The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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12 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2025 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS MICHIGAN FOOTBALL MAY OPEN 2026 SEASON IN FRANKFURT, GERMANY U-M athletics announced on July 25 that it is involved in "ongo- ing discussions" to kick off the 2026 season in Frankfurt, Germany, hosting the Western Michigan Broncos at Deutsche Bank Park on Aug. 29, 2026. The game would be moved up a week from its origi- nal Sept. 5 date in Ann Arbor. The retractable roof stadium, also known as Waldstadion, is home to the Eintracht Frankfurt soccer team of the Bundesliga (top pro league in Germany) and has a capacity of approximately 58,000 fans. The news was first reported by On3's Brett McMurphy. "We are in advanced discussions to create this first-of-its-kind opportunity for our student-athletes and fans," athletics director Warde Manuel said. "The University of Michigan is one of the few worldwide brands in college athletics and the interest in playing an international game would be unique. This would be a great opportu- nity to teach 'Go Blue' to a new group of fans in Germany." Should the deal be finalized, it would put the season opener during the Week 0 slate of games and provide an early season bye for the team before returning to game action on Sept. 12 at home against Oklahoma, the return trip of a home-and-home series that kicks off in Norman this fall. "I am excited about the football and educational experience this game could provide for our players," head coach Sherrone Moore said. "We are always looking for unique opportunities to expose our student-athletes to other cultures. In the last 10 years, our program has been to Italy, France and South Africa, and this game would pro- vide another chance to grow our international fan base." The game would be the first in U-M program history to take place outside of North America and would be the first matchup between FBS programs in Germany. The NFL has hosted four international series games in Munich and Frankfurt since 2022, and this Nov. 9, the Indianapolis Colts will host the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin. "Michigan will become only the sixth Big Ten member [at the time of the game] to play overseas," McMurphy said. "The others: Northwest- ern versus Nebraska in 2022 in Dublin, Ireland; Penn State played UCF in 2014 in Dublin; and Wisconsin versus Michigan State in 1993 in Tokyo. "The MAC has had several teams play in bowl games outside the United States, but Western Michigan will be the first MAC team to play an international regular-season game. The Broncos have played outside the United States twice before in the 2015 Bahamas Bowl and the 2007 International Bowl in Toronto." U-M says more details will come soon regarding the date and loca- tion of the 2026 opener. — Anthony Broome FORMER U-M BASKETBALL PLAYER GREGG GLENN III DIES Former Michigan men's basketball forward Gregg Glenn III died on the weekend of July 25-26 in what was termed a "tragic accident" by Tulane University in a social media announcement. He was only 22 years old. Glenn, who stood at 6-foot-7 and was from Pompano Beach, Fla., started his college career at U-M before transferring to Tulane after his freshman season. The 2025-26 season would have been his se- nior year for the Green Wave. Glenn was a four-star recruit coming out of high school in the 2022 class for former head coach Juwan Howard. Glenn had a breakout season last year at Tulane, averaging 10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He played in 64 games with the Green Wave after appearing in four games during his lone season at Michigan. — Anthony Broome MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK Michigan football is planning to face Western Michigan on Aug. 29, 2026, in Deutsche Bank Park, a 58,000-seat stadium in Frankfurt, Germany. It will be the first game in U-M program history to take place outside of North America. PHOTO COURTESY DEUTSCHE BANK PARK