EMU releases 2020 football schedule: Program to celebrate its 100th homecoming in October
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — A total of five Bowl teams from the 2019 season highlight Eastern Michigan University’s 2020 football schedule, that was announced today, Feb. 26, by the Mid-American Conference.
Eastern will host MAC West Division rival Central Michigan, while road games with 2019 Bowl participants come against non-conference foe Kentucky and league teams Ohio, Western Michigan, and Miami.
The “fan-friendly” schedule includes all five home contests at Rynearson Stadium falling on Saturdays. It also marks the first time since 2017 that all 12 opponents are from the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
An updated version of the MAC 2020 football schedule will be released in June with kick times and a television schedule for the first three weeks of the regular season and midweek games during November. All other game times and television will be announced 12 days prior to the scheduled kick.
EMU kicks off the year on the road at Kentucky, Sept. 5, before returning home to “The Factory” to battle Coastal Carolina, Sept. 12. Eastern remains at home the following week to open its 45th season of MAC play against Northern Illinois, Sept. 19. The Eagles will face another Southeastern Conference foe with a visit to Missouri, Sept. 26, to close out the month of September.
EMU hosts its 100th Annual Homecoming celebration Saturday, Oct. 3, when Central Michigan makes the short trip south. The most spirited week on campus that began in 1920, Homecoming is packed with free and low cost events for students and alumni to enjoy.
A week later, the Green and White will trek to Athens, Ohio, to face the Bobcats of Ohio, Oct. 10. The non-conference schedule concludes Oct. 17 with the team’s fifth all-time trip to West Point, N.Y. to square off against Army.
Eastern welcomes Toledo to Ypsilanti on Oct. 24, while Western Michigan will be EMU’s opponent on Oct. 31 in Kalamazoo. It marks the first-time since the 2009 season that the Eagles will play on Halloween.
The phenomenon known as “MACtion” returns when EMU travels to Muncie, Ind. for a midweek showdown against Ball State Tuesday, Nov. 10. The contest will be televised by either CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, or ESPN2. EMU is 10-4 in the month of November the last four years. In the four seasons prior, Eastern combined for a total of seven wins during the entire 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 campaigns.
Seventh-year Head Coach Chris Creighton and company will close out the home campaign against Bowling Green, Nov. 21.
Eastern wraps up the regular season on “Black Friday” at Miami, Nov. 27. It marks just the second time in program history that Eastern will close the year in Oxford, Ohio, with the last time coming during the 1986 campaign. The finale will be televised by either CBS Sports Network, ESPNU, ESPN+ or ESPN3.
The regular season will conclude with the 24th MAC Football Championship game on either Friday, Dec. 4 or Saturday, Dec. 5 at a time to be announced. This will mark the 17th MAC Football Championship game at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, Super Bowl XL, and the 2009 NCAA Men’s Final Four.
Eastern’s offense was electric in 2019 en route to an appearance in the Quick Lane Bowl, amassing 5,271 total yards, 49 touchdowns, and 379 total points. Overall, the EMU offense set the program record for touchdowns in a season (49), touchdown passes in a season (27), and passes completed in a season (313). Additionally, EMU’s 285 first downs, 379 points, and 5,271 total yards of offense ranked second all-time in program history.
Game themes and ticket information for the 2020 football season will be released in the upcoming weeks.
Season tickets will go on sale Monday, March 23, as EMU’s Ticket Office transitions to a new online ticketing system. Fans will enjoy the ease of purchasing mobile tickets, receiving them via text message and gaining access to the venue with their phones. Advanced ticketing and other features will also be seamlessly integrated into the official athletics website and mobile app, powered by SIDEARM Sports, to elevate the customer experience.
2020 EMU Football Schedule
Sept.
5 at Kentucky
12 COASTAL CAROLINA
19 NORTHERN ILLINOIS*
26 at Missouri
Oct.
3 CENTRAL MICHIGAN*
10 at Ohio
17 at Army West Point
24 TOLEDO*
31 at Western Michigan*
Nov.
10 at Ball State* (ESPN2/ESPNU/CBSSN)
21 BOWLING GREEN*
27 at Miami* (ESPNU/CBSSN/ESPN+/ESPN3)
2020 MAC Bowl Partners
• College Football Playoff Host Bowl
• Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl (Nassau, Bahamas; vs. Conference USA);
• Nova Home Loans Arizona Bowl (Tucson, Ariz.; vs. Mountain West);
• Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise, Idaho.; vs. Mountain West);
• Quick Lane Bowl (Detroit, Mich.; vs. Big Ten);
• Rotate annually as a primary in two (2) ESPN owned and operated games from the following:
– Cure Bowl, Orlando, Fla.;
– Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl, Frisco, Texas;
– Myrtle Beach Bowl, Myrtle Beach, S.C.;
– Camellia Bowl, Montgomery, Ala.;
– Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl, Boca Raton, Fla;
– LendingTree Bowl, Mobile, Ala.;
