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
NCAA Emerging Sports for Women are intercollegiate women's sports that are recognized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, but do not have sanctioned NCAA Championships.
History
In 1994, the NCAA adopted th ...
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.
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
Greco-Roman (American English), Graeco-Roman (British English), classic wrestling (Euro English) or French wrestling (in Russia until 1948) is a style of wrestling that is practiced worldwide. Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the first mod ...
. The other recognized varsity team is in esports, which are not governed by the NCAA.
The Wildcats compete as members of the North Division 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
Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ...
, and
Lake Superior State University. The winner of the annual football game between NMU and Michigan Tech is awarded the
Miner's Cup
The Miner's Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the college football game between the and the . There has been a rivalry between the two teams since 1920, but the tradition of a "traveling trophy" between the two schools has only been aro ...
.
Varsity teams
List of teams
National championships
National Championships (4):
* 1975 – Football – NCAA Division II
* 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):
*
1961
Events January
* January 3
** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015).
** Aero Flight 311 ...
– Men's Basketball –
NAIA Division I
Facilities
The Division II football team plays in the world's largest wooden dome, the
Superior Dome
The Superior Dome is a domed stadium on the campus of Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette, Michigan, United States. It opened as the "world’s largest wooden dome" on September 14, 1991, and is home to the Northern Michigan Wildcats ...
.
OTS
The 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 world-class 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 Superior Dome is a domed stadium on the campus of Northern Michigan University (NMU) in Marquette, Michigan, United States. It opened as the "world’s largest wooden dome" on September 14, 1991, and is home to the Northern Michigan Wildcats ...
.
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.
Alumni
*
Lloyd Carr, former head coach at the
University of Michigan
*
Jerry Glanville, former NFL coach
*
Mark Maddox, former NFL player for the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
and
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
*
Damian Matacz
Damian Richard Matacz (born 28 February 1979) is an Australian former professional basketball player who is most well known for his 18 seasons with the Joondalup Wolves in the State Basketball League (SBL). A former college player for Northern ...
, professional basketball player
*
Steve Mariucci, former head coach of the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
and
San Francisco 49ers
*
Robert Saleh, Head Coach of the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
played football for NMU.
*
Len St. Jean
Leonard Wayne St. Jean (born October 27, 1941) is a former college and professional American football guard. In 1964, he joined the Boston Patriots of the American Football League (AFL). He played there for ten seasons and was a one-time AFL All- ...
, 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
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
and
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
References
External links
*
{{Central Collegiate Ski Association navbox