The Eastern Michigan Eagles football program competes in the FBS and the Mid-American Conference, having previously been known as the Normalites and the Hurons. Since 1891, the team has compiled a 490–622–47 record, achieving five undefeated seasons (1906, 1925, 1927, 1943, and 1945). The program's golden era came under coach Elton Rynearson (1925–1939), whose dominant squads—including perfect seasons in 1925 and 1927—led to the naming of Rynearson Stadium in his honor. The "Hurons" nickname was adopted in 1929 after a student contest, with the winning entry possibly inspired by the Huron Hotel in Ypsilanti. Conversely, the program's lowest point was a 27-game losing streak in the early 1980s under coach Mike Stock, during which the team was shut out seven times. Early history also includes a 1916 season cut short by a smallpox outbreak that affected the coach and players.