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Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends invited to attend game
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This year, the Central Michigan University Chippewas will meet the Eastern Michigan University Eagles in a battle for the fans that hasn’t been seen since 2004. Both teams will travel to Ford Field in Detroit to compete in the Mid-American Conference’s Motor City MACtion event – and they’re counting on their fans to help them win a new kind of trophy.
CMU and EMU first met on the field on November 1, 1902. Their rivalry is the longest-running team competition in the Mid-American Conference and is the second-longest-running series in the state of Michigan. The Nov. 4, 2026, game at Ford Field will be the teams’ 104th match.
Now, that competition is heating up with the addition of a new “battle of the fans” element to the game. Fans will help their favorite team earn points before and during the game through activities including a social media contest, ticket sales and donations competition, food drive challenge, and an in-stadium game-day challenge for fan excitement.
“CMU and EMU have thousands of passionate fans nationwide, and we’re thrilled to give our fans a platform to showcase their school pride in Detroit through this competition,” said Amy Folan, CMU’s Zyzelewski Family vice president and athletics director. “I have said many times that we have the best fans in the MAC, and this gives them the opportunity to show that in a variety of ways. The winner of the battle of the fans will earn their institution a slightly larger percentage of revenue from ticket sales and, of course, bragging rights for the year. More importantly, both teams and their fan bases will leave a positive impact in both university communities from Mount Pleasant to Detroit and beyond.”
Students eager to make the trip to Detroit can purchase a ticket and travel package through CMU Athletics. The package includes reduced-cost bus fare from Mount Pleasant to Ford Field and back, as well as a ticket in the CMU seats at the stadium.
“Sitting in the student section and cheering on friends and classmates has always been part of the CMU student experience,” Folan said. “The ride down to Detroit together as a student community will be an amazing way to get Fired Up before the game.”
Alumni, faculty and staff members excited to attend the game and to reconnect with friends can purchase a special ticket package that includes a pre-game tailgate event at Ford Field.
“Our student-athletes love to see their professors, mentors, friends and family packing the stands,” Folan said. “The excitement and energy of the fans really does fuel their performance and can make a tremendous difference in the game. We hope to see the stands packed with supporters proudly wearing their maroon and gold and cheering on our team.”
Fans can also purchase their game tickets directly through Ford Field’s MACtion ticket portal. The stadium map shows the sides for each team, and sections 125-131 are immediately behind the CMU team bench.
There are multiple ways fans can earn points for CMU in the fan challenges.
“The most exciting and effective way to help CMU win is to attend the game in person,” Folan said. “Points will be awarded to the team whose fans are the loudest and proudest, so showing up really matters in this competition.”
Fans unable to attend the game in person can donate game tickets for distribution to Detroit-area youth, first responders and nonprofit organizations, she said. Those donated tickets will also count toward the team’s overall points.
Leading up to the game, fans can earn points for CMU by engaging with special posts on social media. Beginning in October, CMU President Neil MacKinnon and EMU President Brendan Kelly will invite fans to show their support for their favorite team by liking, sharing and commenting on the team’s social media channels.
Points will also be awarded for the school that donates the most food through the Mid-American Conference’s annual Canned Food Drive. Collection bins will be placed across CMU’s campus for donations. And, finally, later in the fall, chefs from each university will go toe-to-toe in a MACtion cook-off, with the winning dishes scoring points for their university.
While there will be lots of excitement for the CMU team on game day, there will also be a tremendous emphasis on CMU’s presence and service to Detroit, said CMU President Neil MacKinnon.
“CMU has a long, important relationship with the city of Detroit and its surrounding communities. The Motor City MACtion event is an opportunity to celebrate the numerous ways CMU faculty, staff, students and alumni are working in partnership alongside schools, businesses and non-profit organizations in Detroit to make a positive difference, MacKinnon said.
In addition to the MAC’s canned food drive collection, there will be several opportunities for members of the CMU community to give back in the area and to learn more about the city.
Rhonda Welsh, executive director of Detroit Outreach, is coordinating both a book donation drive and blood drive in Detroit ahead of the game. The book drive on November 2 will be part of a larger initiative introducing middle and high school students to career opportunities in athletics. CMU alumni and members are encouraged to drop by the Detroit Police Athletic League to donate books to support Detroit-area charter and public schools. The November 3 blood drive will be held in partnership with the local American Red Cross at the Detroit Police Athletic League.
The university’s academic colleges will also leverage the game as an opportunity to strengthen connections with alumni, community partners and prospective students in the region. Planned events include service, networking, and outreach events, as well as a special Motor City MACtion-themed tour of the Detroit Institute for the Arts and historic areas of the city through the Critical Engagements program.
CMU’s admissions team, along with representatives from CMU Online and several of the university’s academic programs, will also be at the game to share information with prospective students and their families.
