You might as well check the expiration on your passport now, Michigan fans. The football program announced on Friday that the Wolverines are in advanced discussions to kick off the 2026 season against Western Michigan in Germany in Week 0.
For the first time in the 146-year history of the football program, Michigan could be playing a game outside the United States.
This matchup means the Wolverines are giving up a home game and the revenue that comes with it, so if you’re a curmudgeon that hates change,
this may be bad news for you.
But let me try to convince you of the alternative with five points.
Michigan now has two weeks to prepare for Oklahoma
As was the case with Florida State and Georgia Tech after they faced off in Ireland last season, the Wolverines and Broncos will play in Week 0. This provides both teams with a week off before facing their respective Week 2 opponent.
It’s impossible to project how good Oklahoma will be 13 months from now. But no matter how good the Sooners are, having an extra week to prepare gives Michigan an advantage.
While you could say Michigan having one of its two bye weeks this early in the season is a disadvantage, giving the Wolverines more time to prepare to face Sherrone Moore’s alma mater makes up for it. Additionally, that game now becomes Michigan’s home-opener, which is objectively more exciting than facing (insert playing random MAC school at noon on Big Ten Network) instead.
This trip builds team chemistry
Every four seasons, the Michigan men’s basketball program gets to travel abroad, playing exhibition games while getting a chance to see the world. Those trips served as key chemistry builders, particularly during the height of the John Beilein era.
This trip will likely be similar for the football team. Team building is important in this era’s ever-changing landscape, and getting a chance to do that overseas could do wonders behind the scenes.
This is not a competitive disadvantage
While starting the season in September in the Big House against a lower-tier school is a tradition that marks the start of fall for many of us, those games tend to be pretty boring. Usually, the Wolverines have a four-touchdown lead or more at halftime, and the second half serves as another spring game to see the reserves.
This certainly makes that season-opener more exciting, and Western Michigan hasn’t exactly been a banner of a program recently. The Broncos are 47-47 since P.J. Fleck left for Minnesota following the 2016 season.
It’s not like Michigan has to play this overseas game against a team that would significantly impact its College Football Playoff resume. If there’s any home game to give up, it’s this one.
A chance to expand a global brand even further
The University of Michigan is one of the most recognizable collegiate brands around the world, and while you could argue Michigan doesn’t need to expand its fanbase, games like this do just that.
Whenever the NFL has games in London, those games are always PACKED despite the matchups not always being exciting. Fans in Germany don’t get many opportunities to watch American football, and if every German kid who attends this game becomes a Michigan fan, that benefits the program in the long run.
This helps build college football globally
Playing games overseas is not a new thing for sports leagues. The NFL has been playing select games in London since 2007, MLB kicked off its season in Tokyo, and the NBA has played games in France and Mexico over the past half-decade.
These games often are framed as a chance to grow the game, and while the loss of revenue for the U.S. stadiums is a real factor, this is a chance to create more college football fans around the world. That’s a great thing.
Yes, the Big House gets one less game of revenue, but the reasons listed above outweigh that loss in my opinion. Perhaps that’s the calculus Michigan football officials made as well, along with whatever money they get for agreeing to do this.
How do you feel about this game? Will you be planning a trip to Germany? Let us know in the comments.
