Welcome to the New EMUEagles.com

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The world of communications and media is ever changing, and the Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics has taken measures to ensure it stays on the leading edge with the launch of its redesigned athletics website, EMUEagles.com. EMU again partnered with SIDEARM Sports to create the refreshed look that includes strong mobile-friendly platforms, YouTube integration and a clean look for fans to enjoy. Eastern Michigan will also roll out a new application for all smart devices, powered by YinzCam, later this fall to further help bring Eagles sports content to all desktops, laptops, tablets and smart phones.

"We are thrilled with the partnership with SIDEARM Sports and appreciate their progressive thinking and technology that moves us constantly forward," said EMU Vice President and Director of Athletics Heather Lyke. "We are anxious for our friends, fans and donors of the Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics to enjoy the new website and all the platforms of communication that it offers. This vehicle provides the opportunity to share our stories and successes with our supporters and allow them the opportunity to get to know our coaches and student-athletes even better."

"We are delighted to see a long-term partner such as Eastern Michigan University launch a redesigned site. EMU has been a member of the SIDEARM Sports' family since 2005 and now operate three sites on the SIDEARM platform," said SIDEARM Sports President/CEO Jeff Rubin. "A Mid-American Conference member (also a SIDEARM Sports partner), EMU has truly been a great friend to all of us at SIDEARM. "We hope fans, friends and supporters of the Eagles take advantage of all the features the site has to offer."

The redesigned EMUEagles.com presents information – news, rosters and statistics – on the athletic department's 21 teams in a cleaner, simplified format. The new navigation allows visitors to access the information they want quickly and easily. The site remains adaptive to a wide variety of hardware, including smartphones and tablets.

Upon reaching the website, visitors will be able to access the department's top new stories immediately. Visitors also will be presented tabs to access the department's social media offerings, its YouTube video stream, upcoming composite schedules of athletic contests and a separate listing of upcoming athletics events. Traveling down the page will reveal an updated list of photo galleries, as well as an a new addition with the Eagles of the Week Presented by EMU Financial.

We are thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with SIDEARM Sports and the opportunities going forward to provide more content and features for our fans," EMU Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Greg Steiner said. "We began this process back in March and it is amazing how SIDEARM was able to make our vision a reality. I want to thank K.C. Uthus, Sarah Potter, Tina Bowman and Dave Meluni of SIDEARM for their exceptional work and continued support. Ease of navigation was the primary emphasis we were striving for when redesigning the site. The website has been made more user-friendly as the design was constructed in such a way that most of the information can be accessed with just a single click."

EMU, which first began working with SIDEARM Sports back in 2005 when the company was known as Internet Consulting Services, now utilizes the company for three of its web platforms including EMUEagles.com, EMUGameDay.com and EMUEaglesPride.com.

During the 2014-15 academic year, EMUEagles.com had 3.1 million pageviews from all 50 states and over 180 countries.

WHAT'S NEW?
Some of the new or upgraded features of the website are:
- Use of larger photos along with a brighter, crisper design
- Improved layout and functionality to access social media as well as the ability to give back
- A revamped drop down menu that will improve navigation to the site's most-visited pages
- A video section that can display six videos at once with the ability to play directly within the site
- Comprehensive mobile version of the site for ease of use on tablets smart phones
- Google-powered search and translation of the website in 90 different languages
- Clean, simple design for a visual look that's easy on the eyes

WHY CHANGE?
The world of communication is transforming on a daily basis. The constant introduction of new technology and the explosion of social media for fans continue to change the way multimedia content is consumed. We recognized this and upgraded our platforms based off of: feedback and suggestions; Google Analytics research; Social media tools and metrics and nationwide sports media trends.

ABOUT THE APP
Eastern Michigan teamed with YinzCam to develop and build a comprehensive mobile app to bolster EMU Athletics' online presence on handheld devices. YinzCam provides mobile products for many NFL and NBA teams with EMU proudly being one of the few college athletic departments partnering with the company. The app, which will be available free of charge, will give fans even more ways to follow and support their favorite Eagle teams. It will be released for download later this fall.

ABOUT SIDEARM SPORTS
SIDEARM Sports, based in Syracuse, N.Y., was founded in 2001 by Jeff Rubin, who continues to lead the business. Clients applaud SIDEARM Sports for its service, reliability and customization, and its easy-to-use interface allows schools to customize their content streams and digital presence. As a leader in collegiate athletic web solutions, SIDEARM Sports provides the software and technology that powers websites, mobile applications, live stats, social presence and video streaming for its school and conference partners. To learn more about the company's capabilities and its complete collegiate portfolio, visit www.sidearmsports.com.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

Related News

Related Videos