The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543210
18 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MARCH 2026 D ates have been released for Michigan football's first schedule under new coach Kyle Whittingham, and it's a doozy. The Wolverines have eight home games in 2026, but several of the opponents are ranked in someone's preseason top 25 and a few in the top 10, including rival Ohio State, defending national champion In- diana and Oregon, with the games against the Ducks and Buckeyes on the road. Michigan will host Iowa in its Big Ten opener Sept. 26, following a Sept. 5 season opener against Western Michigan, a Sept. 12 home contest with Oklahoma and a Sept. 19 home game with UTEP. The WMU game was initially slated to be played in Germany, but wiser heads prevailed. After the four straight home games to open the year, Michigan will then travel to Minnesota to play the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis Oct. 3 before enjoying the only bye week of the season Oct. 10. From there, U-M will have two more consecutive home games, and potentially tough ones. Penn State is slated to return to the Big House for the first time since 2022, when the Wolverines thrashed the Nittany Lions, 41-17. Michigan has won the last three against PSU and seven of the last 10. A week later, national champion Indiana is set to play at Michigan Oct. 24. The Hoosiers are coming off a perfect 16-0 season that included a win over Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. Michigan gets a bit of a reprieve the next two games. The Wolverines are set to visit Rutgers for a Halloween tilt Oct. 31, followed by another home game — this one with Michigan State — Nov. 7. The Wolverines have beaten the Spartans four straight times and six of the last eight, and they own the all-time series, 75-38-5. It will be back on the road a week later with a Nov. 14 game at Oregon. That se- ries stands 3-3, with U-M having won the first three and the Ducks the last three, including a 38-17 victory in Ann Arbor two years ago. UCLA will then make the trek to Michigan Stadium Nov. 21 in the last home game of the year. Finally, the one date Michigan fans already knew — at Ohio State Nov. 28. The Buckeyes beat Michigan last year, 27- 9, for their first win in the series since 2019. The Wolverines won four straight in owning the series and will look to re- bound from this season's loss with a third straight victory in Columbus. — Chris Balas U-M ANNOUNCES SPRING GAME DATE, PRACTICE START, AND SPRING CAPTAINS Michigan coach Kyle Whittingham an- nounced four spring captains, 15 mem- bers of the team's leadership council, and the start of the team's 15 spring practices in early February. The Wolverines will be- gin spring practice March 17 and conclude with the spring game on April 18 at Michi- gan Stadium. Graduate defensive back Rod Moore, senior defensive tackle Trey Pierce, ju- nior running back Jordan Marshall, and sophomore quarterback Bryce Under- wood will lead the program as spring cap- tains, and 11 others will join them as part of the team's leadership council during its month of offseason practices. Official captains and leadership council for the 2026 season will be elected during fall camp. Players voted for both during the spring cycle and will do the same in the fall. ❱ MICHIGAN FOOTBALL Michigan, Big Ten Announce 2026 Schedule Graduate safety Rod Moore, a two-time team captain, received an NCAA waiver to return for a sixth season at Michigan. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER 2026 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Sept. 5 — WESTERN MICHIGAN Sept. 12 — OKLAHOMA Sept. 19 — UTEP Sept. 26 — IOWA Oct. 3 — at Minnesota Oct. 10 — Bye Oct. 17 — PENN STATE Oct. 24 — INDIANA Oct. 31 — at Rutgers Nov. 7 — MICHIGAN STATE Nov. 14 — at Oregon Nov. 21 — UCLA Nov. 28 — at Ohio State Home games in ALL CAPS