Sept. 14-15: Women’s golf in Seattle, Wash., for the Leadership and Golf Invitational
The Tale: The Eagles begin their season in the Pacific Northwest, facing off against 16 other teams from across America at Chambers Bay Golf Course in Seattle. Eastern participated in the same tournament last season, earning a first-place finish in the team competition scoring a 5-under-par-859. That 2025 team was led by star Janae Leovao, who won the individual championship at the tournament before later leading the team to their third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Leovao has since graduated, but with three newcomers, a long list of returners and plenty of experience, the Eagles are once again primed for a championship run.
The Tip: With expected humidity over 70% on both Monday and Tuesday, golfers should be prepared for balls to slice through the air and travel farther than expected due to humid air being less dense than cool, dry air. Golfers should also expect wet fairways and greens from the morning dew. Balls will be harder to hit and won't roll as far on the ground. To win this tournament, focus and battling the elements will be key.
Sept. 17: Women’s soccer at Bowling Green
The Tale: Eastern Michigan will open up Mid-American Conference play starting on the road, traveling the 84 miles south to take on the Bowling Green State University Falcons.
The Falcons are red-hot coming into the game, having won their last two matches against the University of Kentucky and the University of Detroit Mercy, with their only loss coming from the University of Michigan in a 1-0 defeat at home. Both teams have one loss on the season as they go head-to-head for their only regular-season matchup. In 2025, the two teams met at Sciluna Field in Ypsilanti, ending in a 1-1 draw. In the Eagles' last match, they drew against the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee thanks in part to the penalty save by goalkeeper Ella Holland. With this game being the first conference game of the season, the Eagles must get on track as the teams look to push for a MAC Tournament appearance — the first since 2019.
The Tip: Bowling Green is red-hot coming into the match, scoring four goals in their last two games while only giving up one, meaning Eastern Michigan University must make it a priority to win the ball back and maintain possession so that super goalkeeper Holland isn’t busy all night long. Winning this game would add a lot of momentum to the Eagles' season as they continue through conference play, but to do that, the Eagles must make the most of every opportunity while limiting their mistakes. Firing in crosses, second-chance efforts, tracking back, and 90 minutes of pressure will be the difference-makers in this game.
Sept. 17: Women’s volleyball at Michigan
The Tale: Eastern Michigan’s volleyball team will travel six miles down the road to take on the University of Michigan Wolverines at the Crisler Center on Sept. 17, 2026, at 7 p.m. This will be the Eagles' first outing since participating in the Grizzly Invitational from Sept. 11-12.
Over the past 40 years, Michigan holds a 35-11 record over Eastern Michigan, marking the 47th all-time meeting between the pair this season. With MAC play coming up quickly, Eastern will be using the match as an opportunity to fine-tune its play before heading to Mount Pleasant for its first of two matches this season with the Central Michigan University Chippewas on Sept. 22.
The Tip: This game will provide an opportunity for the Eagles to build team chemistry while facing adversity. With 14 new players added to the roster this season, Eastern Michigan head coach Kevin Foeman has had to quickly rebuild the team, adding eight freshmen and six transfers to the squad. With so much turnover from last season to this season, the Eagles will need to find a way to work together and develop chemistry before entering MAC play.
Sept. 18: Women’s volleyball vs. Cornell
The Tale: The Eagles return home to the George Gervin GameAbove Center for their last nonconference matchup before conference play begins. The Eagles will welcome a struggling Cornell University team who will play three games back to back as the Big Red take on Michigan twice in two days after their bout with the Eastern. This is the final game to have fun and learn as much as possible before it's time to push our way into the MAC Tournament.
The Tip: Playing matches on back-to-back days is no joke, and the athletes will need to make sure they are hydrating and recovering both during the Michigan match and afterwards so that the team is fresh and ready to take on Cornell.
Sept. 18: Women’s cross country at George Dales Invitational in Kalamazoo
The Tale: Eastern has had very successful races when it comes to the George Dales Invitational, having won in 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2017. This will be the team’s final race in the month of September as the team prepares for a busy October calendar with the Mid-American Championships taking place the day before Halloween. Every race is important for the Eagles as they look to remain in form and prepare for the grueling courses they will face throughout the season.
The Tip: With much of the race taking part on the fairways of the Prairies Golf Club, the ground for much of the race should be freshly mowed and trimmed, allowing more traction for runners' spikes and less drag for every stride. Freshly cut running surfaces allow better visibility for runners, helping them avoid missteps that could cause injury. Runners should prepare to have more energy at the end of the race because of the decrease in energy exertion for every step they take; they will need to save that energy and find that extra kick to help move the team up the race rankings.
Sept. 19: Football at Wisconsin
The Tale: If taking on one Big Ten team this season wasn’t enough, good news: the Eagles are taking on two. One week after playing Michigan State University in East Lansing, Eastern Michigan will head to Madison, Wisconsin, to take on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Badgers. This will be the fifth all-time matchup between the two teams, with Wisconsin holding a 4-0 record against the Eagles. The teams last met in 2021, when the Badgers defeated the Eagles 34-7. With an experienced squad and plenty of depth, head coach Chris Creighton and company are looking to finally change the tide.
The Tip: Eastern Michigan has an opportunity to pull off an upset against Wisconsin, but the Eagles will need to play smart, play hard and play together to make it happen. The game will stream on Peacock, while WEMU and the Varsity Network will also broadcast the game live on the radio.
