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Michigan University’s Sports Tradition
USINFO | 2013-07-24 16:19
The University of Michigan's sports teams are called the Wolverines. They participate in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except men's ice hockey, which is a member of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, men's lacrosse, which is a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference, and woman's water polo, which is a member of the Collegiate Water Polo Association. U-M boasts 27 varsity sports, including 13 men's teams and 14 women's teams.[161] In 10 of the past 14 years concluding in 2009, U-M has finished in the top five of the NACDA Director's Cup, a ranking compiled by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to tabulate the success of universities in competitive sports. U-M has finished in the top 10 of the Directors' Cup standings in 14 of the award's sixteen seasons and has placed in the top six in 9 of the last 10 seasons.[162]
The Michigan football program ranks first in NCAA history in both total wins (884 through the end of the 2010 season) and winning percentage (.735).[23] The team won the first Rose Bowl game in 1902. U-M had 40 consecutive winning seasons from 1968 to 2007, including consecutive bowl game appearances from 1975 to 2007.[163] The Wolverines have won a record 42 Big Ten championships. The program has eleven national championships, most recently in 1997,[164] and has produced three Heisman Trophy winners: Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson.[165]
Michigan Stadium is the largest college football stadium in the nation and one of the largest football-only stadiums in the world, with an official capacity of more than 109,901[166] (the extra seat is said to be "reserved" for Fritz Crisler[24]) though attendance—frequently over 111,000 spectators—regularly exceeds the official capacity.[167] The NCAA's record-breaking attendance has become commonplace at Michigan Stadium, especially since the arrival of head coach Bo Schembechler. U of M has fierce rivalries with many teams, including Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State; ESPN has referred to the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry as the greatest rivalry in American sports.[168] U-M has all-time winning records against Michigan State University, University of Notre Dame, and Ohio State University.[169]
Ray Fisher baseball stadium
The men's ice hockey team, which plays at Yost Ice Arena, has won nine national championships,[170] while the men's basketball team, which plays at the Crisler Center, has appeared in four Final Fours and won the national championship in 1989. However, the program became involved in a scandal involving payments from a booster during the 1990s. This led to the program being placed on probation for a four-year period. The program also voluntarily vacated victories from its 1992–1993 and 1995–1999 seasons in which the payments took place, as well as its 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances.[171]
Through the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, 178 U-M students and coaches had participated in the Olympics, winning medals in every Summer Olympics except 1896, and winning gold medals in all but four Olympiads. U of M students have won a total of 133 Olympic medals: 65 gold, 30 silver, and 38 bronze.[172]
The Michigan football program ranks first in NCAA history in both total wins (884 through the end of the 2010 season) and winning percentage (.735).[23] The team won the first Rose Bowl game in 1902. U-M had 40 consecutive winning seasons from 1968 to 2007, including consecutive bowl game appearances from 1975 to 2007.[163] The Wolverines have won a record 42 Big Ten championships. The program has eleven national championships, most recently in 1997,[164] and has produced three Heisman Trophy winners: Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson.[165]
Michigan Stadium is the largest college football stadium in the nation and one of the largest football-only stadiums in the world, with an official capacity of more than 109,901[166] (the extra seat is said to be "reserved" for Fritz Crisler[24]) though attendance—frequently over 111,000 spectators—regularly exceeds the official capacity.[167] The NCAA's record-breaking attendance has become commonplace at Michigan Stadium, especially since the arrival of head coach Bo Schembechler. U of M has fierce rivalries with many teams, including Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State; ESPN has referred to the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry as the greatest rivalry in American sports.[168] U-M has all-time winning records against Michigan State University, University of Notre Dame, and Ohio State University.[169]
Ray Fisher baseball stadium
The men's ice hockey team, which plays at Yost Ice Arena, has won nine national championships,[170] while the men's basketball team, which plays at the Crisler Center, has appeared in four Final Fours and won the national championship in 1989. However, the program became involved in a scandal involving payments from a booster during the 1990s. This led to the program being placed on probation for a four-year period. The program also voluntarily vacated victories from its 1992–1993 and 1995–1999 seasons in which the payments took place, as well as its 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances.[171]
Through the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, 178 U-M students and coaches had participated in the Olympics, winning medals in every Summer Olympics except 1896, and winning gold medals in all but four Olympiads. U of M students have won a total of 133 Olympic medals: 65 gold, 30 silver, and 38 bronze.[172]
