Central Michigan University Athletics
Creative and Innovative Thinking
3/5/2020 10:16:00 AM | General, Fire Up Chats
Michael Alford Fire Up Chat
Shortly after President Davies began his tenure as our university's 15th president, we sat down to discuss his expectations for our athletics department.
We talk often about our goal of a degree in one hand and a ring on the other and that remains a guiding light for our student-athletes and coaches.
Beyond those measurable objectives, we had a broader conversation where Dr. Davies challenged me to find ways to innovate and, in a sense, redefine what success looks like for Central Michigan Athletics.
As I look out at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, we see that innovation coming to life in the form of the Chippewa Champions Center, an ambitious project that will transform how we develop student-athletes and transform the game-day experience for our fans.
A project of this magnitude has rarely come to fruition this quickly on our campus and that's thanks to the unprecedented generosity of our donors. We are doing things we've never done before thanks to people giving like they've never done before.
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This same kind of creative and innovative thinking culminated in our announcement to host Western Michigan at Ford Field this October.
I'm so excited for our football program and for our university. The MAC's marquee rivalry taking place in front of what we hope to be a record crowd in one of the finest football facilities in the country will inject new life into this game. Considering the weather in recent years, the fact that both our student-athletes and fans will enjoy this game in a climate-controlled environment should not be overlooked.
While the action on the field and the rich pageantry surrounding this game were key considerations, this decision ultimately was about an aggressive, broad-based campaign to boost our profile in the region and in the state. As with the Chippewa Champions Center, if we aspire to greatness as a university, we must be willing to try new things.
A salient decision like this is never made in a vacuum. We had candid conversations with campus partners and external constituents, and in those discussions, we reiterated our commitment to continue working closely with our community partners for large events that bring groups to our campus.
We also hope that this proves to be a creative way to combat the enrollment decline that so many public universities around the country face. Ultimately if we can boost our enrollment and draw new students to CMU, it will have a greater net positive impact on our local economy than any one single game.
It remains, as always, a great time to be a Chippewa. March Madness is on the horizon and I hope you'll get down to Cleveland to support our basketball programs, especially with our women having clinched their fourth-straight conference title. My congratulations to Coach Oesterle and her student-athletes on a tremendous season thus far.
One of the things I love most about CMU is the passion that our fans have for the Chippewas. Whether in the stands or in the community, Chippewas let you know they care. I am excited to see that passion on display in Cleveland, Mount Pleasant, Detroit and everywhere the maroon and gold plays.
Fire up Chips!
Â
We talk often about our goal of a degree in one hand and a ring on the other and that remains a guiding light for our student-athletes and coaches.
Beyond those measurable objectives, we had a broader conversation where Dr. Davies challenged me to find ways to innovate and, in a sense, redefine what success looks like for Central Michigan Athletics.
As I look out at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, we see that innovation coming to life in the form of the Chippewa Champions Center, an ambitious project that will transform how we develop student-athletes and transform the game-day experience for our fans.
A project of this magnitude has rarely come to fruition this quickly on our campus and that's thanks to the unprecedented generosity of our donors. We are doing things we've never done before thanks to people giving like they've never done before.
Â
This same kind of creative and innovative thinking culminated in our announcement to host Western Michigan at Ford Field this October.
I'm so excited for our football program and for our university. The MAC's marquee rivalry taking place in front of what we hope to be a record crowd in one of the finest football facilities in the country will inject new life into this game. Considering the weather in recent years, the fact that both our student-athletes and fans will enjoy this game in a climate-controlled environment should not be overlooked.
While the action on the field and the rich pageantry surrounding this game were key considerations, this decision ultimately was about an aggressive, broad-based campaign to boost our profile in the region and in the state. As with the Chippewa Champions Center, if we aspire to greatness as a university, we must be willing to try new things.
A salient decision like this is never made in a vacuum. We had candid conversations with campus partners and external constituents, and in those discussions, we reiterated our commitment to continue working closely with our community partners for large events that bring groups to our campus.
We also hope that this proves to be a creative way to combat the enrollment decline that so many public universities around the country face. Ultimately if we can boost our enrollment and draw new students to CMU, it will have a greater net positive impact on our local economy than any one single game.
It remains, as always, a great time to be a Chippewa. March Madness is on the horizon and I hope you'll get down to Cleveland to support our basketball programs, especially with our women having clinched their fourth-straight conference title. My congratulations to Coach Oesterle and her student-athletes on a tremendous season thus far.
One of the things I love most about CMU is the passion that our fans have for the Chippewas. Whether in the stands or in the community, Chippewas let you know they care. I am excited to see that passion on display in Cleveland, Mount Pleasant, Detroit and everywhere the maroon and gold plays.
Fire up Chips!
Â
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