–0 |
| | McBain High School | | W 51–0 |
| November 1 | Michigan State Normal | Mount Pleasant, MI (rivalry) | W 10–0 |
| | Ferris Institute | Mount Pleasant, MI | W 11–0 |

## 1903

The 1903 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1903 college football season. Their head coach was Charles Tambling. This was part of a ten–game win streak that started in 1902 and ended in 1905.

### Schedule

| Opponent | Result |
| Ferris Institute | W 12–0 |
| Alma | W 23–5 |
| Elsie Giants | W 15–0 |
| Hillsdale | W 7–6 |
| Clare High School | W 6–0? |
| Mount Pleasant High School | W 6–0? |

## 1905

The 1905 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1905 college football season. Football returned to the school after having been discontinued for the 1904 season due to budgetary constraints. Charles Tambling was the team's coach. The team compiled a 7–1 record, including victories over Michigan State Normal, later renamed Eastern Michigan University (13–0), the Elsie Giants (5–0), Ferris (35–2 and 10–0), and the Midland Athletic Club (51–0). The team's only loss was suffered on November 4, 1904, by a 12–6 score against Alma College at Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| | Elsie Giants | | W 5–0 |
| | Ferris Institute | | W 35–2 |
| | Midland Athletic Club | | W 51–0 |
| November 4 | Alma | | L 6–12 |
| November 17 | Michigan State Normal | Mount Pleasant, MI (rivalry) | W 13–0 |
| | Ferris Institute | | W 10–0 |
| | Western State | | W 6–0 |
| | Kalamazoo | | W |

## 1907

The 1907 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1907 college football season. Football was reinstated after one year's absence, and Ralph Thacker, who had played fullback for Olivet College the prior year, was named coach of the football team. Bruce Stickles was selected as the team captain. Although the Central Michigan football media guide reports that the 1907 football team compiled a 2–4 record, including a loss to Alma College, the contemporaneous newspaper report on the Alma game reports it as a victory for Central by a 13 to 0 score. Accordingly, it appears that the correct record of the 1907 football team was 3–3.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| October 12 | at Ferris Institute | Big Rapids, MI | L 0–47 |
| October 19 | Western State Normal | Mount Pleasant, MI (rivalry) | L 0–29 |
| October 30 | Mt. Pleasant Indians | | W 13–11 |
| November 2 | Flint Deaf Mutes (Michigan School for the Deaf) | Mount Pleasant, MI | W 6–5 |
| November 16 | at Michigan State Normal | Ypsilanti, MI (rivalry) | L 38–0 |
| November 22 | Alma | | W 13–0 |

## 1908

The 1908 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1908 college football season. In their first and only season under head coach Hugh Sutherland, the Central Michigan football team compiled a 4–3 record.

### Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | Result |
| October 17 | | at Alma | Alma, MI | L 0–5 |
| October 31 | 3:00 p.m. | Alma | Mount Pleasant, MI | W 10–0 |
| November 7 | | Michigan State Normal | Mount Pleasant, MI (rivalry) | W 11–0 |
| November 21 | 10:00 a.m. | at Western State Normal (MI) | Western State Normal campusKalamazoo, MI (rivalry) | L 5–11 |
| | | Elsie Giants | | W |
| | | Hillsdale | | L |
| | | West Branch High School | | W |

## 1909

The 1909 Central Michigan Normalites football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1909 college football season. In their first season under head coachHarry Helmer, the Central Michigan football team compiled a 4–3 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 63 to 58.
The team's roster included quarterback Wallace Coutant, halfbacks Emmet Houlihan and Earl McCarty, fullback Ford Bradish, ends Ralph Gilpin and Ollie Richards, guards William Ochs, Alexander Perkins, and Leo Going, tackles Rollie Moody and Floyd L. Livermore, end/fullback George Parkhill, and guard/tackle Harold Spross.

### Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | Result |
| | West Branch High School | | W 23–0 |
| October 16 | at Arthur Hill High School | Eagle ParkSaginaw, MI | W 8–5 |
| October 23 | at Alma | Alma, MI | W 15–8 |
| October 30 | Michigan Agricultural reserves | | L 6–17 |
| November 5 | at Michigan State Normal | Ypsilanti, MI (rivalry) | L 0–17 |
| November 13 | Ferris Institute | | W 11–0 |
| November 19 | Western State Normal | Mount Pleasant, MI (rivalry) | L 0–11 |