The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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10 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2025 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS Michigan freshman for- ward Oscar Goodman joined the team midseason and is practicing with the Wolver- ines while redshirting and preparing for next season. The 6-7 New Zealand na- tive, an On3 top-100 stand- out, discusses his arrival, ex- pectations, and more in this Q&A. T h e Wo l v e r i n e : W h a t made you pick Michigan over your other offers? Oscar Goodman: "The belief the coaches had in me was a big thing. My goal is to make the NBA, and Coach [Dusty] May was a real big believer that I have a chance at cracking it. So, that was a big thing, and then the op- portunity to play. He didn't say I was going to play, but he said that I could definitely fight for a position to play early on." T he Wolverine: What's been your experience since you arrived in Ann Arbor? Goodman: "It's been awesome. All the guys have been super welcoming, and the coaching staff has been amazing … it's been really good." The Wolverine: What were you looking for when you decided to enroll early? Goodman: "The big thing was the school difference. Being in Australia and New Zealand, I'd finished my high school years already. I think the big thing for me was just to get a head start in school and then get to know the team, get to know the coaches." The Wolverine: Do you see yourself as a power forward at this level, and what are you trying to get out of your first few months on the team? Goodman: "Yes [power forward], trying to turn into more of a small forward. Just getting comfortable at this level. The big thing was just getting used to playing against bigger, older guys who are more athletic and quicker than me. That's probably the main thing. "It will be awesome. I think that will be a big help for next season just preparing for the Big Ten. The Wolverine: What's the biggest difference you've seen between basketball you're used to and here at Michigan? Goodman: "The crowd. The fans are amazing. I've seen videos of it, but it's a whole different thing when you're courtside with the boys." — Chris Balas ❱ Sitting Down With Michigan Basketball Freshman Forward Oscar Goodman Goodman, who is from New Zealand, reclassified from the 2026 class and joined the team in January. He is redshirting this year in preparation for next season. PHOTO COURTESY OSCAR GOODMAN venue, which is limited to only 6 home football games this season after hosting 8 of them last year. It should serve as an additional revenue stream with NIL payouts and athletic department reve- nue sharing coming for college athletes. Michigan Stadium has a listed capac- ity of 107,601 but has hosted crowds in excess of 115,00 people. It will be an in- the-round layout with the stage setup at the 50-yard line with reserved seat- ing around it. It has a chance to break the North American attendance record for a ticketed concert, which was set in June 2024 when George Strait played a show to 110,905 people at Texas A&M's Kyle Field. Led Zeppelin holds the record for the largest concert played in the state of Michigan, hosting a then-world record 76,229 fans at the Pontiac Silverdome in 1977. Bryan's last show in the area played to more than 46,000 fans at Ford Field, home of the NFL's Detroit Lions. Michigan Stadium has hosted non- college football game events before, in- cluding the NHL's Winter Classic, in- ternational soccer matches and more. It is unclear if those types of events are in play moving forward. ❑ LARGEST TICKETED CONCERTS PERFORMED IN NORTH AMERICA Date Artist Venue City Attendance 2024 George Strait Kyle Field College Station, Texas 110,905 1977 Grateful Dead Raceway Park Englishtown, N.J. 107,019 2014 George Strait AT&T Stadium Arlington, Texas 104,793 2022 Garth Brooks Tiger Stadium Baton Rouge, La. 102,000 2009 U2 Rose Bowl Pasadena, Calif. 97,014 Source: Billboard magazine