College Team Guide
Michigan Wolverines: History, National Titles & Facts
Michigan has played football since 1879 and claims 12 national championships, including the 2023 season. The men's basketball team has won two NCAA titles, in 1989 and 2026.
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Updated live from ESPN.
Quick facts
| Football first season | 1879 |
|---|---|
| Football stadium | Michigan Stadium, "The Big House", opened 1927 |
| Football national titles | 12 claimed, through the 2025 season |
| Heisman winners | 3 (Tom Harmon, Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson) |
| Basketball national titles | 2 (1989, 2026) |
| Colors | Maize and blue |
National championships
Michigan claims 12 football national titles, from 1901 through the 2023 season. The men's basketball team won NCAA titles in 1989 and 2026.
- Football: 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948
- 1997 football: AP national champion after beating Washington State 21–16 in the Rose Bowl
- 2023 football: beat Washington 34–13 in the CFP National Championship
- 1989 NCAA basketball title: beat Seton Hall 80–79 in overtime
- 2026 NCAA basketball title: beat UConn 69–63
- Big Ten football titles: 45, through the 2025 season
Program history
- 1879: Played its first football game.
- 1902: Beat Stanford 49–0 in the first Rose Bowl, capping Fielding Yost's first season.
- 1927: Opened Michigan Stadium.
- 1940: Tom Harmon won the Heisman Trophy.
- 1989: Won the NCAA basketball title.
- 2023 season: Won the national title, the first since 1997.
- 2026: Won the NCAA basketball title, beating UConn in Indianapolis.
Program record holders
| Football passing yards | Chad Henne, 9,715 |
|---|---|
| Football rushing yards | Mike Hart, 5,040 |
| Basketball career points | Glen Rice, 2,442 |
Retired jerseys
- 33Cazzie Russell (men's basketball)
College Football Hall of Famers
Willie Heston, Bennie Oosterbaan, Tom Harmon, Ron Kramer, Dan Dierdorf, Anthony Carter, Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, Fielding Yost (coach), Fritz Crisler (coach), Bo Schembechler (coach), Lloyd Carr (coach).
Biggest rivalries
- Ohio State Buckeyes: "The Game", the season-ending football rivalry, first played in 1897.
- Michigan State Spartans: the in-state rivalry, played in football for the Paul Bunyan Trophy.
- Minnesota Golden Gophers: the Little Brown Jug, the oldest trophy game in FBS football, dating to 1903.
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How many football national championships does Michigan claim?
Twelve: 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1918, 1923, 1932, 1933, 1947, 1948, 1997 and 2023.
Who has won the Heisman Trophy at Michigan?
Tom Harmon (1940), Desmond Howard (1991) and Charles Woodson (1997). Woodson was the first primarily defensive player to win it.
How many basketball national titles has Michigan won?
Two. It beat Seton Hall 80–79 in overtime in 1989 and UConn 69–63 in 2026.
When did Michigan Stadium open?
On October 1, 1927. It is known as "The Big House".
Who were the Fab Five?
Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson. The 1991 freshman class reached the NCAA title game in 1992 and 1993; those results were later vacated.
Sources
Facts checked September 23, 2026. Live figures above come from ESPN.