The Western Michigan Broncos are a

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

(NCAA) Division I program representing

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...

(WMU) in

college athletics College athletics encompasses non-professional, collegiate and university-level competitive sports and games. World University Games The first World University Games were held in 1923. There were originally called the ''Union Nationale des ...

. They compete in the

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twel ...

in men's

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

(within the

Football Bowl Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

and

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

; and women's

cross-country Cross country or cross-country may refer to: Places * Cross Country, Baltimore, a neighborhood in northwest Baltimore, Maryland * Cross County Parkway, an east–west parkway in Westchester County, NY * Cross County Shopping Center, a mall in Yo ...

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...

softball Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hanc ...

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

, and

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

. The men's ice hockey team competes in the

National Collegiate Hockey Conference The National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) is an NCAA men's Division I hockey conference formed on July 9, 2011. The league began playing for the 2013–14 season, the same season that the Big Ten Conference began competition, as a combina ...

. The Broncos also have a flight team, the SkyBroncos, who have won the

National Intercollegiate Flying Association The National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) is a professional organization that provides a forum of competition and learning for aviation students from colleges all around the United States. Official NIFA Mission Statement "The National ...

(NIFA) National Championship award five times. The Broncos have won two NCAA national championships. The men's cross country team won the NCAA title in 1964 and 1965. WMU finished as national runners up in

1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...

for baseball and 1958 for men's cross country. The facilities include

Waldo Stadium Waldo Stadium is a stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is primarily used for football, and has been the home of Western Michigan University Broncos football in rudimentary form since 1914, and as a complete stadium since 1939. It currently has ...

(football), University Arena (men's and women's basketball, volleyball),

Lawson Arena Harry W. Lawson Ice Arena and Gabel Natatorium is a 3,667-seat multi-purpose arena, and adjacent natatorium in Kalamazoo, Michigan, located on the far Southwest corner of Western Michigan University's main campus. The arena is a single-level, hors ...

(hockey),

Hyames Field Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field is a baseball stadium located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States, on the campus of Western Michigan University. It opened in 1939, and serves as the home field for the Western Michigan Broncos baseball pr ...

(baseball),

Ebert Field Ebert Field is a softball field located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States, and home to the Western Michigan University softball team. The field is named in honor of Fran Ebert, who started the WMU softball program in 1976. The stadium seats ...

(softball), Sorensen Courts/West Hills Athletic Club (men's and women's tennis), and

Kanley Track Kanley Track is a track and field complex located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is the outdoor home of the Western Michigan University track and field varsity squad and university clubs. At one time, Kanley Track had been a part of Waldo Stadium, be ...

(women's track and field). The soccer teams compete at the WMU Soccer Complex located near the Parkview Campus. The school's primary rival is

Central Michigan University Central Michigan University (CMU) is a public research university in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Established in 1892 as the Central Michigan Normal School and Business Institute, the private normal school became a state institution and renamed Cen ...

History

WMU athletic teams were once known as the Hilltoppers, a reference to the school's location on top of Prospect Hill, but changed their nickname in 1939 to the Broncos to avoid confusion with teams of other schools such as the

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and Lady Toppers are the athletic teams that represent Western Kentucky University (WKU), located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, competing in the Co ...

John Gill John Gill may refer to: Sports *John Gill (cricketer) (1854–1888), New Zealand cricketer *John Gill (coach) (1898–1997), American football coach *John Gill (footballer, born 1903), English professional footballer *John Gill (American football) ...

, an assistant coach on the football team who later served as head coach, coined the new athletic nickname after approval for the name change was granted by the school's athletic board. In 2011, WMU commissioned artist Revere La Noue to create a 6,500-square-foot building wrap representing the Broncos for the 2011

ArtPrize ArtPrize is an art competition and festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Anyone over the age of 18 can display their art, and any space within the three-square-mile ArtPrize district can be a venue. There are typically over 160 venues such as museu ...

competition. WMU president John Dunn has said that the work, "Epic Broncos", captures the "history and pride of being a Bronco".

Varsity sports

A member of the West Division of the

, Western Michigan sponsors teams in 6 men's and 9 women's

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

sanctioned sports. ;Notes

Baseball

The baseball team has represented WMU since its first season in 1911, compiling an overall record of 1,822–1349–23 () through 2012. They have appeared in the

College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is an annual baseball tournament held in June in Omaha, Nebraska. The MCWS is the culmination of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divisi ...

six times, most recently in 1963. In the

1955 College World Series The 1955 NCAA baseball tournament was played at the end of the 1955 NCAA baseball season to determine the national champion of college baseball. The tournament concluded with eight teams competing in the College World Series, a double-eliminatio ...

, WMU finished as the NCAA runner-up, losing to Wake Forest 7–6 in the championship game. WMU has won 15 Mid-American Conference championships, including 13 of 19 from 1949 to 1967 and most recently, the conference tournament in 2016. The Broncos are coached by Billy Gernon.

Basketball

Football

Hockey

Soccer (men's)

The men's soccer team won the MAC tournament championship in 2003 and 2022. They are coached by

Chad Wiseman Chad Wiseman (born March 25, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. As a player, he played 9 games in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers between 2003 and 2005. After retiring in ...

. A famous former player is

Rob Friend Rob or ROB may refer to: Places * Rob, Velike Lašče, a settlement in Slovenia * Roberts International Airport (IATA code ROB), in Monrovia, Liberia People * Rob (given name), a given name or nickname, e.g., for Robert(o), Robin/Robyn * Rob (s ...

, who transferred to the

University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduate ...

's Men's Soccer program. He plays in

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

(MLS) for the

LA Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...

, as well as the Canadian National Team. The Broncos will move men's soccer to the

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest. History The MVC was established ...

in 2023, following the MAC discontinuing sponsorship of men's soccer after the 2022 season.

Soccer (women's)

On November 9, 2013, Western Michigan women's soccer team won the Mid-American Conference tournament championship and a trip to the NCAA tournament. The MAC Championship is the second for the program, coming 10 years from the first one in 2003.

Softball

The Bronco softball team has appeared in three

Women's College World Series The Women's College World Series (WCWS) is the final portion of the NCAA Division I softball tournament for college softball in the United States. Eight teams participate in the WCWS, which begins with a double-elimination tournament. In other wo ...

, in 1980, 1981 and 1982 (NCAA).

Volleyball

The volleyball team has been competing at Western Michigan University since 1965. In that span, the team has won 7 MAC regular season championships (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2000) and 4 MAC tournament championships (1987, 1988, 1989, 2000). WMU's all-time overall record is 705–482–9 (.593) and all-time conference record is 261–122 (.681). The Broncos are coached by Colleen Munson. In her two years at WMU, she has compiled a 41–24 (.631) record.

Other varsity sports

The men's cross country team won the NCAA Division I championship in 1964 and 1965, and finished as national runners up in 1958. The women's gymnastics team won the MAC championship in 2006 and 2013. The Broncos track and field sprint medley relay team is currently ranked #1 in the

Awards

For the 2010–11 season, WMU was awarded the Cartwright Award, given to one MAC program each season for excellence in academics, athletics and citizenship. For the season, WMU won the Jacoby Trophy (most successful women's program) and finished second for the Reese Trophy (most successful men's program).

Championships

NCAA Division I National Championships

*Cross Country (Men's) (2) : 1964 • 1965

NCAA Division I National Runners-up

*Baseball (1) :

*Cross Country (Men's) (1) : 1958

MAC championships

* Baseball (15 championships) ** Regular season (14): 1989 • 1967 • 1966 • 1963 • 1962 • 1961 • 1959 • 1958 • 1957 • 1955 • 1952 • 1951 • 1950 • 1949 ** Tournament (1): ''2016'' * Basketball (Men's) (13) ** Regular season (11): 2013–14 (West Division) • 2012–13 (West Division) • 2010–11 (West Division) • 2008–09 (West Division) • 2007–08 (West Division) • 2004–05 (West Division) • 2003–04 (West Division) • 1997–98 (West Division) • 1980–81 • 1975–76 • 1951–52 ** Tournament (2): 2014 • 2004 * Basketball (Women's) (3) ** Regular season (1): 1999–2000 (West Division) ** Tournament (2): 2003 • 1985 * Cross Country (Men's) (14) ** MAC Championships: 1980 • 1979 • 1977 • 1976 • 1970 • 1968 • 1966 • 1963 • 1961 • 1960 • 1959 • 1958 • 1957 • 1948 * Cross Country (Women's) (4) ** MAC Championships: 1993 • 1986 • 1985 • 1984 * Football (5) ** Regular season: 2000 (West Division) • 1999 (West Division) • 1988 • 1966 • 2015 (Co-West Division) • 2016 ** MAC Championship: 2016 * Golf (Men's) (1) ** MAC Championships: 1949 * Gymnastics (4) ** Regular season (3): 2006 • 1987 • 1986 ** Tournament (1): 2006 * Soccer (Men's) (1) ** Regular season: ''None'' ** Tournament (1): 2003 * Soccer (Women's) (1) ** Regular season: ''None'' ** Tournament (2): 2003, 2015 * Softball (4) ** Regular season (3): 2006 • 1984 (Western Division) • 1983 (Western Division) ** Tournament (1): 2003 * Swimming and Diving (Men's) (2) ** Regular season: 1964 • 1963 ** MAC Championships: ''None'' * Tennis (Men's) (30) ** Regular season (22): 2015, 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2004 • 2000 • 1999 • 1981 • 1965 • 1964 • 1963 • 1962 • 1961 • 1960 • 1959 • 1958 • 1957 • 1956 • 1955 • 1954 • 1952 • 1950 ** Tournament (8): 2016, 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2004 • 2001 * Tennis (Women's) (15) ** Regular season (11): 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2001 • 2000 • 1999 • 1997 • 1995 • 1990 • 1984 ** Tournament (4): 2007 • 2006 • 2000 • 1999 * Track and Field (Men's) (18) ** Regular season: 1996 • 1995 • 1985 • 1980 • 1976 • 1971 • 1970 • 1969 • 1968 • 1966 • 1965 • 1964 • 1963 • 1962 • 1961 • 1960 • 1959 • 1958 ** Tournament: ''None'' * Track and Field (Women's) (2) ** Regular season: 1987 • 1985 ** Tournament: ''None'' * Volleyball (15) ** Regular season (11): 2009 (West Division) • 2008 (West Division) • 2007 (West Division) • 2000 (West Division) • 1988 • 1987 • 1986 • 1985 • 1984 • 1983 • 1982 ** Tournament (4): 2000 • 1989 • 1988 • 1987

CCHA tournament championships

* Ice Hockey (Men's) (2) : 1986, 2012

Non-varsity sports

Synchronized skating

Although the sport of synchronized skating is not an official NCAA sport Western Michigan is home to an internationally competitive

synchronized skating Synchronized skating is an ice skating sport where between 8 to 16 skaters perform together as a team. They move as a flowing unit at high speed over the ice, while performing elements and footwork. This complex sport originated in 1956 and was ...

team, who have medalled at competitions around the world. The Bronco's synchronized skating program consists of a senior team, which competes internationally as well as a collegiate level team which is competitive among the top university and collegiate teams from around the United States. The team lost their athletic funding and Varsity status along with Men's Cross Country and Track & Field in the 2003–2004 competitive season, and became a Club sport.

Rugby

Founded in 1990, Western Michigan plays

college rugby College rugby is played by men and women throughout colleges and universities in the United States of America. Seven-a-side and fifteen-a-side variants of rugby union are most commonly played. Most collegiate rugby programs do not fall under the ...

in the Mid-American Conference of Division 1AA. The Broncos reached the MAC semifinals in 2014. Recently, the men's rugby team qualified for the D1AA XV's Fall Playoff Nationals in 2017 and 2018. The Broncos play their home matches at Versluis Dickinson park in Kalamazoo, and are led by head coach Mark Allen.

Championships

United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSSA) Championships * Snowboard Team (Combined Men's and Women's) :2005 American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division 2 Championships * Ice Hockey (Men's) :1996 National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) National Championships * SkyBroncos Precision Flight Team (5) :1947 :1948 :1983 :1998 :2002 United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) National Championships * Synchronized Skating - Collegiate division :2004

References

External links

*
Western Michigan Broncos Hall of Fame
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