Team History
The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School. It wasn't until the school was Michigan State Normal College when the school's first nicknames (then Michigan State Normal College), were the "Normalites" and "Men from Ypsi". The "Hurons" first came into being as the result of a contest sponsored by the Men's Union in 1929. On Oct. 31 of that year, a three-person committee, composed of Dr. Clyde Ford, Dr. Elmer Lyman and Professor Bert Peet, selected the name "Hurons" from the many entries in the contest. The name was submitted by two students, Gretchen Borst and George Hanner. The runner-up name in that contest was Pioneers. The "Hurons" was adopted in 1929. EMU was a member of the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1950 to 1961, and eventually joined the Mid-American Conference in 1972. The university switched from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I athletics in the mid 1970s. Since the 1991 season, Eastern Michigan University athletic teams have gone by the nickname "Eagles."
Since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1972, Eastern's most successful athletics programs in men's sports include: cross country with over 17 MAC titles, indoor track & field with 12 MAC titles, outdoor track & field with over 20 MAC titles and men's swimming & diving with over 30 MAC titles. The more successful sports in women's athletics include outdoor track & field with over 10 MAC titles and indoor track & field with 3 MAC titles.
EMU football made two appearances in NCAA (football) bowl games in 1971 Pioneer Bowl and winning in the 1987 California Bowl. Eastern's men's basketball team has appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments. They reached the Sweet Sixteen in the 1991 and in 1996. As well, men's basketball reached the Final Four of the 1972 NCAA College Division National Championship and were national runners up in 1976.
Read more about this topic: Eastern Michigan Eagles
Famous quotes containing the words team and/or history:
“I doubt if men ever made a trade of heroism. In the days of Achilles, even, they delighted in big barns, and perchance in pressed hay, and he who possessed the most valuable team was the best fellow.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The greatest honor history can bestow is that of peacemaker.”
—Richard M. Nixon (1913–1995)