Welcome Back, Chippewas!

Welcome back and, for those new to Central Michigan University Athletics, welcome!!

As we embark on another promising year of Chippewa Athletics, we take a moment to reflect on the successes and highlights of the past year.

We had the ground blessing along with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe for our new on-campus golf facility, and our official groundbreaking is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 19, before our football home game against Wyoming.

We have closed our Maroon & Gold BOLD Campaign, and we sincerely thank you all for your abiding support of Chippewa Athletics. We exceeded our $25 Million goal by raising $26.2 million for departmental priorities. Stay tuned for more information on what is coming next!

Our Chippewa soccer team officially kicked off the 2026-27 intercollegiate athletics season on Aug. 12 with a game at Loyola Chicago and a trip to South Carolina. New head coach James DeCosemo earned his first win in our second match of the season, a 3-2 victory over Charleston Southern last Thursday.

We're closing in on home openers for our soccer, cross country, volleyball, field hockey, and men's and women's golf teams, along with our first home football game, which is set for Sept. 12. Soccer hosts Purdue Fort Wayne on Thursday, Aug. 27 for its first home match. Our men's and women's cross country teams open the 2026 season with their annual Jeff Drenth Memorial on Friday, Sept. 4. Volleyball's first home matches in the Heart of the Mitt Invitational will be played Sept. 2-5 when it hosts Oakland (Sept. 2), Illinois State (Sept. 4), Illinois State (Sept. 5), and Michigan State (Sept. 5) at McGuirk Arena. Field hockey's first home game is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 11 vs. Mercyhurst. In addition, our women's golf program is set to welcome a dozen teams over Labor Day Weekend to A-Ga-Ming Resort in Kewadin for the annual A-Ga-Ming Invitational and will team with our men's golf team to host the annual Motor City Matchup at Birmingham Country Club in mid-October.

We welcome three new coaches to Central Michigan who each bring a great deal of experience, energy, and enthusiasm to campus. I am certain that Kelly Terwilliger (field hockey), James DeCosemo (soccer), and Joseph Manna (lacrosse) will fit in perfectly with the Chippewa Family.

On a somber note, we said good-bye to one of the giants in Central Michigan University history with the passing of former baseball player and coach and university athletics director, Dave Keilitz. We honored Mr. Keilitz with a Celebration of Life Event in early August, a fitting tribute to a man who personified class, dignity, and what it means to be a Chippewa. Some of Mr. Keilitz's friends and former players established the Keilitz Memorial Statue Fund to create a lasting tribute in a manner and scale similar to how CMU legends Roy Kramer and Herb Deromedi are honored.

We now turn our attention with unbridled excitement to 2026-27. To those who return, we will continue striving to provide the very best experience for our 400-plus student-athletes, the general student population, our outstanding faculty and staff, and the greater Mount Pleasant community at large.

One highlight of the football season is expanded tailgating opportunities and pre-game activities, elevating the pre-game experience for our fans. Stay tuned; more information will be coming soon.

We're looking forward to a great 2026-27 in Chippewa Athletics, and we hope to see you at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, the CMU Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium, Cristy Freese Field, inside McGuirk Arena, or at A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort or Birmingham Country Club.

Fire Up Chips!!

Amy Folan

Central Michigan University Athletics

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