The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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12 THE WOLVERINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2026 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS CITRUS BOWL DRAWS MASSIVE TELEVISION RATINGS On the strength of 9.1 million football fans watching Michi- gan's 41-27 loss to Texas on New Year's Eve, the Dec. 31 Cheez- It Citrus Bowl matchup on ABC was the most viewed non- College Football Playoff game this postseason. Across the 33 non-CFP bowl games that aired on the ESPN networks, viewership increased 13 percent year-over-year, the network announced on Jan. 7. In addition, U-M played in two of the top-15 most-watched games of the regular season, including the top-ranked contest with its 27-9 loss to Ohio State in Ann Arbor on Nov. 29, which was viewed by over 18.4 million people on FOX. The other was its 24-13 loss at Oklahoma on Sept. 6, which drew 9.67 million viewers in an ABC prime-time broadcast in Norman. MOST WATCHED NON-CFP BOWL GAMES IN 2025 Rk. Teams (Bowl) Viewers 1. Michigan-Texas (Citrus) 9.1 million 2. BYU-Georgia Tech (Pop-Tarts) 8.7 million 3. Penn State-Clemson (Pinstripe) 7.6 million 4. Virginia-Missouri (Gator) 6.0 million 5. Tennessee-Illinois (Music City) 5.4 million 6. USC-TCU (Alamo) 4.9 million 7. Iowa-Vanderbilt (ReliaQuest) 4.6 million 8. New Mexico-Minnesota (Rate) 4.4 million 9. Boise State-Washington (L.A. Bowl) 3.8 million 10. Navy-Cincinnati (Liberty) 3.4 million WOMEN'S SOCCER COACH KLEIN STEPS DOWN U-M women's soccer head coach Jennifer Klein resigned from her position to pursue other opportunities profession- ally, U-M announced on Jan. 8. The athletics department will conduct a national search for her replacement, it said in a statement. Klein went 72-58-21 all-time at U-M in eight seasons at the helm, leading the program to three NCAA Tournament berths and the 2021 Big Ten Tournament title. The Wolver- ines reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament that same season, tying a program record for wins in a year with 18 and finishing the campaign ranked No. 7 nationally. "Jen is a great coach and a tremendous person," athletics director Warde Manuel said. "We are grateful for everything she did for this university, department, her student-athletes and Michigan women's soccer. We wish her all the best in the next chapter of her coaching career." Klein's student-athletes earned 40 All-Big Ten awards, 120 Academic All-Big Ten nods and 39 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar honors in her time in Ann Arbor. She also coached an Olympian in Team Canada gold medalist Jayde Riviere, along with 12 other Wolverines who would go on to play professionally. "Thank you to Warde and Lisa [Savoury] for the opportu- nity to be the head women's soccer coach at the University of Michigan," Klein said. "It was truly an honor. I will cherish the memories I made during my time in Ann Arbor and at Michi- gan. "To my assistants and support staff over the last eight seasons, you made this place a home and made my experience unforget- table. I cannot thank you enough for your effort, your dedication, and your commitment to this program. "To all the student-athletes I coached here at Michigan — I cannot thank you enough. Watching you grow and develop as people, students and athletes was the best part of my job. You found ways to accomplish great things both in the classroom and on the field, and I know those ex- periences will lay the foundation for your future successes. Thank you for letting me be part of your journey. "I look forward to watching the continued success of this team and program. Forever, Go Blue!" — Anthony Broome MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK The Michigan-Texas matchup in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on ABC, with 9.1 million viewers, was the most- viewed non-College Football Playoff game this postseason. PHOTO COURTESY CHEEZ-IT CITRUS BOWL