Western Michigan Broncos Explained

Western Michigan Broncos
University:Western Michigan University
Association:NCAA
Conference:MAC (primary)
NCHC (men's hockey)
MVC (men's soccer)
Division:Division I (FBS)
Director:Dan Bartholomae
Location:Kalamazoo, Michigan
Teams:16
Stadium:Waldo Stadium
Baseballfield:Hyames Field
Basketballarena:University Arena
Softballstadium:Ebert Field
Soccerstadium:WMU Soccer Complex
Icehockeyarena:Lawson Arena
Mascot:Buster Bronco
Nickname:Broncos
Pageurl:http://www.wmubroncos.com

The Western Michigan Broncos are a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I program representing Western Michigan University (WMU) in college athletics. They compete in the Mid-American Conference in men's baseball, basketball, football (within the Football Bowl Subdivision), and tennis; and women's basketball, cross-country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track and field, and volleyball. The men's ice hockey team competes in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and the men's soccer team competes in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Broncos also have a flight team, the SkyBroncos, who have won the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (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 for baseball and 1958 for men's cross country.

The facilities include Waldo Stadium (football), University Arena (men's and women's basketball, volleyball), Lawson Arena (hockey), Hyames Field (baseball), Ebert Field (softball), Sorensen Courts/West Hills Athletic Club (men's and women's tennis), and Kanley Track (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.

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.[1] John Gill, 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 competition. WMU president John Dunn has said that the work, "Epic Broncos", captures the "history and pride of being a Bronco".[2]

Varsity sports

A member of the West Division of the Mid-American Conference, Western Michigan sponsors teams in 6 men's and 9 women's NCAA sanctioned sports.[3]

Basketball
Cross country
Golf
Gymnastics
Soccer
Tennis Softball
Tennis
Track & field
Volleyball
Notes

Baseball

See main article: Western Michigan Broncos baseball. The baseball team has represented WMU since its first season in 1911, compiling an overall record of 1,822–1349–23 through 2012.[4] They have appeared in the College World Series six times, most recently in 1963. In the 1955 College World Series, WMU finished as the NCAA runner-up, losing to Wake Forest 7–6 in the championship game.[4]

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

See main article: Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball and Western Michigan Broncos women's basketball.

Football

See main article: Western Michigan Broncos football.

Hockey

See main article: Western Michigan Broncos men's ice hockey.

Soccer (men's)

See main article: Western Michigan Broncos men's soccer. The men's soccer team won the MAC tournament championship in 2003 and 2022. They are coached by Chad Wiseman. A famous former player is Rob Friend, who transferred to the University of California, Santa Barbara's Men's Soccer program. He plays in Major League Soccer (MLS) for the LA Galaxy, as well as the Canadian National Team.

The Broncos moved men's soccer to the Missouri Valley Conference 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, in 1980, 1981 and 1982 (NCAA).[5]

Volleyball

The volleyball team has been competing at Western Michigan University since 1965. In that span, the team has won 10 MAC regular season championships (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2008 and 2023) and 7 MAC tournament championships (1982, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2000, 2014 and 2023). Through the 2022 season, WMU's all-time overall record is 1064–778–9 (.577) and conference record is 426–222 (.657).

The Broncos are coached by Colleen Munson. In her eighteen years at WMU, she has compiled a 349–220 (.613) record.

WMU won the MAC regular season championship the first eight seasons it was in existence without losing a match, compiling an 86–0 record.

In 2013, the Broncos went undefeated in the league (18–0) and went on to win the tournament championship. They defeated No.7 seeded Auburn in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament and will take on No. 2 Louisville.

NCAA tournament results

SeasonRoundSeedOpponentResultNotes
1982align=center First round (28 teams)align=center at No. 12 BYUalign=center L 3–0 (15–10, 15–7, 15–7)
1983align=center First round (28 teams)align=center vs. No. 7 Nebraskaalign=center W 3–1 (9–15, 15–12, 15–12, 15–8)
1983align=center Regional semifinal (16 teams)align=center at No. 10 Purduealign=center W 3–2 (15–3, 9–15, 15–9, 14–16, 15–10)
1983align=center Regional final (8 teams)align=center at No. 3 UCLAalign=center L 3–0 (15–6, 15–8, 15–12)
1984align=center First round (28 teams)align=center at No. 12 Illinois Statealign=center W 3–1 (15–13, 9–15, 15–8, 17–15)
1984align=center Regional semifinal (16 teams)align=center at No. 7 Nebraskaalign=center L 1–3 (12–15, 10–15, 15–8, 7–15)
1985align=center First round (28 teams)align=center at No. 10 Illinoisalign=center L, 1–3 (9–15, 11–15, 15–12, 12–15)
1986align=center First round (32 teams)align=center at No. 19 Colorado Statealign=center W, 3–0 (16–14, 15–2, 15–12)
1986align=center Regional semifinal (16 teams)align=center at No. 12 Illinoisalign=center L, 0–3 (5–15, 10–15, 4–15)
1987align=center First round (32 teams)align=center at Oklahomaalign=center W, 3–0 (15–3, 15–8, 15–9)
1987align=center Regional semifinal (16 teams)align=center at No. 7 Illinoisalign=center L, 2–3 (11–15, 15–9, 7–15, 15–12, 10–15)
1988align=center First round (32 teams)align=center at No. 7 Texasalign=center L, 0–3 (10–15, 14–16, 3–15)
2000align=center First round (64 teams)align=center vs. Northern Iowaalign=center L, 1–3 (14–16, 15–8, 7–15, 8–15)
2008align=center First round (64 teams)align=center at Daytonalign=center W, 3–1 (21–25, 26–24, 25–23, 25–18)
2008align=center Second round (32 teams)align=center vs. No. 16 Tulanealign=center W, 3–2 (20–25, 25–21, 13–25, 25–19, 15–12)
2008align=center Regional semifinals (16 teams)align=center at No. 1 Penn Statealign=center L, 0–3 (17–25, 12–25, 19–25)
2011align=center First round (64 teams)align=center vs. No. 11 Washingtonalign=center L, 1–3 (13–25, 25–20, 22–25, 25–16)
2014align=center First round (64 teams)align=center vs. No. 4 Wisconsinalign=center L, 0–3 (9–24, 24–26, 10–25)
2023align=center First round (64 teams)align=center vs. No. 7 Auburnalign=center W 3–0 (25–18, 25–17, 25–19)
2023align=center Second round (32 teams)align=center at No. 2 Louisvillealign=center L 3–0 (26–24, 25–18, 25–22)

Other varsity sports

The men's cross country team won the NCAA Division I championship in 1964 and 1965,[6] 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 NCAA.[7]

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.[8] 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).[8]

Championships

NCAA Division I National Championships

1964 • 1965

NCAA Division I National Runners-up

1955

1958

MAC championships

CCHA tournament championships

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 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 in the Mid-American Conference of Division 1AA.[9] The Broncos reached the MAC semifinals in 2014.[10] Recently, the men's rugby team qualified for the D1AA XV's Fall Playoff Nationals in 2017 [11] and 2018.[12] 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

2005

American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division 2 Championships

1996

National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) National Championships

1947

1948

1983

1998

2002

United States Figure Skating Association (USFSA) National Championships

2004

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Hilltoppers are now Broncos. The Park City Daily News. January 22, 1939. 7.
  2. Web site: 'Epic Broncos' at ArtPrize reflects Western Michigan University, its mascot. July 2, 2012. October 23, 2011. Michigan Live. Herndon, Jess.
  3. Web site: (W Broncos logo) . Western Michigan University . 27 December 2016 .
  4. Web site: Archived copy . February 28, 2011 . July 18, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110718073232/http://www.wmubroncos.com//pdf8/684471.pdf . dead .
  5. Book: A Series Of Their Own: History Of The Women's College World Series. William. Plummer. Larry C.. Floyd. 2013. Turnkey Communications Inc.. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. 978-0-9893007-0-4.
  6. Web site: NCAA Division I Men's Cross Country Championship History . National Collegiate Athletic Association . April 17, 2014.
  7. http://www.wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=4600&ATCLID=1243444 Bronco Sprint Medley Team Ranked Nation's Best by Track & Field News – WMUBroncos.com—Official Web Site of Western Michigan Athletics
  8. Web site: Western Michigan Wins Cartwright Award. Mid-American Conference. October 6, 2011.
  9. News: BGSU Top In MAC, But For How Long?. 2018-11-11. en-US.
  10. http://www.rugbytoday.com/college/mac-semifinals-set "MAC Semifinals Set"
  11. News: D1AA Playoffs: Who Is Going In, Who Comes Out. 2018-11-11. en-US.
  12. News: Fall College Playoff Brackets Set. 2018-11-11. en-US.