And now for something completely different

Easy. Grew up in Ann Arbor. Dad went back and finished his degree when I was young and I went to UM preschool. 

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earliest memory was attending a B10 game at the big house where my brother was the starting FB for the opponent.  somewhere there is a very cool picture of him running past EDIT: 'calvin' o'neal, circa 1976, on the front cover of his school's next football program.  

recruited to play hockey at U of M, had a choice to go east, "Aw XM [not my real name], you come here and you can play in the bean pawt tournament, the place is packed.  we'll play BU, BC, nawtheastern, you name it!"  say that in a boston accent, it'll make more sense. 

mom had died a couple of years before though and dad and i had lived like a couple of bachelors.  i stayed local.  hardly got to play at U of M (but glad for the experience), and whatever turns life has taken, it was obviously the right choice. 

I played football in high school in the middle '70's.  At the time, the Lions weren't good, the Spartans sucked, so Bo was the only rooting option.  When I graduated, I applied to only one school and I primarily knew it because of football (try going to school in a town of 3,000 people and see what kind of counseling you get back then!)  I got lucky that it was a half-way decent school.  West Quad at the time blew my mind (Keg parties sponsored by the school on the deck off of the 4th floor!  Awesome!)

My Dad got me into college football. He's a huge Michigan fan. My earliest memory is the 1991 season, but more specifically (Forgive me, I cannot, for the life of me, what season this was) when we played Northwestern, my Dad was....uhh....not too happy with what was transpiring in the game. I remember that we lost and he was so upset that he punched a hole in the wall of his bedroom. Thankfully, he's no longer like this, but it made me scared of the type of fandom this sport could present. I guess the good news out of that is I don't put sports as #1 in my life. I can't put too much emotion into something I have no control over. At the end of the day, it's just a game.

Sorry for the long-winded soapbox speech there. To cut a long story short (Yes, Spandau Ballet reference), I love Michigan football. I love the university so much that I went there and also worked there! I'll always bleed maize and blue.

My Dad and Uncle were good friends in high school with Al Sincich and Andy Cannavino.  Cleveland St Joe's, same school that produced Desmond Howard/Grbac/Eric Riley

They started rooting for their friends, then it stuck with us.  Seeing Desmond go there while growing up sealed it for life.

Groovy helmets

Bob Ufer calling a Meeeechigan win over Dr. Strange Hayes.

Still gets me all these years later.

Grew up in a town very close to Ann Arbor. Very first memory was watching the 1995 Michigan vs OSU game with my dad. I don't remember much from the game but watching with him is the memory. 

First game I went to was 1997 vs Baylor. Was in awe of how big the stadium was and thought it was the coolest thing that it looked relatively "small" from the outside and you walk in from upper rows. I still get that feeling walking through the tunnel. 

I watched that entire 1997 season with my dad and is a great collection of memories to look back on. 

I was born in Grand Rapids.  Lived also in Milford, MI 1-3rd grade.

 Neighbor in Milford was a huge Michigan fan. Can only assume I became a fan by his influence.  Moved to UT, CA and FL as a kid and always rooted for the Maize and Blue.  I felt like it rooted me to the state of my birth.  Went to college in FL. 

Born at U of M hospital. Raised on campus as both parents worked for the university. Grew up in Ann Arbor, Ypsi-Arbor, Detroit. Played hockey so did the summer camps Red Berenson ran at Yost and stayed in dorms. My fandom started when I was birthed. I remember being 4-5 years old and being in the Big House, at Yost, etc.

Moved out of Michigan at age 15 and didn’t return until age 29 after living all over the country (and canada) and completing B.S. and Ph.D.

never went to U of M for school. No way I would have gotten in with my HS transcripts and by the time I got my life figured out and was applying to grad schools, there were much better programs elsewhere than at U of M.

I transferred to Michigan my second semester, sophomore year, so I didn't go to a game til junior year. By that time, I was living in a house with some roommates so I missed the game dorm experience. I had heard that on game day, someone would put a speaker in the hallway at 7 AM and blast the Victors. I remember that first game being hot, and even hotter in the stadium. Can't remember who we played, but we won. Harbaugh was the quarterback. He was in one of my classes, and the TA fawned all over him. He didn't go to class much. (I remembered this years later when he was criticizing Michigan while at Stanford about Michigan's lax standards for athletes. I wondered if he was referring to himself)

My Paternal Grandfather went to U of M and played basketball and then his sons(dad and uncle) followed in his footsteps to U of M. My uncle is an Adjunct Prof there today.

I never strongly desired to go to U of M because 1. I wanted to play soccer and they didn't have a Varsity team at the time, and 2. I never worked hard enough in the classroom to sniff admission into Michigan.

But, I have been a Michigan fan since diapers, mostly because of the family connection. Although, I love Ann Arbor and would probably live there if not for the long commute to work.

I moved to Michigan when I was 10 in the summer of 1991. The first question I remember anyone asking me is whether I liked Michigan or Michigan State. Not knowing anything about college athletics, I asked what the difference was, and was told that Michigan's colors were maize and blue, and MSU was green and white. That was all I needed to know, and I declared myself a Michigan fan.

The next thing I know the Fab 5 are taking over basketball and we win the 1997 national championship in football. I've been a fan ever since, but I didn't start watching every Michigan football game since my U of M grad wife and I got together in time for Chad Henne and Mike Hart's first game in 2004. The next 19 years were a blur of ups and downs, but here we are basking in the post national championship glory, knowing that we earned it by getting through the tough times.

I moved to NW Ohio in third grade from inner-city Denver. Thanks to my situation, I went from being pretty cool in a city to being a massive dorkwad with few friends. However, once my classmates caught wind that I was niether an Ohio State nor a Michigan fan, I began to be recruited by classmates, teachers, and even the janitor. I thought it was weird, because everyone seemed to take this SUPER seriously. Since it was the late 90s, it was about 50/50 between the two fan bases, so every lunch from late September until the game involved both fan groups trying to convince me to join their side. 

I said whoever won the game that year would earn my allegiance. It was 1997, so obviously my fandom only went one way. Didn't know it was going to be a long decent afterwards until this past year. 

Funny thing is I only watch a few minutes of that year's game, and didn't learn about "Bowl Games" until the summer of '98 when my cousin -- a HUGE Michigan fan -- found out about my reluctant fandom and decided to educate me. He even showed me some old VHS coaching tapes with Bo teaching offensive line play. 

My only connection to the University of Michigan is as the parent of a “Double Wolverine” (undergrad and MBA). At my child’s freshman orientation when Michigan required a parent to attend, I was taught the proper way to sing “The Victors”.  As a long-time college sports fan, I knew the tune, but not the words. I also was introduced to some of his new classmates including one who’d become Michigan’s hockey coach. 

Although I can’t recall when I first became aware of Michigan Wolverines sports, I remember seeing Bob Timberlake lead Michigan to a win in the Rose Bowl in January 1965 and watching Cazzie Russell and Bill Buntin playing for Michigan in the Final Four in 1964 and 1965.  As a fan of the New York Giants and Knicks, Timberlake and Russell became my earliest connections to Michigan Wolverines sports.

Ahh, now you're making me get sentimental:

My father was a die hard fan growing up. His connection goes back to seeing them on TV when he was little and loving the helmets. For many Falls him and I and my brother would huddle around our 27" TV that was in one of those boxed in stands that were real popular in the 80's. My brother and I were obsessed with the Red Wings and Michigan began to compete, and then ultimately far exceed our fandom for Michigan. Our father worked a lot and unfortunately had other demons he was internally battling (was still an amazing father) so I think we just loved it as 3 1/2 hours we could spend with him on a Saturday. My brother and I vowed that we would go to school there and do whatever it takes to get there (there weren't too many people out of our neighborhood going to college in our small 850 sq ft Bungalow just north of 8 Mile in Warren).

Fast forward a few decades and there are 5 degrees from U-M that my brother and I hold. We've been long season ticket holders, our 7 kids have been fully immersed in the culture, and instead of going to the Rose Bowl and the NCG, we opted to watch those games with him. It was really a full circle moment. In '97 neither of us were out of high school yet so we remember it, but it obviously wasn't the same. We even were able in the past 5-6 years really rope in our younger sister who is significantly younger than us and never has had a super close relationship with us. She loves football (was in the Marching Band in college), and now she comes over and watches games, comes to games with us, and it really has strengthened our bond.

Now for the sentimental part. Our mother passed away very suddenly the day after the 2021 Washington game. She was a young mom so she was still very young to have kids in her 30's. Every Saturday she would wear her "lucky Michigan shirt." She liked football enough. We played in high school and she would be at every game but it wasn't something she loved. What she loved is how it brought her kids closer together. So she rooted more for us to be happy than the actual victory. After we all went home on the night of the national championship, our father texted us, his 3 kids (and he never texts). In the text was a picture of my mom's "lucky shirt" laid out on their bed. My father no longer sleeps in this bed and their old bedroom basically hasn't been touched in 2 1/2 years. He shared with us ever since Mom passed, he lays the shirt out on every game day. I could honestly say that in that moment, I had never felt such at peace with my Mom no longer physically being with us.

I have to say, Michigan Football has done so much for me and my family. It is more than just a sport. Michigan Football helped me strive to give myself the opportunity to receive the greatest education possible and has helped me become a successful adult; and it will be a bond that will tie the next generation as well.

Moved to Ann Arbor when I was 4 or 5, and my father finished his training at the UofM Medical School. I think I went to a couple games before that, but I remember our Cub Scout troop was supposed to go to the Wisconsin game in '68, and I was very excited. But because it was raining that morning, the troop decided to cancel going to the game and just have a TV watch party at the den mother's house instead. I couldn't take it. I was livid, so I ran home in the rain to the crappy black and white TV we had in our living room to watch Ron Johnson run for 5 TDs and 347 yards . 

I was so pissed at the Cub Scouts for being such p*ss**s, I quit and never went back. Never missed another Michigan home game for the next dozen years, though.

Dumbest story ever: where I grew up, college football is not big. The people who watch mostly do so as an add-on to their NFL fandom, and their favorite teams are either the local school or (ugh) Notre Dame.

I went to Catholic elementary school. One of the nuns/teachers was an enormous Notre Dame fan. I largely became aware of college football during their 1988 title run, and swore I'd be a fan of the team - any team - who beat them. 

You probably know the rest. Michigan came the closest in 1989 (the Ismail game), a heartbreaking loss for me, someone who at that time didn't even really know where Michigan was. Miami (YTM) finally broke the Irish's winning streak later that year, so that was my team until I was at a friend's house for the ND/Michigan game in 1991.

You know this one: whole place rooting for ND, Desmond makes the TD grab on 4th and 1, pandemonium in the Big House.

Three months later, a group of freshmen take on Duke (think Notre Dame, but basketball) while I'm at ANOTHER friend's house. Once again, I'm the only one who doesn't root for Duke, Michigan takes them to OT. Finally had a common link, which was enough for me to throw The U overboard for the maize and blue. 33 years later, I'm still here.

I am just your run of the mill Walmart Wolverine... 

Grew up in Oakland County, no one in my house went to college, but my neighbor was an alum, and took me and his son (my friend) to many games at the Big House starting at 6 years old in 1985. From the moment I stepped into the Big House, I was hooked, and continue to be. 

I joined the Army and used the GI Bill to attend Northern Michigan Univ. I still go to the Big House, now with my kids, and will forever remain a Walmart Wolverine, proudly! 

I now live outside of Philly, and work at Villanova, but my allegiance remains. 

Dad worked all week and I got to bond with him on weekends, and we’d watch football. He was a Michigan fan, and I liked their uniforms and wanted to bond with him. First game I watched was 2006 THE GAME, and so all I knew was pain as a fan. Last 3 years have been Valhalla for Dad and I to experience. My favorite part of football season is while games are on either driving to watch with him, or him calling me on the phone and we basically talk the entire game about what we are watching, our lives, and so on. 

Growing up in West Michigan the UM football games were broadcast on Wood Radio 1300 am. My Mom always had Wood Radio on so Saturday afternoon at 1 pm it was Meeeechigan Football with Bob Ufer. We're talking mid 1960's when you could only be on TV once a year. You followed the team on the radio and in the local newspaper.

I have 4 degrees from Michigan.  Before attending the greatest university on Earth, I had zero connections to the wolverine state or any midwestern state.

My earliest memory of watching Michigan football was the 1984 Holiday Bowl (M vs. BYU).  My dad (an Illinois fan) was watching the game.  I had nothing else to do, so I joined him.  At that point, I had not yet applied to Michigan.  I half-heartedly rooted for BYU.

I arrived in Ann Arbor as a graduate student in August of 1985 and spent most football Saturdays in the library, knowing that I could study without being disturbed.  I was very dismissive of all of the crazy football fans.  By the end of that season, however, I was hooked.  I bought season tickets for the next 3 seasons (from Ph.D. students with gigantic numbers of credits) and have been an obsessed Wolverine fan ever since.