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KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan football announced its 2010 schedule on Monday in conjunction with the Mid-American Conference. WMU will have a six-game home schedule at Waldo Stadium for the first time since 2007 and will open the campaign at Michigan State. The Broncos face six teams that were bowl eligible in 2009 and are scheduled to appear on ESPNU twice during the MAC season.
We continue to schedule top competition with six bowl eligible teams from a year ago. For the second year in a row, we are also making it easy on our fans to travel with the team and cheer for us on the road, commented head coach Bill Cubit. Having all of our road opponents within driving distance is huge for our fans as well as being able to watch the Broncos in venues like Spartan Stadium and Notre Dame Stadium.
From a football standpoint, it is great we have six home games and can play three of our five divisional games at Waldo Stadium. We look forward to the challenge of battling for a MAC West title and playing in the championship game at Ford Field.
Western Michigan opens the season against a Big Ten opponent for the seventh time in program history and second time in as many years when the Broncos travel to East Lansing to face Michigan State on Sept. 4. WMU is 1-5 against the Big Ten in season openers with its lone win coming at Wisconsin, 24-14, in 1988. WMU and MSU have met in a season opener only once, a 26-21 win for the Spartans in 2003.
WMU will also make history, becoming the first MAC team since the conferences inception in 1947 to play Notre Dame, traveling to South Bend on Oct. 16. The Broncos last played the Fighting Irish in 1920 and have only played Notre Dame twice in program history (1919, 1920).
Four teams that are either current or past members of the MAC have played Notre Dame prior to the conferences inception in 1947 - Akron (1910), Butler (1911, 1922-23), Cincinnati (1900), Miami (1909) and Western Reserve (1911). WMU also battled the Notre Dame B (1-1), Reserve (1-1) and Frosh teams (6-2) sparingly from 1916-1931. The last meeting between the Broncos and a team sponsored by Notre Dame came in 1931, a 27-6 win over the Notre Dame B team.
Western Michigans other non-conference games both take place at Waldo Stadium. WMU opens its home season on Sept. 11 against Nicholls State for CommUniverCity Night. The Broncos close out non-conference play with Idaho, winners of the 2009 Humanitarian Bowl, on Oct. 2 for the 87th Annual Homecoming Game. WMU opens MAC play at home as well, facing Toledo on Sept. 18.
The remainder of the Broncos home schedule sees Northern Illinois come to town on Oct. 30, Eastern Michigan on Nov. 13 and Kent State on Nov. 20. Western Michigans two other MAC East cross over games will take place on Oct. 23 on the road at Akron and Nov. 26 at Bowling Green to close out the season. The Broncos face only two MAC West opponents on the road, traveling to Ball State on Oct. 9 and Central Michigan on Nov. 5.
The Broncos rivalry game against CMU will air on ESPNU with the time to be announced. Western Michigan will also appear on ESPNU (with the possibility of being moved to ESPN360.com) against the Falcons on Nov. 26. These are the only two games on the 2010 schedule that do not take place on a Saturday afternoon/evening. The Broncos will have an open week on Sept. 25.
Courtesy of WMU Athletics
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