The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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12 THE WOLVERINE ❱ AUGUST 2026 ❱ INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS MICHIGAN FINISHES NINTH IN DIRECTORS' CUP STANDINGS U-M finished No. 9 in the final 2025-26 Learfield Directors' Cup stand- ings, marking the Wolverines' second top-10 finish in three years, and the best mark among all the Midwestern Big Ten schools. Michigan's 1,076.75 points put it ahead of rival Ohio State, which rounded out the top 10 with 1,071.25 points. The finish is a bounce-back for Michigan after slipping to 13th in 2024- 25, its lowest finish since 2015. Two Los Angeles schools paced the Big Ten: UCLA at No. 3 with 1,199.25 points and USC at No. 7 with 1,095.50. Nationally, Texas won the Cup with 1,322 points, followed by Stanford (1,263.50), UCLA, North Carolina (1,166.75) and Virginia (1,148.75), with Florida and Georgia also sneaking in ahead of Michigan at No. 6 and No. 8, respectively. As far as the scoring format, 19 total sports count toward the final standings. Five of those slots are fixed with men's and women's bas- ketball, baseball, women's soccer and volleyball, with the next-highest- scoring 14 sports filling out the rest of the total, regardless of gender. U-M's athletic output was headlined by the men's basketball team's national championship, the school's first title in that sport since 1989. U-M CONSIDERING JERSEY PATCHES, FIELD SPONSORS The U-M athletics department has spent the past few years working on ways to increase revenue in the new era of college sports, which includes revenue sharing with student-athletes. According to Michigan athletics director Warde Manuel, all options are on the table. Over the past year, Michigan has added outdoor concerts to its rep- ertoire, hosting Zach Bryan last fall at the Big House and two Morgan Wallen concerts on July 24-25. Now, jersey patches, on-field advertising and in-game sponsorships are all on the table. "The landscape of college athletics continues to change at a rapid pace, and Michigan Athletics is taking the necessary and proactive steps to secure our leadership role now and far into the future," Manuel wrote in an email to athletics supporters. "To consistently compete for champion- ships across all 29 of our varsity sports, we must look at new, innovative revenue streams. Crucially, this includes expanding our support for Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) to build and sustain the championship- caliber rosters you expect — and that delivered a football national cham- pionship in 2023, our men's basketball national championship this year, and seven Big Ten Championships during the 2025-26 academic year. "For generations, the bowl of Michigan Stadium has been a sacred space. We have intentionally protected the Big House from the com- mercialization seen elsewhere, limiting on-field and in-stadium visuals to the Big Ten Conference logo, the Allstate field goal nets, and our partnerships with Nike/Jordan and Gatorade. Given my history as a football player, I have great respect for Michigan Stadium's long, storied, and distinguished history. We will work to ensure that any advertising is implemented strategically, tastefully, and in a manner consistent with the values of the University of Michigan. "However, to support our student-athletes in this new era without compromising their competitive edge, we must carefully expand our corporate sponsorships into venues where we have previously held back. To that end, our partners at Michigan Sports Properties and Learfield are currently in discussions with potential sponsors about our new Leaders and Best Champion Partner Program. "We are approaching these discussions with the utmost respect for the tradition of the Big House. We are exploring new revenue assets that are highly visible but thoughtfully integrated, including: • Jersey patches • On-field and on-court logos • In-game sponsorships and digital scoreboard advertising "The revenue generated through this program will be directly invested in our student-athletes through scholarships, NIL opportunities, upgrad- ing our athletic facilities, and retaining our world-class coaches. While these initiatives represent a new era in revenue generation, please know that we remain fiercely committed to upholding Michigan's core values. We will preserve the look, feel, and soul of the Michigan Stadium experi- ence that makes Saturdays in Ann Arbor so special." — Anthony Broome MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK Michigan's men's basketball national championship, the school's first in that sport since 1989, spearheaded the school's push to a ninth-place finish in the final 2025-26 Learfield Directors' Cup standings. PHOTO BY LEISA THOMPSON/MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY