Football Facilities
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Central Michigan Football's home since 1972 has been Kramer/Deromedi Field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium, a venue that has seen plenty of change since it opened as it remains one of the best college football venues in the Mid-American Conference.
The Chippewa Champions Center opened in the Fall of 2020 and is the premier facility in the MAC. The 50,000 square foot facility is located just beyond the north end zone of Kelly/Shorts Stadium.
The CCC features a 7,000 square foot, state-of-the art human performance center focused on the growth and development of our student-athletes, expanded sport medicine and rehabilitation facility with hydrotherapy pools serving as the primary hub for our athletics training team and two fuel stations to accommodate the pre and post workout nutrition needs of nearly 500 student-athletes, an auditorium with tiered seating, more than 7,100 square feet of office and meeting space, a 4,200 square foot football locker room, and space for an equipment room, laundry, video operations and support operations.
In 2019, a new videoboard and audio system were installed, completely changing the fan experience. The videoboard -- the largest in the Mid-American Conference -- is 32 feet tall and 100 feet wide and a Daktronics 13HD product with 1,691,872 pixels. The new audio system comprises 16 speakers with a digital control structure.
The west side of the Kelly/Shorts Stadium features a two-tiered press box. Nine guest suites and select club-level seating comprise the lower deck, while the upper deck serves the media. Coaches' booths and game operations are also on this level.
Originally a $2.2 million project and named Perry Shorts Stadium in honor of R. Perry Shorts, who went on to a distinguished banking career after graduating from CMU, the stadium was dedicated on Nov. 4, 1972, when the Chippewas defeated Illinois State, 28-21, before a homecoming crowd. In June 1983, the CMU Board of Trustees voted to rename the facility Kelly/Shorts Stadium in honor of Kenneth "Bill" Kelly, who coached the CMU football team from 1951-66.
The stadium's seating capacity was expanded in 1998 to its current capacity of 30,255. It is the largest on-campus stadium in the Mid-American Conference.
Central Michigan University honored two of the giants of its storied football history by naming the field at Kelly/Shorts Stadium in their honor in 2022. The playing surface at the stadium is now named Kramer/Deromedi Field, in recognition of legendary coaches Roy Kramer and Herb Deromedi.
AstroTurf GameDay Grass, a synthetic turf with alternating dark and light greens was installed in 2016.
Stadium lighting was updated in 2006. Aesthetic improvements were also made prior to the 2009 season to both the concourse and surrounding buildings, as well as the construction of the Chippewas Varsity Shop at the northwest corner of the stadium.