The Northern Michigan Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northern Michigan University, located in Marquette, Michigan, in NCAA intercollegiate sporting competitions. All teams that play under NCAA governance compete at the Division II level, with three exceptions. The most significant one is the men's ice hockey program, which plays at the Division I level. Two other sports, Nordic skiing (a coeducational sport with separate men's and women's squads) and women's wrestling (part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program), are de facto Division I sports; the NCAA holds a single skiing championship open to members of all three divisions, and does not currently include women's wrestling in its divisional structure. While NMU's skiing program includes both disciplines contested in the NCAA championships (Alpine and Nordic), only the Nordic program competes within the NCAA structure.
| Northern Michigan Wildcats | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Northern Michigan University |
| Conference | Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (primary) Central Collegiate Hockey Association (ice hockey) CCSA (nordic skiing) |
| NCAA | Division II Division I (ice hockey) |
| Athletic director | Rick Comley |
| Location | Marquette, Michigan |
| Varsity teams | 20 |
| Football stadium | Superior Dome |
| Basketball arena | Vandament Arena |
| Ice hockey arena | Berry Events Center |
| Soccer stadium | NMU Outdoor Fields |
| Aquatics center | Physical Education and Instructional Facility |
| Lacrosse stadium | Superior Dome |
| Other venues | Vandament Arena |
| Mascot | Wildcat Willy |
| Nickname | Wildcats |
| Colors | Green and gold[1] |
| Website | www |
NMU fields three other recognized varsity teams, two of which serve as official U.S. Olympic training centers in non-NCAA sports or disciplines. The Olympic training centers are in weightlifting for both men and women, and the non-NCAA discipline of men's Greco-Roman wrestling.
The Wildcats compete as members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for 14 of 20 varsity sports, with the men's hockey team playing in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and the skiing team competes in the Central Collegiate Ski Association. NMU has been a member of the GLIAC since 1987.
Northern Michigan's rivals in sports action are the two other major schools in the upper peninsula: Michigan Technological University, and Lake Superior State University.[2] The winner of the annual football game between NMU and Michigan Tech is awarded the Miner's Cup.
Varsity teams
editList of teams
edit| Men's sports (7) | Women's sports (10) | Coeducational sports (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Basketball | Basketball | Skiing[a] |
| Football | Cross Country | Weightlifting[b] |
| Golf | Golf | |
| Ice hockey | Indoor Track & Field | |
| Soccer | Lacrosse | |
| Swimming and diving | Outdoor track and field | |
| Wrestling[c] | Soccer | |
| Outdoor Track & Field | Swimming and diving | |
| Volleyball | ||
| Wrestling[d] | ||
- ^ NCAA-recognized sport with a single coeducational team championship. NMU fields separate men's and women's squads, with all races involving members of the same sex. Also, although the NCAA championships involve both Alpine and Nordic disciplines, NMU competes within the NCAA only in Nordic.
- ^ An official USOPC training center for this non-NCAA sport.
- ^ Competes only in the non-NCAA discipline of Greco-Roman wrestling as one of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee's official national training centers.
- ^ Part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.
Club teams
editList of teams
edit| Men's sports (7) | Women's sports (9) | Coeducational sports (8) |
|---|---|---|
| Basketball | Dance | Esports[a] |
| Ice Hockey | Ice Hockey | Rowing |
| Golf | Figure Skating | Cross Country |
| Lacrosse | Lacrosse | Cycling |
| Soccer | Rugby | Sailing |
| Rugby | Soccer | Ultimate Frisbee |
| Volleyball | Softball | Hip Hop Dance Crew |
| Volleyball | Nordic Ski | |
| Dance | ||
- ^ In 2022 the Esports team got demoted to a Club program from a Varsity program
Varsity team national championships
editNational Championships (4):
- 1975 – Football – NCAA Division II - 1975 Northern Michigan Wildcats football team
- 1991 – Men's Ice Hockey – NCAA Division I
- 1993 – Women's Volleyball – NCAA Division II
- 1994 – Women's Volleyball – NCAA Division II
National Runners-up (4):
- 1980 – Men's Ice Hockey – NCAA Division I
- 1992 – Women's Swimming and Diving – NCAA Division II
- 1992 – Women's Volleyball – NCAA Division II
- 1995 – Women's Volleyball – NCAA Division II
Basketball Final Four (1):
Club team national championships
editNational Championships (1):
- 2024 – Esports (Rocket League) – NACE Open+ Division
Nationals Appearances:
- 2024 – Womens Hockey – ACHA Division 2
Facilities
editThe Division II football team plays in the world's largest wooden dome, the Superior Dome.[3]
OTS
editThe United States Olympic Training Site on the campus of Northern Michigan University is one of 16 Olympic training sites in the country. The NMU-OTS provides secondary and post-secondary educational opportunities for athletes while offering training.
With more than 70 resident athletes and coaches, the NMU-OTS is the second-largest Olympic training center in the United States, in terms of residents, behind Colorado Springs. The USOEC has more residential athletes than the Lake Placid and Chula Vista sites combined. Over the years, it has grown into a major contributor to the U.S. Olympic movement.
Current resident training programs include Greco-Roman wrestling and weightlifting. Athletes must be approved by the NMU-OTS, their national governing body and NMU to be admitted into the program.
NMU-OTS athletes attend NMU while training in their respective sports. The student athletes receive free or reduced room and board, access to world-class training facilities as well as sports medicine and sports science services, academic tutoring, and a waiver of out-of-state tuition fees by NMU. Although athletes are responsible for tuition at the in-state rate, they may receive the B.J. Stupak Scholarship to help cover expenses.
On-campus NMU-OTS athletes live in NMU's Meyland Hall, eat in campus dining halls, and train at the university's Superior Dome.
The NMU-OTS also offers a variety of short-term training camps; regional, national, and international competitions; coaches and officials education clinics; and an educational program for retired Olympians.[4]
Alumni
edit- Lloyd Carr, former head coach at the University of Michigan
- Jessie Diggins, Olympic gold medalist in cross-country skiing.
- Jerry Glanville, former NFL coach
- Mark Maddox, former NFL player for the Buffalo Bills and Arizona Cardinals
- Damian Matacz, professional basketball player
- Steve Mariucci, former head coach of the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers
- Robert Saleh, Former head Coach of the New York Jets played football for NMU.
- Len St. Jean, former NFL player for the Boston/New England Patriots
- Tom Izzo, Michigan State coach played basketball at NMU
- Steve Avery, former NFL player for the Houston Oilers, Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers
- Jake Witt, Former NFL player for the Indianapolis Colts.
References
edit- ^ Northern Michigan University Institutional Brand Standards Guide (PDF). Retrieved April 18, 2016.
- ^ "University of Michigan Athletics – Football Coaches". Bentley.umich.edu. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
- ^ [1] Archived June 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Home | United States Olympic Education Center". Webb.nmu.edu. Retrieved 2010-07-01.