Michigan in ‘continuous discussions’ to play 2026 home game vs

Could Michigan play its first worldwide game in program history in 2026?

The school stated Friday that it was in “continuous discussions” to host its season opener against Western Michigan in Germany. The game would be held at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt on Aug. 29. The soccer stadium hosted 2 NFL games in November of 2023 when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts beat the New England Patriots.Advertisement “We remain in advanced discussions to

create this first-of-its-kind opportunity for our student-athletes and fans,”Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel said in a declaration. “The University of Michigan is among the couple of worldwide brands in college sports and the interest in playing an international game would be special. This would be a terrific opportunity to teach ‘Go Blue’to a brand-new group of fans in Germany.”The game is presently arranged

for Sept. 5. If it’s played in Germany, it will be in Week 0, as the main opening weekend of the 2026 season is a week behind it is in 2025 thanks to the date of Labor Day.Michigan’s most likely move to play in Europe comes as college programs are now frequently hosting games on the other side of the Atlantic. The 2025 season starts with Kansas State and Iowa State in Dublin. A year ago, Georgia Tech removed Florida State in Dublin in a harbinger of bad things to come for the Seminoles in 2024. The game in between Michigan and Western Michigan would be the 2nd worldwide game of the 2026 season. North Carolina and TCU are playing in Dublin after the two teams play in Chapel Hill in Week 1 in 2025. That game will be the first of the Costs Belichick era at North Carolina.The game between the Wolverines and Broncos is set to be just the

seventh meeting for the schools. They initially fulfilled in 2001 and Michigan has actually won all 6 contests by a combined rating of 234 to 67.