Early history (1879–1900) , the first team fielded by the university On May 30, 1879, Michigan played its first intercollegiate football game against
Racine College at
White Stocking Park in Chicago. The
Chicago Tribune called it "the first rugby-football game to be played west of the
Alleghenies." Midway through "the first 'inning',"
Irving Kane Pond scored the first touchdown for Michigan. According to Will Perry's history of Michigan football, the crowd responded to Pond's plays with cheers of "Pond Forever." On their way to a game in Chicago in
1887, Michigan players stopped in
South Bend, Indiana and introduced football to students at the
University of Notre Dame. A November 23 contest marked the inception of the
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program and the beginning of the
Michigan–Notre Dame rivalry. In
1894, Michigan defeated
Cornell, which was the "first time in collegiate football history that a western school defeated an established power from the east." , the first Michigan team to win a conference title In 1896, the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives—then commonly known as the Western Conference and later as the
Big Ten Conference—was formed by the
University of Michigan, the
University of Chicago, the
University of Illinois, the
University of Minnesota, the
University of Wisconsin,
Northwestern University, and
Purdue University. The first Western Conference football season was played in
1896, with Michigan going 9–1, but losing out on the inaugural Western Conference title with a loss to the
Chicago Maroons to end the season. By 1898
Amos Alonzo Stagg was fast at work at turning the University of Chicago football program into a powerhouse. Before the final game of the
1898 season, Chicago was 9–1–1 and Michigan was 9–0; a game between the two teams in Chicago decided the third Western Conference championship. Michigan won, 12–11, capturing the program's first conference championship in a game that inspired "
The Victors", which later became the school's fight song. Michigan went 8–2 and 7–2–1 in
1899 and
1900, results that were considered unsatisfactory relative to the 10–0 season of 1898.
Yost era (1901–1928) in 1902. After the 1900 season,
Charles A. Baird, Michigan's first athletic director, wrote to
Fielding H. Yost, then head coach at San Jose Normal School in California (now
San Jose State University). Saying that "our people are greatly roused up over the defeats of the past two years", Baird gave Yost an offer to come to Michigan to coach the football team.
The New York Times reported that Michigan's margin of victory was "one of the most remarkable ever made in the history of football in the important colleges." At the end of the season, Michigan participated in the
inaugural Rose Bowl. Michigan dominated the game so thoroughly that Stanford's captain requested the game be called with eight minutes remaining.
Neil Snow scored five touchdowns in the game, which is still the all-time Rose Bowl record. The next year,
1902, Michigan outscored its opponents 644 to 12 and finished the season 11–0. In
1903, Michigan played a game against
Minnesota that started the rivalry for the
Little Brown Jug, the oldest rivalry trophy in college football. The game marked the only time from 1901 to 1904 that Michigan failed to win. broke Michigan's 56-game unbeaten streak and marked the end of the "Point-a-Minute" years. The 1905 Michigan team had outscored opponents 495–0 in its first 12 games. The game was lost in the final ten minutes of play when
Denny Clark was tackled for a safety as he attempted to return a punt from behind the goal line. Michigan tied for another Big 9 title in
1906 before opting to go independent for the
1907 season. In
1909, Michigan suffered its first loss to
Notre Dame, leading Yost to refuse to schedule another game against Notre Dame; the schools did not play again until
1942. Michigan went 5–0–1 in 1922, capturing a Big Ten title. Although the
1925 and
1926 seasons did not include a conference title, they were memorable due to the presence of the famous "Benny-to-Bennie" combination, a reference to
Benny Friedman and
Bennie Oosterbaan. The two helped popularize passing the ball in an era when running held dominance. Oosterbaan became a three-time All-American and was selected for the All-Time All-American team in 1951, while Friedman went on to have a
Hall of Fame NFL career. Also during 1926, Michigan was retroactively awarded national titles for the 1901 and 1902 seasons via the Houlgate System, the first national titles awarded to the program. Other major selectors (such as the
National Championship Foundation and
Jeff Sagarin) later retroactively awarded Michigan with titles in the 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1925, and 1926 seasons. Michigan claims titles in the 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, and 1923 seasons. Yost stepped aside in 1926 to focus on being Michigan's athletic director, a post he had held since 1921, thus ending the greatest period of success in the history of Michigan football. Under Yost, Michigan posted a 165–29–10 record, winning ten conference championships and six national championships. Michigan Stadium was formally dedicated during a game against the
Ohio State Buckeyes that season to the tune of a 21–0 victory.
Tad Wieman became Michigan's head coach in
1927. That year, Michigan posted a modest 6–2 record.
Kipke years (1929–1937) during practice as a
center on Wolverines football team, 1933 In 1929,
Harry Kipke, a former player under Yost, took over as head coach. From 1930 to 1933, Kipke returned Michigan to prominence. During that stretch, Michigan won the Big Ten title every year and the national championship in
1932 and
1933. During this span Kipke's teams only lost one game, to
Ohio State. Overall, Kipke posted a 49–26–4 record at Michigan, winning four conference championships and two national championships. Crisler had been head coach of the
Princeton Tigers and reportedly wasn't excited to leave Princeton. Michigan accepted, and Crisler became the new head coach of the Michigan football program. Whatever the reasoning, the winged helmet has since become one of the iconic marks of Michigan football. Michigan debuted the winged helmet in a game against
Michigan State in
1938. Two years later in
1940,
Tom Harmon led the Wolverines to a 7–1 record on his way to winning the
Heisman Trophy. Harmon ended the season by scoring three rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns, four extra points, intercepting three passes, and punting three times for an average of 50 yards in a game against the
Ohio State Buckeyes. The
1943 season included a No. 1 (Notre Dame) vs. No. 2 (Michigan) match-up against
Notre Dame, a game the Wolverines lost 35–12. although the period lacked a national title and only contained one conference title. Michigan still lost the game with Army 28–7, Things started off well for Oosterbaan in
1948 with the Wolverines earning a quality mid-season victory over
No. 3 Northwestern. Elliott continued many of the struggles that began under Oosterbaan, posting a 51–42–2 record from 1959 through 1968 (including a 2–7–1 record against Michigan State and a 3–7 record against Ohio State). At the time, Schembechler's employer, the
Miami RedHawks, could have thrown more money at Schembechler, but Canham managed to sell Schembechler on Michigan's tradition and prestige. Schembechler's first team got off to a moderate start, losing to rival Michigan State and entering the Ohio State game with a 7–2 record. The
1969 Ohio State team was hailed by some as being the "greatest college football team ever assembled" and came into the game favored by 17 points over Michigan. Michigan shocked the Buckeyes, winning 24–12, going to the
Rose Bowl, and launching
The Ten Year War between Hayes and Schembechler. Michigan had a slight edge in the war, with Schembechler going 5–4–1 against Hayes. However, while Schembechler successfully placed great emphasis on the rivalry, Michigan's bowl performances were sub-par. Michigan failed to win their last game of the season every year during The Ten Year War. Michigan went 8–4 on the season, losing to
North Carolina in the
1979 Gator Bowl. Michigan fell to
UCLA Bruins in the
1983 Rose Bowl. Harbaugh led the Wolverines to a 5–0 record, propelling them to a No. 2 ranking heading into a game with the
No. 1 Iowa Hawkeyes. Michigan lost 12–10, Under Schembechler, Michigan posted a 194–48–5 record (11–9–1 against Ohio State), and won 13 Big Ten championships. Moeller inherited a talented squad that had just played in the
1990 Rose Bowl, including wide receiver
Desmond Howard. Moeller led Michigan to a 9–3 record in his first season, The
1992 team, led by quarterback
Elvis Grbac, posted a 9–0–3 record, Moeller was forced out after the 1994 season when intoxicated at a Southfield, MI restaurant in an incident in which Moeller was caught on tape throwing a punch in a police station. According to his lawyers, Moeller was fired, but allowed to publicly save face by resigning.
Carr years (1995–2007) Michigan's athletic director appointed
Lloyd Carr, an assistant at Michigan since 1980, as interim head coach for the
1995 season. However, after an 8–2 start, Michigan dropped the interim tag from Carr's title and named him its 17th head coach. Michigan finished his first season at 9–4. Carr had similar success in his
second season, going 8–4 and earning a trip to the
1997 Outback Bowl. Michigan went undefeated in 1997. With Tom Brady as quarterback, Michigan went 10–3 and repeated as Big Ten champions in
1998, but in
1999 Michigan lost out on the conference championship at 10–2 to the
Wisconsin Badgers. who was 2–10–1 against Michigan while at Ohio State, after the 2000 season and replaced him with
Jim Tressel. Tressel immediately ushered in a new era in the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry, upsetting the Wolverines 26–20 in
2001. This came on the heels of
another last-second loss in which
Michigan State defeated Michigan with a pass in the last second of the game in a controversial finish that led to the game being referred to as "Clockgate." Despite these setbacks, Michigan's 2001 squad, led by John Navarre, went 8–4 with an appearance in the
2002 Florida Citrus Bowl. but included another loss to
Ohio State, who went on to win the national championship. a Big Ten championship, and an appearance in the
2004 Rose Bowl. Michigan went 9–3 in 2004 to tie for another Big Ten championship and earn a trip to the
2005 Rose Bowl, but the season again included a loss to
Ohio State, who only went 8–4 on the season. The
2006 Ohio State-Michigan game was hailed by the media as the "
Game of the Century." The day before the game, Bo Schembechler died, leading Ohio State to honor him with a moment of silence, one of the few Michigan Men to be so honored in
Ohio Stadium. The game itself was a back-and-forth affair, with Ohio State winning 42–39 for the right to play in the
2007 BCS National Championship Game. Standout players Chad Henne,
Mike Hart, and
Jake Long all opted to return for their senior seasons for one last crack at Ohio State and a chance at a national championship, causing Michigan to be ranked fifth in the preseason polls. However, Michigan's struggles against the spread offense reared its ugly head again as the Wolverines shockingly lose the opener to the
Appalachian State Mountaineers. The next week, Michigan was blown out by
Oregon. In the
2008 Capital One Bowl, Carr's final game, Michigan defeated the defending national champion
Florida Gators, led by Heisman Trophy winner
Tim Tebow, 41–35. Carr's accomplishments at Michigan included a 122–40 record, five Big Ten championships, and one national championship. Rodriguez's arrival marked the beginning of major upheaval in the Michigan football program. Rodriguez, a proponent of the
spread offense, installed it in place of the
pro-style offense that had been used by Carr. The offseason saw significant attrition in Michigan's roster. The expected starting quarterback
Ryan Mallett departed the program, stating that he would be unable to fit in a spread offense. Starting wide receivers
Mario Manningham and
Adrian Arrington both decided to forgo their senior seasons and enter the
NFL draft. Michigan lost a good deal of its depth and, when the 2008 season began, was forced to start players with very little playing experience. The
2008 season was disappointing for Michigan, finishing at 3–9 and suffering its first losing campaign since 1967. Michigan also missed a bowl game invitation for the first time since 1974.The week before the 2009 season began, the
Detroit Free Press accused the team of violating the NCAA's practice time limits. While the NCAA conducted investigations, Michigan won its first four games, including a last second victory against its rival
Notre Dame. The season ended in disappointment, however, as Michigan went 1–7 in its last eight games and missed a bowl for the second straight season. Rodriguez's
final season began with new hope in the program, as Robinson was named the starting quarterback over Forcier. Robinson led the Wolverines to a 5–0 start, but after a defeat to
Michigan State at home, the Wolverines finished the season 2–5 over their last seven games. Michigan did, however, qualify for a bowl game with a 7–5 record, and clinched its bowl berth in dramatic fashion against
Illinois, with Michigan winning 67–65 in three overtime periods. The game was the highest combined scoring game in Michigan history, and saw Michigan's defense give up the most points in its history. Michigan was invited to the
Gator Bowl to face
Mississippi State, losing 52–14. The Michigan defense set new school records as the worst defense in Michigan history. In the middle of the season, the NCAA announced its penalties against Michigan for the practice time violations. The program was placed on three of years probation and docked 130 practice hours, which was twice the amount Michigan had exceeded. Rodriguez was fired following the bowl game, with athletic director
Dave Brandon citing Rodriguez's failure to meet expectations as the main reason for his dismissal. Rodriguez left the program winless against rivals Michigan State and Ohio State and compiled a 15–22 record, the worst record of any head coach in Michigan history.
Hoke years (2011–2014) On January 11, 2011, Michigan announced the hiring of new head coach
Brady Hoke. He became the 19th head coach in Michigan football history. Hoke had previously been the head coach at his alma mater
Ball State and then
San Diego State after serving as an assistant at Michigan under
Lloyd Carr from 1995 to 2002. In his first season, Hoke led the
Wolverines to 11 wins, beating rival
Notre Dame with a spectacular comeback in Michigan's first night game at
Michigan Stadium. Despite losing to
Iowa and
Michigan State, the Wolverines finished with a 10–2 regular season record with their first win over
Ohio State in eight years. The Wolverines received an invitation to the
Sugar Bowl in which they defeated
Virginia Tech, 23–20, in overtime. This was the program's first bowl win since the season of 2007. In Hoke's second season, the
Wolverines dropped their season opener to eventual national champions,
Alabama in Dallas, Texas. U-M won the next two games at home in non-conference bouts against
Air Force and
UMass. Michigan then traveled to face eventual national runner-up
Notre Dame. They fell to the Fighting Irish by a 13–6 final. After back-to-back wins over
Purdue and
Illinois, they defeated in-state rival
Michigan State for the first time since 2007. The win was the 900th in program history, becoming the first program to reach the milestone. U-M finished the season with wins over
Minnesota,
Northwestern and
Iowa as well as losses to
Nebraska and
Ohio State to finish the regular season. Michigan was selected to participate in the
Outback Bowl, where they fell to
South Carolina by a 33–28 score. In the 2013 campaign,
Michigan finished with a 7–6 record, including a 3–5 record in Big Ten play and a loss to
Kansas State in the
Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl 31–14. On December 2, 2014, Hoke was fired as the head coach after four seasons following a 5–7 record in
2014. This marked only the third season since
1975 in which Michigan missed a bowl game. Hoke compiled a 31–20 record, including an 18–14 record in Big Ten play.
Harbaugh years (2015–2023) On December 30, 2014, the University of Michigan announced the hiring of
Jim Harbaugh as the team's 20th head coach. Harbaugh, who was a starting quarterback for the Wolverines in the mid-1980s under
Bo Schembechler, had most recently served as head coach of the
NFL's
San Francisco 49ers. He also led an impressive turnaround of the
Stanford Cardinal football program as the head coach. Harbaugh signed a seven-year contract worth seven million dollars annually, excluding incentives. In his first season in 2015, Harbaugh led
Michigan to a 10–3 record, including a 41–7 win over the
Florida Gators in the
2016 Citrus Bowl. The
2016 Wolverines won their first nine games of the season, including wins over No. 8 ranked
Wisconsin and rival
Michigan State, and reached No. 2 in the
College Football Playoff rankings. The team then lost at
Iowa and again at
Ohio State two weeks later. The season ended with a 33–32 loss to
Florida State in the
Orange Bowl on December 30, resulting in a second straight 10–3 record.
Jabrill Peppers, who played linebacker and defensive back as well as special teams and offense, was a finalist for the
Heisman Trophy, finishing fifth. In 2017, the team lost many key players on the offensive and defensive side of the ball prior to Harbaugh's third season. The
Wolverines went 8–4 in the regular season losing to their main rivals,
Michigan State and
Ohio State. They also lost to
South Carolina in the
Outback Bowl, becoming the only team in the
Big Ten Conference to lose its bowl game in the 2017–2018 bowl season, finishing the year 8–5. Harbaugh's fourth season in
2018 started with a loss to rival
Notre Dame, followed by ten consecutive wins. Wins over ranked Big Ten opponents
Michigan State,
Wisconsin, and
Penn State, all of whom beat Michigan the previous year, led to the team rallying and referring to the season as a "revenge tour." The Wolverines rose to No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings, but were upset by rival
Ohio State by a score of 62–39 to end the regular season. Ohio State's 62 points set a record for the most points scored against Michigan in regulation. A blowout loss to
Florida in the
Peach Bowl ended the season, as they finished at 10–3 for the third time in Harbaugh's four years. During Harbaugh's fifth season in 2019, the
Wolverines lost to
Wisconsin 35–14 and to
Penn State 28–21, both on the road. Michigan went on to beat rivals
Notre Dame 45–14 and
Michigan State 44–10, but once again lost to No. 1 ranked
Ohio State by a score of 56–27 to end the regular season. Michigan later lost to
Alabama 16–35 in the
Citrus Bowl, ending the season with a record of 9–4. For the 2020 season,
COVID-19 precautions delayed the start of Big Ten play. The
Wolverines started with a dominating 49–24 win against
Minnesota. However, in a highly physical game against
Michigan State, the Wolverines incurred many player injuries and narrowly lost 27–24. The next week, Michigan lost to
Indiana 38–21. Michigan had beaten Indiana in the previous 24 matchups, not having lost to the Hoosiers since the 1987 season. Michigan hosted
Wisconsin and suffered its largest halftime deficit at home since Michigan Stadium opened in 1927 (28–0), as well as its largest home loss (49–11) since 1935. It was also Harbaugh's first loss at Michigan Stadium to a team other than Michigan State or Ohio State. Michigan hosted
Penn State and for the first time in Michigan football history lost to a team that was 0–5 or worse. Michigan was winless at home during the 2020 season, marking the first time in program history that they did not win any games at home. The final three scheduled games of the season, against
Maryland,
Ohio State and
Iowa were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. Michigan did not play in a postseason bowl game for the first time under Harbaugh. On January 8, 2021, the Michigan administration and Jim Harbaugh agreed to a contract extension with a pay-cut through 2025. The
Wolverines started the 2021 season unranked, but quickly found surged into the rankings. They won their first seven games, which included blowout wins against Washington and
Wisconsin. The team rose to No. 6 in the polls before a top-ten showdown with rival No. 8 ranked
Michigan State. Michigan narrowly lost to their instate rival, but rebounded with wins against
Indiana,
Penn State and
Maryland in their subsequent three games, setting up a winner-take-all matchup for the Big Ten East division against arch-rival
Ohio State. In a top-five showdown, Michigan used a dominant second half performance to beat Ohio State 42–27, giving the Wolverines their first win against the Buckeyes since 2011, and a berth into their first-ever
Big Ten Championship Game. In the
Big Ten Championship Game against Big Ten West champions
Iowa, the No. 2 ranked Wolverines dominated the Hawkeyes 42–3 to win their first outright Big Ten Championship since 2003. As the second seed in the
College Football Playoff, the Wolverines lost the semifinal in the
Orange Bowl to the eventual national champion
Georgia Bulldogs 34–11, finishing the season 12–2. Michigan was ranked No. 3 in the final AP and Coaches Poll of the season. Defensive end
Aidan Hutchinson finished runner-up in voting for the 2021
Heisman Trophy. In 2022,
Michigan began the season ranked No. 8. They won a top-10 showdown against 6-0 No. 10
Penn State 41-17, and beat
Michigan State 29–7. The Wolverines defeated 11-0 No. 2
Ohio State 45–23 in Columbus, marking their first win at
Ohio Stadium since 2000 and the first time Harbaugh and Michigan beat both Michigan State and Ohio State in the same season. Michigan's perfect 12–0 regular season record earned them their second straight Big Ten East Division championship and an appearance in the
Big Ten Championship Game. Michigan would defeat the West Division champions
Purdue 43–22, and repeat as conference champions and earn a second consecutive
College Football Playoff appearance. In the semifinal
Fiesta Bowl, Michigan lost to
TCU 51–45, finishing the season 13–1. Michigan's 13 wins set a school record for most wins in a single-season and the team was again ranked third in the final AP and Coaches Poll of the season. This marked the first time since 1947 and 1948 that Michigan finished consecutive seasons ranked in the top three. Running back
Blake Corum finished seventh in the voting for the 2022
Heisman Trophy. The 2023 season started with the university-imposed three-game suspension of Harbaugh for recruiting violations during the COVID-19 dead period. The
NCAA also opened an investigation into
allegations regarding a Michigan sign-stealing operation against other teams. The ensuing controversy led to the firing of linebackers coach
Chris Partridge and the commissioner,
Tony Petitti, imposing a suspension of Harbaugh for the final three games of the 2023 regular season.
Sherrone Moore took over as acting-head coach and the Wolverines continued to win games, including a road win against top-ten ranked Penn State, a record-setting 1,000th win against
Maryland and a third straight victory over rival Ohio State. After completing his suspension, Harbaugh coached Michigan to a 26–0 win over No. 16
Iowa in the
2023 Big Ten Championship Game. Michigan was then ranked No. 1 in both major polls and by the
College Football Playoff Committee, securing a playoff berth for the third consecutive season. Harbaugh coached Michigan to a 27–20 overtime victory over No. 4
Alabama in the
Rose Bowl, improving their record to 14–0 on the season. Harbaugh then coached Michigan to a 34–13 victory over
Washington in the
College Football Playoff National Championship, setting a single-season program record with 15 wins and zero losses for the season. On January 24, 2024, Harbaugh accepted an offer to become the head coach of the NFL's
Los Angeles Chargers. In his nine-season tenure at Michigan, Harbaugh compiled an 89–25 record, winning three Big Ten championships and one national championship.
Moore years (2024–2025) On January 26, 2024, Michigan named
Sherrone Moore as its 21st head football coach, making him the first African American to be hired as head coach by the program. In Moore's first season, he led the
2024 Wolverines to an 8–5 record on the year, including wins over
Michigan State,
Ohio State and
Alabama. Moore was the first Michigan head coach since
Bennie Oosterbaan in 1948 to defeat Michigan State in his first year. In the regular season finale against the No. 2 ranked Buckeyes, Moore led Michigan to a 13–10 upset victory at
Ohio Stadium, despite entering as 20.5 point
underdogs. It marked the fourth consecutive victory for Michigan, the longest streak since 1988 to 1991, and the largest upset in the series history. On December 31, 2024, Moore won his first postseason game in the
ReliaQuest Bowl, as Michigan defeated No. 11 Alabama, 19–13, after entering as 16.5 point underdogs. Michigan became the only program in college football history to beat Alabama twice in the same calendar year (also winning the 2024 Rose Bowl), and the first team since 1978 to win back-to-back games as double digit underdogs. In Moore’s second season, the
2025 Wolverines finished the regular season with a 9–3 record, 7–2 in the Big Ten to finish in a tie for fourth place. Michigan had early season road losses to No. 18
Oklahoma and
USC, before winning five games in a row, including a fourth straight defeat of rival
Michigan State. In the final week of the regular season, Michigan was ranked No. 15 with a chance to earn a CFP berth before losing at home to No. 1
Ohio State, 27-9. It was Moore's first loss in the rivalry in his three games as the head coach, and Michigan's first loss to Ohio State since 2019. On December 10, 2025, Moore was fired after an investigation by the University of Michigan found that he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a team staff member.
Whittingham years (2026–present) On December 26, 2025,
Kyle Whittingham was hired as the 22nd head football coach, agreeing to a five-year deal with the program after 21 seasons as head coach for the
Utah Utes. ==Conference affiliations==