In a season that saw Northwestern travel to New Orleans and Los Angeles, coach David Braun’s team will not have to travel far to finish off its campaign.
The Wildcats (6-6, 4-5 Big Ten) will compete in Detroit’s GameAbove Sports Bowl against Central Michigan on Dec. 26, the team announced Sunday afternoon. The game is set to be played at Ford Field with a noon kickoff.
This season’s trip to Detroit means that Braun is the first coach in program history to secure two bowl bids in his first three seasons. NU has won five consecutive bowl games, with the latest coming over Utah in 2023.
“This is an exciting time for our football team,” Braun said at a Sunday afternoon press conference. “ … It’s been a great opportunity to continue to challenge this football team and finish off the season the right way, finish what we started. Also, just an incredible opportunity to continue to develop a lot of guys on this football team that have played limited football.”
The late December matchup will mark the second time the ’Cats have faced the Chippewas (7-5, 5-3 MAC) in the program’s history. In 2010, NU won the only meeting between the squads 30-25 at Ryan Field.
Central Michigan is led by first-year coach Matt Drinkall, who helped the program improve its record in the regular season by three wins in 2025.
The ’Cats and the Chippewas share a common opponent in now-No. 18 Michigan. While NU fell just short of taking down the Wolverines at Wrigley Field, Central Michigan suffered a 63-3 defeat early in the season.
“Coach Drinkall, the job that he’s done in his first year at CMU is really impressive,” Braun said. “Know that we have a great opponent in front of us, an opponent that will be highly motivated, well coached and still just getting started in terms of truly understanding who they are and what their strengths are.”
The extended preparation period for the final game of the season is positive for a team that has dealt with its fair share of injuries. Braun said Sunday that he is “really confident” about having redshirt sophomore running back Caleb Komolafe and graduate student defensive lineman Aidan Hubbard back for the bowl game.
He also added that redshirt junior running back Joseph Himon II, who picked up an injury against Illinois, is more up in the air.
Playing in a bowl game also provides the ’Cats with extra practices with their players. Braun said that they are making sure their young guys are getting reps and that it is like “a mini spring ball of sorts.”
Ultimately, though, Braun has repeatedly said that one of the goals of this team is to dominate in the postseason. That is NU’s top priority.
“What our seniors deserve, what our leadership deserves is for us to be at our absolute best in our last game with an opportunity to win a bowl championship,” Braun said.
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