Central Michigan University Athletics
Friday, December 26
Detroit, Mich./Ford Field
1:00 PM
Central Michigan University
vs
Northwestern
Central Michigan Accepts GameAbove Sports Bowl Invitation to Detroit for Dec. 26 Game Against Northwestern
12/7/2025 3:00:00 PM | Football
Chippewas to play Northwestern in Detroit, Mich. on Friday, December 26; Kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN; Bowl game tickets go on sale on Monday at 10 a.m.
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.—For the 16th time in its football program history, Central Michigan University has formally accepted a bowl game invitation and will play Northwestern in the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit on Friday, December 26. Kickoff for the game is set for 1 p.m. ET for a national broadcast on ESPN. Pepsi will serve as Central Michigan's bowl season sponsor.
"Central Michigan is honored to accept an invitation to play in the GameAbove Sports Bowl," Zyzelewski Family Vice President/Director of Athletics Amy Folan said. "I want to thank the organizers of the GameAbove Sports Bowl and the Detroit Lions for this outstanding opportunity. This is an incredible experience for our student-athletes to compete at Ford Field and be recognized for their hard work and dedication throughout the season. Playing a bowl game in Detroit for the first time in 10 years is especially exciting given our loyal fan and alumni base in the metro Detroit area, making this an exceptional opportunity to bring the entire CMU community together."
"The best way to support Central Michigan Football is to purchase tickets through the athletic department directly and make a gift to the Chippewa Athletic Fund."
"This is a great day for Central Michigan Football," Central Michigan head coach Matt Drinkall said. "We get to play in the great state of Michigan, in front of our alumni and fans. In Northwestern, we are facing a tremendous opponent from a premier conference. I have the highest respect for Coach Braun, his staff and their team. This also gives added exposure to our recruiting pipeline in the Chicagoland area."
Central Michigan has enjoyed a rich bowl tradition in nearby Detroit as the Chippewas will play their sixth bowl and 11th all-time football game in the Motor City. The last time the Chippewas participated in a bowl game in Detroit was in 2015 when they faced Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl. The two most attended bowl games in Detroit history were contests that featured Central Michigan against Purdue in the 2007 Motor City Bowl, which drew a collegiate-record 60,624 fans, and the 2006 Motor City Bowl that pared Central Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee, a matchup that drew 54,113 fans.
The matchup marks Central Michigan's first bowl game appearance since the 2021 season when it defeated Washington State 24-21 in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
Central Michigan enters the game with a 7-5 overall record and after finishing in fifth place in the Mid-American Conference with a 5-3 league record. Northwestern stands at 6-6 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten. The Chippewas have won two of their last three games. With seven wins, the Chippewas have already won more games than they did in each of the last three seasons and their seven victories are the most since they finished 9-4 in 2021. In each of its seven wins this season, Central Michigan has limited opponents to 20 points or less. Central Michigan has forced at least one turnover in all 12 games and the Chippewas also have a plus-8 turnover margin (20-12), which ranks among the nation's best marks.
Central Michigan will play its 11th all-time football game in the city of Detroit. All previous matchups took place at Ford Field, including five bowl games, four MAC Championship games, and one regular season contest. In 11 matchups in Detroit, Central Michigan's average attendance in those games is 33,472. The last time Central Michigan played at Ford Field was on Dec. 7, 2019 against Miami (Ohio) in the MAC Championship Game.
Owned, hosted and operated by the Detroit Lions, the GameAbove Sports Bowl is in its 11th year of existence and second year with title sponsor GameAbove Sports. More information on the GameAbove Sports Bowl is available at www.detroitlions.com/game-above-sports-bowl/.
SUPPORT CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT THE GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL
Tickets for the GameAbove Sports Bowl go on sale on Monday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are priced at $70 and can be purchased online at this link, by calling the CMU Athletic Ticket Office at (989) 774-3045 or in-person at Ticket Central in the Kulhavi Events Center/McGuirk Arena atrium. Additionally, CMU students can purchase a ticket for $25. An e-mail will be sent to students on Monday with a promo code to order online.
Central Michigan tickets will be located on the CMU sidelines at Ford Field. Seating allocation for bowl tickets will be based on FY26 Chippewa Athletic Fund donation amount. Purchasing tickets through Ticket Central directly helps Central Michigan football student-athletes enjoy the best possible bowl experience and is the only way to guarantee seating in CMU sections.
Seasons like the 2025 campaign are made possible in large part due to the generous support of donors to the CAF. Help sustain the momentum of Coach Drinkall's phenomenal first year, enhance the student-athlete experience at the bowl game, defray bowl trip expenses and receive seating priority at the bowl game by making a gift to the football program HERE. For more information, please contact the CAF at (989) 774-6680 or caf@cmich.edu.
Information on pre-bowl game events, including a pre-game tailgate and potential travel packages, will be communicated later this week.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN BOWL NOTES
Follow Central Michigan Football: TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
"Central Michigan is honored to accept an invitation to play in the GameAbove Sports Bowl," Zyzelewski Family Vice President/Director of Athletics Amy Folan said. "I want to thank the organizers of the GameAbove Sports Bowl and the Detroit Lions for this outstanding opportunity. This is an incredible experience for our student-athletes to compete at Ford Field and be recognized for their hard work and dedication throughout the season. Playing a bowl game in Detroit for the first time in 10 years is especially exciting given our loyal fan and alumni base in the metro Detroit area, making this an exceptional opportunity to bring the entire CMU community together."
"The best way to support Central Michigan Football is to purchase tickets through the athletic department directly and make a gift to the Chippewa Athletic Fund."
"This is a great day for Central Michigan Football," Central Michigan head coach Matt Drinkall said. "We get to play in the great state of Michigan, in front of our alumni and fans. In Northwestern, we are facing a tremendous opponent from a premier conference. I have the highest respect for Coach Braun, his staff and their team. This also gives added exposure to our recruiting pipeline in the Chicagoland area."
Central Michigan is headed to the Motor City!
— Central Michigan Football (@CMU_Football) December 7, 2025
We'll take on the Wildcats in the @GameAboveBowl
on December 26th at Ford Field.
Kickoff is set for 1:00pm EST.https://t.co/F2mGsb6Ltq pic.twitter.com/Gm9m9eqltj
Central Michigan has enjoyed a rich bowl tradition in nearby Detroit as the Chippewas will play their sixth bowl and 11th all-time football game in the Motor City. The last time the Chippewas participated in a bowl game in Detroit was in 2015 when they faced Minnesota in the Quick Lane Bowl. The two most attended bowl games in Detroit history were contests that featured Central Michigan against Purdue in the 2007 Motor City Bowl, which drew a collegiate-record 60,624 fans, and the 2006 Motor City Bowl that pared Central Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee, a matchup that drew 54,113 fans.
The matchup marks Central Michigan's first bowl game appearance since the 2021 season when it defeated Washington State 24-21 in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.
Central Michigan enters the game with a 7-5 overall record and after finishing in fifth place in the Mid-American Conference with a 5-3 league record. Northwestern stands at 6-6 overall and 4-5 in the Big Ten. The Chippewas have won two of their last three games. With seven wins, the Chippewas have already won more games than they did in each of the last three seasons and their seven victories are the most since they finished 9-4 in 2021. In each of its seven wins this season, Central Michigan has limited opponents to 20 points or less. Central Michigan has forced at least one turnover in all 12 games and the Chippewas also have a plus-8 turnover margin (20-12), which ranks among the nation's best marks.
The 2025 GameAbove Sports Bowl match up is set!@CMU_Football
— GameAbove Sports Bowl (@GameAboveBowl) December 7, 2025
vs@NUFBFamily
📅December 26, 2025
🕐1:00 P.M. EST
🏟️Ford Field | Detroit, Mi pic.twitter.com/hgMKGERgvd
Central Michigan will play its 11th all-time football game in the city of Detroit. All previous matchups took place at Ford Field, including five bowl games, four MAC Championship games, and one regular season contest. In 11 matchups in Detroit, Central Michigan's average attendance in those games is 33,472. The last time Central Michigan played at Ford Field was on Dec. 7, 2019 against Miami (Ohio) in the MAC Championship Game.
Owned, hosted and operated by the Detroit Lions, the GameAbove Sports Bowl is in its 11th year of existence and second year with title sponsor GameAbove Sports. More information on the GameAbove Sports Bowl is available at www.detroitlions.com/game-above-sports-bowl/.
SUPPORT CENTRAL MICHIGAN AT THE GAMEABOVE SPORTS BOWL
Tickets for the GameAbove Sports Bowl go on sale on Monday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. ET. Tickets are priced at $70 and can be purchased online at this link, by calling the CMU Athletic Ticket Office at (989) 774-3045 or in-person at Ticket Central in the Kulhavi Events Center/McGuirk Arena atrium. Additionally, CMU students can purchase a ticket for $25. An e-mail will be sent to students on Monday with a promo code to order online.
Central Michigan tickets will be located on the CMU sidelines at Ford Field. Seating allocation for bowl tickets will be based on FY26 Chippewa Athletic Fund donation amount. Purchasing tickets through Ticket Central directly helps Central Michigan football student-athletes enjoy the best possible bowl experience and is the only way to guarantee seating in CMU sections.
Seasons like the 2025 campaign are made possible in large part due to the generous support of donors to the CAF. Help sustain the momentum of Coach Drinkall's phenomenal first year, enhance the student-athlete experience at the bowl game, defray bowl trip expenses and receive seating priority at the bowl game by making a gift to the football program HERE. For more information, please contact the CAF at (989) 774-6680 or caf@cmich.edu.
Information on pre-bowl game events, including a pre-game tailgate and potential travel packages, will be communicated later this week.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN BOWL NOTES
- Central Michigan advances to a bowl game for the 16th time in program history and 14th time as an NCAA Division I program. The Chippewas are 6-9 overall in bowl games with a one-game win streak.
- Central Michigan's last bowl appearance was four years ago in 2021 when it defeated Washington State 24-21 in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl.
- Central Michigan will play in a bowl game in Detroit for the sixth time in program history. The Chippewas are 2-3 in bowl games played in Detroit. The last time the Chippewas participated in a bowl game in Detroit was on Dec. 28, 2015 vs. Minnesota.
- The Chippewas will play their 11th all-time football game in Detroit. CMU's last appearance at Ford Field was in the MAC Championship Game on Dec. 7, 2019 vs. Miami (Ohio).
- Matt Drinkall guides Central Michigan to a bowl game in his first year as the Chippewas' head coach. He becomes the fifth coach in school history to lead the Chippewas to bowl eligibility in their first year as CMU's head coach. He joins Dick Flynn (1994), Butch Jones (2007), John Bonamego (2015), and Jim McElwain (2019) as the other coaches to achieve that distinction.
- With a win against Northwestern, Drinkall would become the first coach in school history to win a bowl game in his first season.
Follow Central Michigan Football: TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
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