Around NMU

Northern Michigan University will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its 1975 NCAA Division II champion football team with several events for alumni and campus/community members Thursday, Oct. 9, through Saturday, Oct. 11. The Wildcats achieved the most remarkable turnaround in the history of NCAA or professional sports by following a winless season with a championship. They compiled a 13-1 record, including a 16-14 victory over Western Kentucky in the DII national title game.

Northern Michigan University's student organization Platform Personalities will host An Evening with Rachel Dratch at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the Northern Center Grand Ballroom. She is best known for her seven-year run on Saturday Night Live from 1999–2006.

Northern Michigan University's Admissions Office is hosting the Marquette/Alger Counties College Fair from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, in the Northern Center Ballrooms. Representatives from colleges and universities across the Midwest, along with the Armed Forces and ROTC programs, will participate. High school juniors and seniors and their parents are welcome to attend.

The Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees approved promotions, tenure and contract continuations for NMU faculty. Most went into effect over the summer.

Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum is hosting an exhibition titled "Murmurations" through Nov. 1, with related events throughout September. The exhibit features a diverse collection of works by 30 artists, who all participated in Nido (Italian for “nest”), an artist residency located in the small town of Monte Castello di Vibio, nestled within the central hills of Italy.

Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will host its annual Wildcat Theatre Follies Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 4-6, in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. The event will showcase a variety of creative performances by freshmen and sophomores in the program, including songs, scenes, monologues and dance pieces.

Editors: This has been revised to include an additional quote submitted by the co-director. Please use this version instead.Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will host its annual Wildcat Theatre Follies Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 4-6, in the Panowski Black Box Theatre. The event will showcase a variety of creative performances by freshmen and sophomores in the program, including songs, scenes, monologues and dance pieces.

Northern Michigan University will open the 2025-2026 Siril Concert Series with Deux Saisons (French for “two seasons”), a duo featuring soprano Keri Lee Pierson classical guitarist Christopher Schoelen and soprano Keri Lee Pierson, who perform a wide musical repertoire ranging from the Renaissance through the present day.

The partnership between Northern Michigan University and alumni-owned Blackrocks Brewery began last year with the launch of a new beer, Wildcat Gold, to celebrate NMU's 125th anniversary. It has since morphed into much more, supporting student access to the area's world-class recreational trails. Blackrocks has contributed $7,500 from the sales of Wildcat Gold to NMU's Outdoor Recreation Center for the purchase of mountain bikes and Nordic ski equipment made available to students for free.

The search for Northern Michigan University's next president is “underway and on schedule,” with campus visits by finalists expected in late September and early October. Presidential Search Advisory Committee Chair Tami Seavoy presented a status report at today's convocation.