On February 6, 2025, Eastern Michigan University partnered with the Detroit Pistons to host TruEMU Night, a special event designed to bring together EMU students and alumni for an evening of basketball.
The Division of Communications at EMU and the Alumni Association have been organizing TruEMU nights for over a decade, with this year marking twelve successful years of connection and community-building.
Walter Kraft, Vice President of the Division of Communications at EMU, reflected on the evolution of the event.
"We’ve been hosting these events for a long time," Kraft said. "It started with just Detroit Tigers games, but now we do Red Wings, Pistons, and Tigers games, and this summer we are introducing a TruEMU night at a Lansing Lugnuts game.”
TruEMU Night serves as a fun and interactive way for students and alumni to connect over a shared love of sports. This year, 426 tickets were sold for the event, starting at $30 each. Attendees enjoyed not only a seat in a dedicated EMU section but also received a limited-edition hoodie that was exclusive to the event.
The Alumni Association’s events are designed to help EMU graduates stay connected with the university community long after they’ve graduated.
Ariana Strzalka, Marketing Specialist at the Division of Communications, emphasized the importance of these gatherings.
"Events like this are so good to get alumni together and join with students in a non-academic setting,” Strzalka said.
This year also marked the first social event hosted by the Alumni Association before the game. At Elephant and Co., alumni gathered to reconnect, share memories, and catch up on each other’s lives since graduation.
The excitement began before the game with a thrilling performance by the Eastern Michigan University Dance Team. They dazzled the crowd with an energetic new routine and the iconic EMU fight song. Swoop, the EMU mascot, added to the fun by performing a cartwheel and impressively jumping into the splits, bringing smiles to fans of all ages.
During the dance teams performance of the EMU fight song, Swoop cartwheels across the court.
During the game, Eastern students and alumni were able to chat, get to know each other, snack on their favorite stadium food, and watch the intense Pistons vs. Cavaliers game. After four quarters of intense back and forth scoring, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out a win with 118 points, closely followed by Detroit's 115.
Once the game started, the arena buzzed with energy. Students and alumni mingled, enjoyed stadium snacks, and cheered on the Detroit Pistons as they faced off against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game was a thrilling back-and-forth battle, with the Cavaliers ultimately edging out the Pistons with a 118-115 victory.
TruEMU Night at the Detroit Pistons was not only a celebration of basketball but also a testament to the strong community spirit at Eastern Michigan University. The night proved to be a great success, uniting current students with alumni in a fun, engaging environment.
