A new day in college football is on the horizon, and Eastern Michigan University is set to take full advantage of it. Bolstered by funding from the "Maxx Match" program, the Eagles have increased their funding by over $200,000 for the team’s upcoming season with major changes set to take place in 2025.
The "Maxx Match" was a campaign headlined by new EMU Assistant General Manager and NFL superstar Maxx Crosby. Through this campaign, Crosby personally matched any donations made to the football team.
Having already gifted $1 million to the program in 2023, Crosby will now also match the $135,165 raised by alumni, faculty and staff, students, parents and friends of the Eagles football team. That leads to a grand total of roughly $270,000 more for the 2025 campaign budget.
“This challenge was about more than dollars raised – it was about uniting our community and investing in the future of EMU Football,” said EMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee.
The news also comes on the heels of a landmark announcement – a federal judge has approved a $2.8 billion settlement that has given universities the green light to pay athletes directly instead of following the current name, image and likeness revenue-sharing model.
According to The Associated Press News, each school will be able to pay athletes up to $20.5 million over the next year. $2.7 billion will also be allocated in backpay to thousands of former college athletes who were unable to receive direct payments from schools since direct payment was an NCAA violation at the time.
It remains to be seen what the long-term ramifications of such a sweeping change across college athletics will be, but the added funding from the "Maxx Match" challenge and Crosby's prior contributions serve to bolster the budget for EMU to continue to attract big names to its football program.
The Eagles will open the 2025 campaign on the road against Texas State University on August 30, 2025, at 8 p.m. streamed live on ESPN+.
