The unofficial online home for fans of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

It’s not our home game. Totally cool with it.

(07-25-2025 04:40 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 01:34 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 08:47 AM)SilentStryk09 Wrote:  ....is apparently being played in Frankfurt? How does this make sense for anybody involved?

https://www.on3.com/news/michigan-wester...t-germany/

Apparently this, along with NIL-Pay to Play and Transfer Portal, is where CFB is headed.

Not in favor.

I'm becoming more of a NFL fan than CFB and never thought I'd say that.

I mean, college basketball teams including WMU have been making overseas trips preseason since long before the things you mention. NIL and pay to play aside, I’m failing to see how this specifically is some harbinger of a bad direction for the game.

Playing overseas exhibition games in Europe during the summer to help prepare for the season is different than playing games that actually count on your record, especially when it makes it difficult if not impossible for fans (especially students) to attend.

(07-26-2025 07:02 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 04:40 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 01:34 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 08:47 AM)SilentStryk09 Wrote:  ....is apparently being played in Frankfurt? How does this make sense for anybody involved?

https://www.on3.com/news/michigan-wester...t-germany/

Apparently this, along with NIL-Pay to Play and Transfer Portal, is where CFB is headed.

Not in favor.

I'm becoming more of a NFL fan than CFB and never thought I'd say that.

I mean, college basketball teams including WMU have been making overseas trips preseason since long before the things you mention. NIL and pay to play aside, I’m failing to see how this specifically is some harbinger of a bad direction for the game.

Playing overseas exhibition games in Europe during the summer to help prepare for the season is different than playing games that actually count on your record, especially when it makes it difficult if not impossible for fans (especially students) to attend.

College basketball has played a regular season game on an aircraft carrier.

(07-26-2025 07:22 AM)BroncoMinor Wrote:  

(07-26-2025 07:02 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 04:40 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 01:34 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 08:47 AM)SilentStryk09 Wrote:  ....is apparently being played in Frankfurt? How does this make sense for anybody involved?

https://www.on3.com/news/michigan-wester...t-germany/

Apparently this, along with NIL-Pay to Play and Transfer Portal, is where CFB is headed.

Not in favor.

I'm becoming more of a NFL fan than CFB and never thought I'd say that.

I mean, college basketball teams including WMU have been making overseas trips preseason since long before the things you mention. NIL and pay to play aside, I’m failing to see how this specifically is some harbinger of a bad direction for the game.

Playing overseas exhibition games in Europe during the summer to help prepare for the season is different than playing games that actually count on your record, especially when it makes it difficult if not impossible for fans (especially students) to attend.

College basketball has played a regular season game on an aircraft carrier.

College basketball teams play three times as many games as CFB teams.

Wmu noted it’s only our second time going international, wrong, third, Toronto in 07, Bahamas bowl in 2016, now this in 2026.

(07-26-2025 07:02 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 04:40 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 01:34 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 08:47 AM)SilentStryk09 Wrote:  ....is apparently being played in Frankfurt? How does this make sense for anybody involved?

https://www.on3.com/news/michigan-wester...t-germany/

Apparently this, along with NIL-Pay to Play and Transfer Portal, is where CFB is headed.

Not in favor.

I'm becoming more of a NFL fan than CFB and never thought I'd say that.

I mean, college basketball teams including WMU have been making overseas trips preseason since long before the things you mention. NIL and pay to play aside, I’m failing to see how this specifically is some harbinger of a bad direction for the game.

Playing overseas exhibition games in Europe during the summer to help prepare for the season is different than playing games that actually count on your record, especially when it makes it difficult if not impossible for fans (especially students) to attend.

Eh, that's UM's problem, let them deal with the blowback. And it's hard to feel sorry for that fan base. Sure if I were a Wolvie, I wouldn't like it. And I agree that decision is a head-scratcher. But for us, I don't see a big downside.

Nice experience/trip for players and some decent media ink leading up to it. And maybe the game will be a bit closer (still very likely a big L) with the travel and strange environment.

(07-26-2025 07:02 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 04:40 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 01:34 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 08:47 AM)SilentStryk09 Wrote:  ....is apparently being played in Frankfurt? How does this make sense for anybody involved?

https://www.on3.com/news/michigan-wester...t-germany/

Apparently this, along with NIL-Pay to Play and Transfer Portal, is where CFB is headed.

Not in favor.

I'm becoming more of a NFL fan than CFB and never thought I'd say that.

I mean, college basketball teams including WMU have been making overseas trips preseason since long before the things you mention. NIL and pay to play aside, I’m failing to see how this specifically is some harbinger of a bad direction for the game.

Playing overseas exhibition games in Europe during the summer to help prepare for the season is different than playing games that actually count on your record, especially when it makes it difficult if not impossible for fans (especially students) to attend.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co...ted_States

In particular, there was a late season, fully counted regular season game played in Japan by major college football teams every year from 1977-93. The concerns you bring up are real (although less so for us since this isn't a home game being relocated), but it's not a new idea in CFB.

(07-26-2025 08:55 AM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  

(07-26-2025 07:02 AM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 04:40 PM)wmubroncopilot Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 01:34 PM)MajorHoople Wrote:  

(07-25-2025 08:47 AM)SilentStryk09 Wrote:  ....is apparently being played in Frankfurt? How does this make sense for anybody involved?

https://www.on3.com/news/michigan-wester...t-germany/

Apparently this, along with NIL-Pay to Play and Transfer Portal, is where CFB is headed.

Not in favor.

I'm becoming more of a NFL fan than CFB and never thought I'd say that.

I mean, college basketball teams including WMU have been making overseas trips preseason since long before the things you mention. NIL and pay to play aside, I’m failing to see how this specifically is some harbinger of a bad direction for the game.

Playing overseas exhibition games in Europe during the summer to help prepare for the season is different than playing games that actually count on your record, especially when it makes it difficult if not impossible for fans (especially students) to attend.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_co...ted_States

In particular, there was a late season, fully counted regular season game played in Japan by major college football teams every year from 1977-93. The concerns you bring up are real (although less so for us since this isn't a home game being relocated), but it's not a new idea in CFB.

No, it's not a new idea.

But because it was a bad one it got dropped decades ago.

Yeah, Barry Sanders found out he won the Heisman in Tokyo. That's incredibly lame.

On the bright side, the Michigan fans hate it.

Yeah, I have no idea why they're bringing a typical OOC Big Ten vs MAC game to Germany. Was Germany like "Hey, we love watching MAC vs Big Ten games. Bring one over here!" ?

Now, if this was Northwestern vs WMU, I'd be all for it. But they would want a bigger named team with lots of fans. So instead, I'd say Michigan State vs top-expected MAC team (Toledo or Ohio?).

I find it very odd that WMU issued a press release announcing that they were merely in discussions for this, and not that the ink was actually dry. Anyone have any thoughts? It's almost like they want to corner UM into picking WMU to do this.

(07-27-2025 09:03 PM)Charm City Bronco Wrote:  I find it very odd that WMU issued a press release announcing that they were merely in discussions for this, and not that the ink was actually dry. Anyone have any thoughts? It's almost like they want to corner UM into picking WMU to do this.

UM has been saying the same ("ongoing discussions...").

https://mgoblue.com/news/2025/7/25/footb...n-michigan

I think there's a non-zero chance of this not happening. UM is getting a ton of heat from its fan base and talking heads over this. Unlikely, but I wouldn't be shocked if UM said, "we looked closely into it and decided never mind."

If UM pulls out, we go over and take the forfeit W

This game in Germany has now been moved to Ann Arbor. Boo………

Bunch of scum bags.

Online murmurs (mainly rumors) were that UM was hedging on a cool Eurotrip to sell to recruits in case the Stallions punishment included a bowl ban.

Since it didn't, makes sense they don't really "need" it anymore.

(11-05-2025 04:08 PM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  Online murmurs (mainly rumors) were that UM was hedging on a cool Eurotrip to sell to recruits in case the Stallions punishment included a bowl ban.

Since it didn't, makes sense they don't really "need" it anymore.

This isn't quite the case. They announced the game expecting they could find a sponsor for the game to offset their and our travel costs (and the fact that the entire thing was going to result in a loss compared to a sold out September home game.)

The sponsors they expected never came so they fell back to a regular home game.