WMU-CMU to share stage with UM-MSU
Oct. 20 will be rivalry day in the state of Michigan.
The two biggest rivalries in the state will share the spotlight, with Michigan and Michigan State playing in East Lansing, and Western Michigan and Central Michigan playing in Mount Pleasant.
The news comes as the Mid-American Conference released its football scheduling for 2018 on Thursday.
For WMU and CMU, it’s a good-bad situation.
The good being that the game, played during the week in 2017, is moving back to a weekend assignment. Both WMU athletic director Kathy Beauregard and CMU athletic director Michael Alford submitted that request to the conference.
“Yeah, it’s important for our fan base to play that game on a weekend,” Alford said. “It’s just something our fans, both sides, Western and ours, desire and I think the conference understands that.”
The bad? Well, Michigan-Michigan State is a much bigger game, of course — and it draws eyeballs from all corners of the state, including WMU and CMU fan bases, including the student fan base.
That was out of the control of WMU and CMU, though, Alford said.
“We really don’t look at what else is going on across the state,” Alford said. “There’s nothing we could do.”
So he’s taking the glass-half-full approach.
“That’s gonna be a great week,” said Alford, “leading into both of those rivalries.”
TV will dictate when the games are played that day.
It’s very likely Michigan and Michigan State will play a day game. They’ve only played one night game in their history, in 2017, and are unlikely to repeat that, given the logistics (security, alcohol, etc.).
Alford said there’s a good chance, then, that Western and Central will play their game under the lights.
“I think that’d be great for both fan bases,” he said.
Here are the 2018 schedules for the three state MAC teams.
CENTRAL MICHIGAN
Sept. 1: At Kentucky
Sept. 8: Kansas
Sept. 15: at Northern Illinois
Sept. 22: Maine
Sept. 29: At Michigan State
Oct. 6: Buffalo
Oct. 13: Ball State
Oct. 20: Western Michigan
Oct. 27: At Akron
Nov. 3: At Eastern Michigan
Nov. 10: Bowling Green
Nov. 23: At Toledo
EASTERN MICHIGAN
Aug. 31: Monmouth
Sept. 8: At Purdue
Sept. 15: At Buffalo
Sept. 22: At San Diego State
Sept. 29: Northern Illinois
Oct. 6: At Western Michigan
Oct. 13: Toledo
Oct. 20: At Ball State
Oct. 27: Army
Nov. 3: Central Michigan
Nov. 10: Akron
Nov. 23: At Kent State
WESTERN MICHIGAN
Aug. 31: Syracuse
Sept. 8: At Michigan
Sept. 15: Delaware State
Sept. 22: At Georgia State
Sept. 29: At Miami (Ohio)
Oct. 6: Eastern Michigan
Oct. 13: At Bowling Green
Oct. 20: At Central Michigan
Oct. 25: Toledo
Nov. 1: Ohio
Nov. 13: At Ball State
Nov. 20: Northern Illinois
tpaul@detroitnews.com
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