Kelly/Shorts Stadium has served as the home field of the Central Michigan Chippewas football team since it opened in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, on November 4, 1972. Built for roughly $2.2 million, the venue originally opened under the name Perry Shorts Stadium, honoring R. Perry Shorts, a Saginaw banker and 1900 CMU graduate whose gift helped fund its construction.
In June 1983, the university’s Board of Trustees voted to rename the facility Kelly/Shorts Stadium, adding recognition for longtime coach Kenneth “Bill” Kelly, who guided the Chippewas to a 91-58-2 record from 1951 to 1966. Today the stadium holds 30,255 spectators, making it the largest on-campus football stadium in the Mid-American Conference.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Central Michigan Chippewas (NCAA)
- Location: Mount Pleasant, Michigan
- Opened: November 4, 1972
- Capacity: 30,255
- Playing Surface: FieldTurf (since 2004)
- Field Name: Kramer/Deromedi Field
- Notable Fact: Largest on-campus stadium in the Mid-American Conference
A Name Built on CMU History
The stadium’s layered name tells the story of Central Michigan football itself. It opened as Perry Shorts Stadium in 1972, then became Kelly/Shorts Stadium in 1983 to also honor coach Bill Kelly’s contributions to the program. In 2022, the university added another layer of history by naming the playing surface Kramer/Deromedi Field, after Hall of Fame coaches Roy Kramer and Herb Deromedi.
A $28 million expansion completed after the 1997 season added about 10,000 seats, growing capacity from roughly 20,000 to just over 30,000. Further upgrades over the years, including permanent lights installed before the 2006 season, brought the stadium to its current look and capacity.
Record Crowds and Game Day
The stadium’s single-game attendance record came on September 8, 2012, when 35,127 fans packed into the venue, including temporary standing-room and additional seating added for the occasion, to watch Central Michigan take on Michigan State University. That mark still stands as the benchmark for the loudest, fullest game days in Mount Pleasant, well above the stadium’s normal seated capacity.
The playing surface has also evolved over the decades. The original artificial turf installed in 1972 was the first of its kind in the state of Michigan, and it has since been replaced multiple times, most recently with FieldTurf in 2004.
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Kelly/Shorts Stadium FAQs
Who plays at Kelly/Shorts Stadium?
The Central Michigan Chippewas football team has played its home games at Kelly/Shorts Stadium since it opened in 1972.
What is the capacity of Kelly/Shorts Stadium?
The stadium’s listed seating capacity is 30,255, making it the largest on-campus football stadium in the Mid-American Conference. Its single-game attendance record of 35,127, set in 2012 with temporary extra seating, remains separate from that official capacity figure.
Why is it called Kelly/Shorts Stadium?
It was originally named for donor R. Perry Shorts when it opened in 1972, then renamed in 1983 to also honor longtime coach Kenneth “Bill” Kelly.
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Photo: PureMichiganChip / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.