Big Ten · Ann Arbor, Michigan

Michigan Football History

Championships, records and rivalries

2026 record3-2

Program history

MICH history

The largest stadium in the country, a century-old rivalry, and a program entering a new era.

Black and white photograph of early era college football, players in leather helmets contesting a run in front of a vast packed grandstand — The early era, played before crowds that already filled enormous stands

Black and white mid-century game action, a ball carrier in a light jersey breaking through the line past defenders in dark jerseys — Mid-century football, when the running game decided most afternoons

MICH history

The Big House

Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor is the largest stadium in the United States. Much of the bowl is dug into the ground, so it looks deceptively low from outside — among the more quietly impressive pieces of stadium design in the sport.

Crowds well above a hundred thousand are routine rather than exceptional, which is the scale the program has operated at for generations.

MICH history

Trophies and rivalries

Michigan plays for the Little Brown Jug against Minnesota and the Paul Bunyan Trophy against Michigan State — a series dating to 1898 — before closing every season against Ohio State. Few programs carry that many fixtures with physical stakes attached.

Michigan won the national championship in 2023. The 2026 season begins a new chapter under Kyle Whittingham, hired after 21 years at Utah, with both coordinator posts also changing hands.

FAQ

MICH history questions

How big is Michigan Stadium?

It is the largest stadium in the United States, regularly holding crowds above a hundred thousand, which is why it is known as the Big House.

When did Michigan last win a national championship?

In 2023, the first of three straight titles won by Big Ten programs.

How old is the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry?

The series dates to 1898 and is contested annually for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.

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