Western Michigan Broncos

The Western Michigan Broncos are the Football Bowl Subdivision program of Western Michigan University, taking the field at Waldo Stadium in the heart of the Mid-American Conference. Known for feeding NFL talent and playing a physical brand of Midwestern football, the Broncos have built a reputation as MAC contenders who don't shy from bowl season. Waldo Stadium's crowd noise and the Bronco Marching Band give home games in Kalamazoo an unmistakable energy. From steady conference play to breakthrough championship seasons, WMU football carries a proud regional identity.

Broncos football dates to 1906, growing out of the small Michigan Collegiate Conference before WMU settled into the Mid-American Conference in 1948. After decades as steady MAC competitors, the program broke through with championships in 1966, 1988 and a landmark 2016 season that saw a 13-0 run under head coach P.J. Fleck and a Cotton Bowl berth - the school's first-ever New Year's Six bowl appearance. Western Michigan added a fourth MAC title in 2025, extending a modern renaissance for the program. The team's nickname changed from 'Hilltoppers' to 'Broncos' in 1939, and it has stuck ever since.