Wie Bitte? Or, as we Americans would say it, I'm sorry, what?
The Michigan football program announced in a press release Friday that it has "engaged in ongoing discussions" to kick off the 2026 season against Western Michigan in Frankfurt, Germany.
"We are 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 statement. "The University of Michigan is one of the few worldwide brands in college athletics and the interest in playing an international game would be unique. This would be a great opportunity to teach 'Go Blue' to a new group of fans in Germany."
The non-conference matchup — which would be the first game the Wolverines played outside of North America — would occur at Deutsche Bank Park, home of one of the Bundesliga's top German football clubs, Eintracht Frankfurt. Deutsche Bank Park hosted two NFL games in 2023 but has never hosted a college football game.
"I am excited about the football and educational experience this game could provide for our players," Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. "We are always looking for unique opportunities to expose our student-athletes to other cultures. In the last 10 years, our program has been to Italy, France and South Africa, and this game would provide another chance to grow our international fanbase."
Michigan is currently scheduled to host Western Michigan at the Big House on Sept. 5, 2026. If the Wolverines and Broncos were to agree to move the game to Germany, the schools would reschedule the contest for Aug. 29, 2026.
According to the press release, Michigan will reveal forthcoming details about the discussions when available.
