Of the five Division I competitors in Michigan, Central Michigan University spends the least money on athletics and stands as one of two schools in the state, along with Eastern Michigan, that have not won a national title in the last 25 years. ⁠ ⁠ “We are losing talented student-athletes to institutions who can simply pay more,” Athletic Director Amy Folan wrote in an email to Central Michigan Life. “That is the reality, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise.” ⁠ ⁠ According to the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database, the MAC budgeted nearly $103 million for student-athlete aid. By comparison, Power Four conferences significantly eclipsed these totals, including the Big Ten spending just over $257 million in scholarships alone. ⁠ ⁠ “How do we compete? First, by being honest about what we are and what we are not,” Folan wrote. “We are not going to outbid Power Four schools. We are not going to pretend the financial playing field is level, because it is not.” ⁠ ⁠ ✍️Noah Henson, B...