Central Michigan University Athletics
Second-year CMU coach Matt Drinkall responds to interview questions on Wednesday during the annual MAC Football Kickoff at Ford Field in Detroit.
Photo by: Josie Ransley '25,M'27 - @josieransmedia
Chippewas Kick It Off at MAC Media Day
7/22/2026 1:29:00 PM | Football
CMU 5th in coaches preseason poll; challenging non-conference slate includes road game against defending national runner-up Miami (Fla.)
DETROIT – Certainly, there is a familiarity and comfort in the continuity heading into the second year of the Matt Drinkall Era of Central Michigan University football.
But it's also the Era of the Portal in college football, and CMU is in the same boat as each of the 137 other Football Bowl Subdivision programs.
"The problems that are new in college football are not unique to Central Michigan," Drinkall said Wednesday at the 2026 MAC Football Kickoff at Ford Field. "Everybody's got the same issues. Our staff has done a great job of recruiting great players who are a great fit for us. Watching these guys come in here in January and watching them come together – it's a fun group.
"Even though we've got a lot of new guys and they're get acclimated to the systems to the weight room – all of it's new. We have a very good assimilation process and system in place and strong internal leadership and the culture, it's one of those things that once it gets up and going, you keep seeing dividends from it over and over."
The Chippewas, who open on Sept. 5 at New Mexico, went 7-6 (5-3 MAC) and earned their first bowl berth since 2021 in Drinkall's first season. They were 7-3 against non-Power 5 opponents.
By most measures, it was a solid start and there is an optimistic vibe going forward in the Chippewa camp.
"We were incredibly conservative in all three phases," Drinkall said. "Now we'll be able to blossom out a little bit and expand and play a little bit more exciting football.
"We've got to keep doing what we did last year; we've got to play high-quality football but the biggest thing is we have to make up differences in the margins, in areas of the game where maybe other people don't quite pay a lot of attention to, we've got to obsess over it and win those things consistently."
The Chippewas' home opener is Sept. 12 against Colgate, the lone Football Championship Subdivision opponent on the schedule. CMU then entertains Wyoming on Sept. 19 and then goes to Miami (Fla.) on Sept. 26.
New Mexico tied for first place in the Mountain West Conference a year ago, and the Hurricanes are the defending College Football Playoff runner-up.
The Chippewas then face Akron, Western Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and league newcomer Sacramento State in MAC home games; they go to Ohio, Buffalo and Ball State and play Eastern Michigan at Ford Field in Detroit.
The game with the rival Broncos is scheduled for Oct. 17 and is CMU's first Saturday home date with Western in a decade.
Western Michigan finished first in the MAC Coaches Poll, released on Wednesday. The Broncos captured the MAC title with a win over Miami in the league title game in December. The Chippewas finished fifth in the coaches poll and were picked third (Athlon), fourth (Lindy's), fifth (Sporting News) and sixth (Phil Steele) in other preseason polls.
"I'm going on the record that we are going to try to set the attendance record at Kelly/Shorts Stadium," Drinkall said.
But it's also the Era of the Portal in college football, and CMU is in the same boat as each of the 137 other Football Bowl Subdivision programs.
"The problems that are new in college football are not unique to Central Michigan," Drinkall said Wednesday at the 2026 MAC Football Kickoff at Ford Field. "Everybody's got the same issues. Our staff has done a great job of recruiting great players who are a great fit for us. Watching these guys come in here in January and watching them come together – it's a fun group.
"Even though we've got a lot of new guys and they're get acclimated to the systems to the weight room – all of it's new. We have a very good assimilation process and system in place and strong internal leadership and the culture, it's one of those things that once it gets up and going, you keep seeing dividends from it over and over."
The Chippewas, who open on Sept. 5 at New Mexico, went 7-6 (5-3 MAC) and earned their first bowl berth since 2021 in Drinkall's first season. They were 7-3 against non-Power 5 opponents.
By most measures, it was a solid start and there is an optimistic vibe going forward in the Chippewa camp.
"We were incredibly conservative in all three phases," Drinkall said. "Now we'll be able to blossom out a little bit and expand and play a little bit more exciting football.
"We've got to keep doing what we did last year; we've got to play high-quality football but the biggest thing is we have to make up differences in the margins, in areas of the game where maybe other people don't quite pay a lot of attention to, we've got to obsess over it and win those things consistently."
The Chippewas' home opener is Sept. 12 against Colgate, the lone Football Championship Subdivision opponent on the schedule. CMU then entertains Wyoming on Sept. 19 and then goes to Miami (Fla.) on Sept. 26.
New Mexico tied for first place in the Mountain West Conference a year ago, and the Hurricanes are the defending College Football Playoff runner-up.
The Chippewas then face Akron, Western Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and league newcomer Sacramento State in MAC home games; they go to Ohio, Buffalo and Ball State and play Eastern Michigan at Ford Field in Detroit.
The game with the rival Broncos is scheduled for Oct. 17 and is CMU's first Saturday home date with Western in a decade.
Western Michigan finished first in the MAC Coaches Poll, released on Wednesday. The Broncos captured the MAC title with a win over Miami in the league title game in December. The Chippewas finished fifth in the coaches poll and were picked third (Athlon), fourth (Lindy's), fifth (Sporting News) and sixth (Phil Steele) in other preseason polls.
"I'm going on the record that we are going to try to set the attendance record at Kelly/Shorts Stadium," Drinkall said.
Sunday, July 19
Thursday, July 02
Tuesday, June 30
Friday, June 26