The Central Michigan Chippewas compete in the NCAA Division I Mid-American Conference in six men's and ten women's sports.

Bellows surveyed the future location of the campus and was involved in the construction of the original Main Building, which opened in September 1893.

During Bellows' tenure, he organized a separate Conservatory for Music through his own funds, which became incorporated into the Normal in 1900.

In response to the need for doctors to practice in rural areas, CMU opened its medical school in 2010.

The board appoints and reviews the President of Central Michigan University, currently Neil J. MacKinnon.

[25] Central Michigan University is home to 21 on-campus residence halls, arranged in four areas throughout the campus.

Three of the Original Towers (Cobb, Troutman and Wheeler), nine-story high-rise residence halls designed primarily for freshmen, feature one-bedroom suites for three or four people.

The fourth of the Original Towers, Carey, was renovated to double-occupancy rooms in 2020 as a means of managing decreased enrollment.

Residents of Robinson, Carey, Celani, Fabiano, Campbell, Kesseler and Kulhavi pay an additional charge over the standard room and board rate.

[citation needed] On April 20, 2006, the remaining building was named the Fabiano Family Residence Hall, recognizing their contribution to the school.

[citation needed] CMU recognizes academic, social, and professional Greek organizations which comply with university rules and regulations such as its anti-hazing policies.

Other Greek life organizations that pertain to honoCe, degrees, and multicultural backgrounds have formed as well throughout the years.

On March 2, 2018, 19-year-old student James Eric Davis Jr. shot and killed his mother and father when they came to campus to take him home for spring break.

CM Life was named one of the top three non-daily newspapers in the nation for 2007, 2018, 2019 by the Society of Professional Journalists.

[40] In addition, the university owns and operates WCMU-TV, the region's PBS station, and WCMU-FM, the NPR affiliate.

In 2009, they finished the season ranked #23 in the final AP Poll and #24 in the final Coaches Poll marking the first time that a CMU football team had ever ended the season ranked in the Top 25 at the NCAA Division I-FBS level.

Since 2014, the football program has made a college bowl game, and continues to see its players set MAC records yearly.

In 1958, the men's swimming and diving team was runner-up to the North Central at the second annual NAIA national meet, which was held in Muncie, Indiana.

In May 2020, the university discontinued its men's track and field program as part of budget cuts caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

[42] In June of the same year, CMU announced it had received a waiver from the NCAA Division I Council that would allow the football program to remain in the Football Bowl Subdivision and give the school two years to bring the total number of men's programs up to FBS compliance.