KALAMAZOO, Mich.- In conjunction with the Mid-American Conference, Western Michigan announced its 2018 football schedule today. The Broncos will be featured at least four times on national television and have a fifth game already slated as an ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3 selection. Additional television coverage could be added during the year, including a Sept. 8 matchup at Michigan. All game times are currently TBA.

Western Michigan and Syracuse have agreed to move their season-opener in Kalamazoo originally scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 1 to Friday, Aug. 31. The game will be televised on the CBS Sports Network. It will be the first ever meeting between the Broncos and the Orange, however the WMU coaching staff is very familiar with Syracuse. Head coach Tim Lester (2013-15), offensive coordinator Jake Moreland (2015) and defensive coordinator Tim Daoust (2011-15) have all made previous coaching stops at Syracuse.

The Broncos head to Ann Arbor for week two of the season, facing Michigan for the seventh time in school history on Saturday, Sept. 8. The 2018 meeting will be the fifth time since 2001 the two teams have met, after going nearly 60 years from 1943-2001 without playing one another. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh has family ties to Western Michigan. His father, Jack, was the Broncos' head coach from 1982-86 and Jim's brother John, current head coach for the Baltimore Ravens, was a graduate assistant on the Broncos' staff from 1984-86.

Western Michigan returns home to host Delaware State on Saturday, Sept. 15 for the Broncos' annual CommUniverCity game. WMU closes out the non-conference portion of the schedule on Saturday, Sept. 22 at Georgia State.

Western Michigan begins its MAC slate on Saturday, Sept. 29 at Miami. The Broncos' first home conference game is against Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 6, which will also be WMU's 95th annual Homecoming game, as well as Youth Day.

The Brown & Gold is on the road for the following two Saturdays, traveling to Bowling Green, Oct. 13 and Central Michigan, Oct. 20. WMU begins midweek MACtion on Thursday, Oct. 25, hosting defending conference champion Toledo on ESPN2 or the CBS Sports Network.

The Broncos host Ohio on Thursday, Nov. 1 on ESPNU or the CBS Sports Network and face Ball State on the road on ESPN2 on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Western Michigan hosts Northern Illinois in the regular-season finale on Tuesday, Nov. 20. That game will be carried on either ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3.

An updated release of the 2018 MAC football schedule will be released in June with kick times and a television schedule for the first three weeks of the regular season and midweek games during late October and November.  All other game kick times and television will be announced 12 days prior to the scheduled game.

The 22nd Marathon MAC Football Championship game will be played at Ford Field in Detroit at a date and time to be determined. This will mark the 15th Marathon MAC Football Championship game at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, Super Bowl XL, and the 2009 NCAA Men's Final Four.


Western Michigan 2018 Football Schedule
August
31    Syracuse, Time TBA (TV: CBS Sports Network) [Bronco Stampede]

September
8    at Michigan
15    Delaware State [CommUniverCity]
22    at Georgia State
29    *at Miami

October
6    *Eastern Michigan [Homecoming/Youth Day]
13    *at Bowling Green
20    *at Central Michigan
25    *Toledo, Time TBA (TV: ESPN2/CBS Sports Network) [Hall of Fame Weekend]

November
1    *Ohio, Time TBA (TV: ESPNU/CBS Sports Network) [Salute to Heroes]
13    *at Ball State, Time TBA (TV: ESPN2)
20    *NIU, Time TBA (TV: ESPN2 or ESPNU/ESPN3) [Senior Day]