Central Michigan vs. Western Michigan
Central Michigan and Western Michigan have 61 meetings on file, the first in 1962; Central Michigan leads the series 32–28–1 in the games on file. Over the last 10 meetings it’s Western Michigan 7–3, and Western Michigan has won the last 2. The winner takes home the Victory Cannon, played for since about 2008. Western Michigan has held it since the 2025 game. Share
- Central Michigan wins
- 32
- Western Michigan wins
- 28
- Ties
- 1
- Earliest on file
- 1962
- Longest streak
- 5 Western Michigan
- Current streak
- 2 Western Michigan
- Last 10 meetings
- Western Michigan 7–3
- Most recent
- 2026
The series at a glance
| ’0 | ’1 | ’2 | ’3 | ’4 | ’5 | ’6 | ’7 | ’8 | ’9 | W–L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2–4 | ||||||||||
| 1970s | 5–3 | ||||||||||
| 1980s | 8–1–1 | ||||||||||
| 1990s | 6–4 | ||||||||||
| 2000s | 6–4 | ||||||||||
| 2010s | 3–7 | ||||||||||
| 2020s | 2–5 |
- Average margin
- 13.2 points; 26 decided by one score (8 or fewer)
- At Central Michigan
- 17–11–1 Central Michigan’s record at home
- At Western Michigan
- 17–15 Western Michigan’s record at home
- Shutouts
- 5
Every meeting on file, as played. Ranks are the AP poll’s going in.
Victory Cannon
- Played for since
- about 2008
- Held by
- Western Michigan since the 2025 game
- Games for it on file
- 19 Central Michigan 7, Western Michigan 12
Who holds it comes from the games on file: the winner of the latest regular-season meeting since about 2008 (bowl rematches aren’t played for it); a tie leaves it with the holder (the usual rule; the article doesn’t say). The rivalry’s article counts the games for it: WMU leads 12–7. From Wikipedia’s list of rivalry games and the rivalry’s article (CC BY-SA). More on the Victory Cannon.
Games that tell the story
- Central Michigan’s biggest win1974: Central Michigan 42, Western Michigan 6by 36 points
- Western Michigan’s biggest win1970: Western Michigan 41, Central Michigan 0by 41 points
- Upset1964: Central Michigan 18, Western Michigan 6Central Michigan had a 14% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
- Upset2000: Central Michigan 21, Western Michigan 17Central Michigan had a 14% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
- Upset1963: Central Michigan 30, Western Michigan 14Central Michigan had a 18% chance, by our ratings before kickoff
Coach against coach
| Years | Central Michigan | Series | Western Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–1977 | Roy Kramer | 2–1 | Elliot Uzelac |
| 1978–1981 | Herb Deromedi | 4–0 | Elliot Uzelac |
| 1982–1986 | Herb Deromedi | 4–0–1 | Jack Harbaugh |
| 1987–1993 | Herb Deromedi | 5–2 | Al Molde |
| 1994–1996 | Dick Flynn | 2–1 | Al Molde |
| 1997–1999 | Dick Flynn | 1–2 | Gary Darnell |
| 2000–2003 | Mike DeBord | 1–3 | Gary Darnell |
| 2007–2009 | Butch Jones | 3–0 | Bill Cubit |
| 2010–2012 | Dan Enos | 1–2 | Bill Cubit |
| 2019–2022 | Jim McElwain | 1–3 | Tim Lester |
Head-coach pairings with three or more meetings on file, the series read from Central Michigan’s side (Kramer 2–1 against Uzelac). A season split between coaches goes to the one credited with the game.
Both programs through the years
Our Elo rating at the end of each season, a measure of how strong a team was, not a forecast; 1500 is an average FBS team.
Stars of the series
Biggest days
| Kent Smith Central Michigan | 46 of 70, 460 yards, 1 TD, 3 INT | 2005 Passing | |
| D’Wayne Eskridge Western Michigan | 4 catches, 212 yards, 3 TD | 2020 Receiving | |
| Jarvion Franklin Western Michigan | 26 carries, 228 yards, 2 TD | 2017 Rushing | |
| Titus Davis Central Michigan | 10 catches, 208 yards, 1 TD | 2012 Receiving | |
| Jordan White Western Michigan | 13 catches, 177 yards, 2 TD | 2011 Receiving | |
| Greg Jennings Western Michigan | 9 catches, 171 yards, 2 TD | 2005 Receiving |
Biggest days: the week’s best individual games by our big-days rule, from box scores (2004 on).
On television
| 2025 | ESPNU | 0.0 million viewers |
Viewers: Nielsen, as compiled by nschultz7’s ratings tracker.
Every game
Every game is listed as played on the field.