Central Michigan–Western Michigan football rivalry

The Central Michigan–Western Michigan football rivalry is an annual college football game between Central Michigan University (CMU) and Western Michigan University (WMU). The winner receives the Victory Cannon. In its first appearance, it was awarded to CMU after the October 18, 2008, game.

Central Michigan Chippewas Western Michigan Broncos
Sport	Football
First meeting	October 19, 1907 Western State, 29–0
Latest meeting	November 19, 2024 Central Michigan, 16–14
Next meeting	November 1, 2025
Trophy	Victory Cannon
Statistics
Meetings total	95
All-time series	WMU leads 53–40–2
Trophy series	WMU leads 10–7
Largest victory	WMU, 54–0 (1930)
Longest win streak	WMU, 13 (1928–1944)
Current win streak	CMU, 1 (2024–present)

50km
31miles

Western Michigan

Central Michigan

   

Locations of Central Michigan and Western Michigan

History

The teams first played each other in 1907, and Western held the title until 1910.^[1] They did not meet again for another 15 years until 1925, when they met in Kalamazoo, and the game ended in a tie.^[1]

Central picked up its first win in 1927, but Western dominated the rivalry from 1928 to 1952, taking victory in 20 of 21 games.^[2]

Starting in 1975, Central Michigan held a 27-16-1 edge against Western. Central Michigan kept its winning record until 1994, losing only twice to the Broncos, in 1988 and 1992.^[1]

Western Michigan earned back a series of consecutive wins from 2001-2003.^[1]

Victory Cannon

A cannon, which represents the cannons fired at both CMU's Kelly/Shorts Stadium and WMU's Waldo Stadium, sits atop the trophy, and each of the schools' wins are noted on both sides.^[3] The trophy was first awarded in 2008.^[4]

Western Michigan ended the Chippewas five year winning streak with a 30-point win in 2011,^[5] and backed it up with a win in 2012, the Broncos' first win in Mount Pleasant since 2002.^[6] Although the Broncos lead the all-time series 53–40–2, since both teams began competing together in the NCAA Division I in 1975, Central Michigan leads the series 29–19–1. However, since the adoption of the Victory Cannon trophy, Western Michigan leads the series 10–7.

Game results

Central Michigan victories

Western Michigan victories

Tie games

No. Date Location Winner Score 1 October 19, 1907 Mount Pleasant, MI Western State 29–0 2 November 21, 1908 Kalamazoo, MI Western State 11–5 3 November 19, 1909 Mount Pleasant, MI Western State 11–0 4 November 4, 1910 Kalamazoo, MI Western State 16–6 5 November 6, 1925 Kalamazoo, MI Tie 0–0 6 October 22, 1927 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 18–12 7 November 24, 1928 Kalamazoo, MI Western State 19–0 8 November 9, 1929 Mount Pleasant, MI Western State 25–6 9 October 10, 1930 Kalamazoo, MI Western State 54–0 10 November 21, 1931 Mount Pleasant, MI Western State 7–6 11 November 5, 1932 Kalamazoo, MI Western State 7–0 12 November 4, 1933 Mount Pleasant, MI Western State 19–0 13 November 3, 1934 Kalamazoo, MI Western State 13–0 14 November 9, 1935 Mount Pleasant, MI Western State 13–0 15 November 7, 1936 Kalamazoo, MI Western State 33–0 16 November 6, 1937 Mount Pleasant, MI Western State 7–0 17 November 12, 1938 Kalamazoo, MI Western State 35–0 18 September 18, 1943 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 19–0 19 October 7, 1944 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 35–14 20 September 29, 1945 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 6–0 21 November 2, 1946 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 27–21 22 October 11, 1947 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 20–12 23 October 9, 1948 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 7–0 24 October 22, 1949 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 35–8 25 September 30, 1950 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 21–13 26 November 17, 1951 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 46–25 27 October 4, 1952 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 18–0 28 September 26, 1953 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 21–0 29 September 25, 1954 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 25–19 30 September 24, 1955 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 27–12 31 September 22, 1956 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 14–7 32 September 21, 1957 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 33–0 33 September 20, 1958 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 33–32 34 September 19, 1959 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 21–15 35 September 17, 1960 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 31–0 36 September 16, 1961 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 27–21 37 September 15, 1962 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 28–0 38 September 28, 1963 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 30–14 39 September 26, 1964 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 18–6 40 September 25, 1965 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 21–13 41 September 24, 1966 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 31–14 42 September 13, 1969 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 24–0 43 September 12, 1970 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 41–0 44 September 8, 1973 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 18–13 45 November 9, 1974 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 42–6 46 September 6, 1975 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 34–0 47 November 20, 1976 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 42–14 48 November 19, 1977 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 28–23 49 November 18, 1978 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 35–14 No. Date Location Winner Score 50 September 8, 1979 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 10–0 51 November 15, 1980 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 22–10 52 October 10, 1981 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 15–13 53 October 9, 1982 Mount Pleasant, MI Tie 18–18 54 September 24, 1983 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 32–14 55 September 22, 1984 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 38–19 56 October 12, 1985 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 24–17 57 October 11, 1986 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 18–10 58 October 31, 1987 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 30–27 59 October 29, 1988 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 42–24 60 October 14, 1989 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 34–6 61 October 13, 1990 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 20–13 62 November 16, 1991 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 27–17 63 November 14, 1992 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 19–14 64 October 9, 1993 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 23–18 65 October 8, 1994 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 35–28 66 November 18, 1995 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 48–31 67 September 21, 1996 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 38–28 68 November 8, 1997 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 38–24 69 October 24, 1998 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 26–24 70 October 2, 1999 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 38–16 71 November 11, 2000 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 21–17 72 November 17, 2001 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 20–17 73 November 23, 2002 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 35–10 74 November 15, 2003 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 44–21 75 October 30, 2004 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 24–21 76 November 12, 2005 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 31–24 77 November 10, 2006 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 31–7 78 November 6, 2007 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 34–31 79 October 18, 2008 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 38–28 80 October 17, 2009 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 34–23 81 November 5, 2010 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 26–22 82 September 17, 2011 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 44–14 83 November 3, 2012 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 42–31 84 November 16, 2013 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 27–22 85 November 22, 2014 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 32–20 86 October 10, 2015 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 41–39 87 October 1, 2016 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 49–10 88 November 1, 2017 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 35–28 89 October 20, 2018 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 35–10 90 September 28, 2019 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 31–15 91 November 18, 2020 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 52–44 92 November 3, 2021 Kalamazoo, MI Central Michigan 42–30 93 November 16, 2022 Mount Pleasant, MI Western Michigan 12–10 94 November 7, 2023 Kalamazoo, MI Western Michigan 38–28 95 November 19, 2024 Mount Pleasant, MI Central Michigan 16–14 96 November 1, 2025 Kalamazoo, MI Series: Western Michigan leads 53–40–2

See also

• List of NCAA college football rivalry games
• Michigan MAC Trophy