Since 1891, Eastern Michigan and their athletic programs have experienced the highs and lows of college sports and are still standing tall. The Eagles have seen teams be disbanded and created and this year is no different.
Eastern Michigan’s newest team this year will be the girl’s flag football team becoming the first MAC school to have a sponsored team. With 19 varsity teams going into the 2026 school year this will put Eastern Michigan back up at the top of the Mid-American Conference in teams sponsored.
From football at “The Factory” to gymnastics in the Convocation Center, here is a short rundown of all 19 teams you could watch compete this season.
Men’s Football
In their 159th season the Eagles will begin their 12 game campaign against the newest MAC school Sacramento State at home on August 29. The team is led by head coach Chris Creighton who enters his 13th year as head coach and looks to return the school back to the postseason.
The Eagles will be playing their home games at Rynearson Stadium, also known as ‘The Factory’ known nationally for its gray turf installed in 2014 symbolizing the blue-collar work ethic, toughness, and a mindset needed to play in a factory.
Eastern Michigan football is a historic MAC program that has built a reputation under Creighton for toughness, resilience and competing above its traditional expectations, particularly against Power Four opponents.
Women’s Flag Football
Entering their first season as a varsity sport the flag football team will begin its run in the spring of 2027. The team will be led by head coach Jesse Siordia who served in the United States Navy from 1999-21 before becoming the head flag football coach at Siena Heights.
Siordia led the flag football team to a win in the 2026 National Collegiate Flag Football League National Championship before the university permanently shut down after the 2026 academic year.
Eastern has already announced its inaugural roster of 23 student-athletes, giving the Eagles a group with experience in the sport as they prepare for their first season.
The Eagles will have to wait until the second semester to take the field, but when they do, they will be making Eastern Michigan history as the university’s newest varsity program.
Men’s Basketball
The Eagle basketball team will be celebrating their 129th season this year as they enter a new era of Eastern Michigan basketball.
The three time regular season and four time tournament MAC Champions will be starting over after the disappointing Stan Heath. Billy Donlon will be taking over the head coaching duties for the Eagles. Donlon served as associate head coach at Clemson playing a key role in one of the most successful stretches in program history.
Donlon retained star player Mo Habhab who looks to continue his dominance in the Eastern uniform.
The men will begin their MAC schedule at home in the George Gervin GameAbove Center against UMass with the rest of their nonconference games to be announced. Be on the lookout for the full schedule to be released after school starts.
Women’s Basketball
The Lady Eagles have won the MAC twice since being introduced in 1977. After 49 years they are looking for their third league title and the first since 2012.
The Eagles have struggled mightily in the past decade but after a difficult stretch over the past decade, Eastern Michigan enters the 2026-27 season hoping to turn the page. The Eagles are led by head coach Sahar Nusseibeh, who enters another season tasked with rebuilding the program and bringing Eastern back into the MAC postseason conversation.
The Eagles will begin their nonconference schedule in November before beginning MAC play later in the season. Get ready to be cheering on The Lady Eagles all season long.
Baseball
Eastern Michigan baseball is one of the university’s oldest athletic programs and will return to Oestrike Stadium in the spring.
The Eagles enter a new era under head coach Trevor Beerman, who was officially named the ninth head coach in program history on June 9, 2026. Beerman served as the team’s interim head coach during the 2026 season before earning the permanent position.
Eastern finished 19-34 in 2026, including a 12-21 record in MAC play. Beerman now has the opportunity to build his own program and develop the Eagles into a contender in the conference.
With baseball taking place during the spring, Oestrike Stadium can be one of the more relaxed places on campus to watch an Eastern Michigan team compete. Grab some friends, find a seat and enjoy an afternoon at the ballpark.
Men’s Golf
Eastern Michigan’s men’s golf team competes throughout the fall and spring, representing the Eagles at tournaments around the country.
Unlike many of the other sports on this list, golf is not played in front of a traditional home crowd every week. Instead, the Eagles travel to courses across the country and compete against some of the best programs in the region and nation.
The program has produced numerous successful golfers and continues to be one of Eastern Michigan’s established men's programs. For fans who enjoy following individual performances as much as team results, men's golf offers a different way to follow the Eagles.
Women’s Golf
The women’s golf team gives Eastern Michigan another opportunity to compete on courses throughout the country.
The Eagles have established themselves as a strong academic program as well as an athletic one. During the 2025-26 academic year, Eastern Michigan’s women’s golf program earned a perfect multiyear Academic Progress Rate score of 1,000.
Women's golf competes primarily during the fall and spring, with tournaments providing the opportunity for individual golfers to make their mark while helping the Eagles compete as a team.
Men’s Cross Country
If you see a group of Eagles running through campus or across a local course in the fall, there is a good chance you have found Eastern Michigan’s men's cross country team.
Cross country is one of Eastern's oldest endurance sports and focuses on distance running over outdoor courses rather than a traditional track.
The team competes throughout the fall before heading into championship season. It is also one of Eastern's strongest academic programs, earning a perfect multiyear APR score of 1,000 in the most recent academic report.
Women’s Cross Country
The women's cross country team competes alongside the men's program throughout the fall.
The Eagles race at invitationals and championship meets throughout the region, with runners competing individually while contributing to the overall team score.
Cross country is a sport where every runner matters. A strong finish from one athlete can make the difference between winning and losing a meet, making it one of the most team-oriented individual sports at Eastern Michigan.
Men’s Track and Field
Eastern Michigan men's track and field gives athletes the opportunity to compete in everything from sprints and distance races to jumps and throws.
The Eagles compete during both the indoor and outdoor seasons, giving the team multiple opportunities to compete for MAC championships and NCAA qualification.
Track and field is also one of the largest sports in terms of the variety of events, meaning there is something for almost every type of athlete. Whether you prefer watching a 100-meter sprint, a distance race, pole vault or the throwing events, the Eagles have an athlete competing.
Women’s Track and Field
The women's track and field program follows a similar schedule, competing during both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Eastern Michigan has a long history of producing successful track and field athletes, with Eagles regularly competing at the conference and NCAA levels.
The program finished the 2025-26 year with athletes advancing to the NCAA East Preliminary Round, showing the level of competition the Eagles face throughout the season.
For students, track and field is another opportunity to support an Eastern team while seeing several different events take place during the same meet.
Women’s Swimming and Diving
The women's swimming and diving team competes alongside the men's program throughout the season and has developed a strong tradition within the MAC.
The Eagles compete in individual races, relays and diving events, with athletes working toward conference and NCAA qualification.
Swimming and diving can be easy to overlook because it does not receive the same attention as football or basketball, but the program has a long history of success and remains an important part of Eastern Michigan athletics.
Women’s Soccer
Women's soccer is one of the first Eastern Michigan teams many students encounter when they arrive on campus.
The Eagles play their home games at Scicluna Field, located on the west side of campus. The field is named after Paul Scicluna, the first head coach of the Eastern Michigan women's soccer program.
The Eagles enter the 2026 season under head coach Taylor Clarke and will face a challenging schedule that includes Michigan State and several MAC opponents.
Soccer is also one of the easiest teams for students to support in person. Bring a few friends, find a spot around Scicluna Field and cheer on the Eagles during a fall afternoon or evening.
Women’s Volleyball
Eastern Michigan volleyball begins its season in the fall and competes inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
The Eagles play a full nonconference schedule before entering MAC play, giving students plenty of opportunities to see the team throughout the semester. The 2026 schedule includes matches against opponents such as Northern Illinois, Cornell, Ohio and Central Michigan.
Volleyball provides one of the fastest-paced environments in Eastern Michigan athletics. Every point matters, and the momentum inside the arena can change in a matter of seconds.
Women’s Gymnastics
Eastern Michigan gymnastics is one of the university's most recognizable women's programs.
The Eagles compete during the winter and spring, traveling throughout the region before entering the postseason. Gymnastics combines strength, flexibility, balance and precision across four events: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
The program also continues to excel academically. Gymnastics recorded a 995 multiyear APR score in the most recent academic report.
For anyone who has never attended a college gymnastics meet, it is worth checking out. The combination of music, energy and athletic difficulty creates an atmosphere unlike almost any other sport on campus.
Women’s Lacrosse
Women's lacrosse gives Eastern Michigan fans another spring sport to follow.
The Eagles compete at the collegiate level against teams throughout the Midwest and play their home games in Ypsilanti.
Lacrosse combines elements of several sports, including soccer, basketball and hockey. Players use sticks to carry, pass and shoot the ball while attempting to score against the opposing team.
The program has also performed well academically, recording a 997 multiyear APR score and placing student-athletes on academic honors lists.
Women’s Rowing
Eastern Michigan rowing takes the Eagles onto the water, providing one of the most unique athletic experiences at the university.
Rowing is a sport built almost entirely around teamwork. Every member of a boat must move in synchronization, with timing and technique often determining the difference between victory and defeat.
The Eagles compete during the spring season and travel to regattas throughout the region. Like several of Eastern's other Olympic-style sports, rowing also has a strong academic tradition, with Eagles earning conference and national academic recognition.
Women’s Tennis
Eastern Michigan women's tennis competes throughout the spring, with athletes participating in both singles and doubles competition.
Tennis is unique because an individual match can directly affect the team's overall result. Players must compete individually while also understanding that every game and set contributes to the team's final score.
The Eagles compete against teams from around the Midwest before entering the MAC postseason, making the spring a busy time for the program.
Lightweight Rowing
Eastern Michigan will make history once again in 2026-27 with the addition of women’s lightweight rowing, becoming one of only a handful of universities in the nation to sponsor the sport. The program marks the 25th anniversary of EMU rowing and reflects the university’s continued investment in expanding athletic opportunities for women.
Unlike traditional openweight rowing, lightweight rowing is governed by the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) and requires athletes to compete at a maximum weight of 130 pounds, excluding the coxswain. Eastern joins prestigious programs such as Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Georgetown, Boston University, MIT and Wisconsin in sponsoring the sport.
The Eagles will train and compete on the EMU Rowing Course at Ford Lake, a championship-caliber venue that opened in 2024 and will host the Mid-American Conference Rowing Championships through at least 2028. Designed by Olympic course architect Tim Royalty, the eight-lane course has quickly established Ypsilanti as an important destination in collegiate rowing.
Led by head coach Kemp Savage, the new program gives Eastern another opportunity to compete on the national stage while adding to its growing rowing tradition. For students, lightweight rowing will provide yet another chance to cheer on a team that combines teamwork, endurance and precision in one of college athletics’ most unique sports.
The Nineteen
From football to flag football, basketball to baseball, soccer to rowing, Eastern Michigan's 19 varsity programs give students plenty of opportunities to become part of the Eagle community.
Not every sport plays in front of thousands of fans, and not every team receives the same amount of attention. But each program represents Eastern Michigan University, its students and the community surrounding Ypsilanti.
For new students, supporting Eastern Michigan athletics does not have to mean only going to football games. It can mean spending an afternoon at Scicluna Field, watching volleyball inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center, attending a gymnastics meet or discovering a sport you had never watched before.
The Eagles have been competing for more than a century, and with 19 varsity programs entering the 2026-27 school year, there are more ways than ever to find your place in the Eastern Michigan athletic community.
