Michigan football vs. Western Michigan set to take place in Germany per a report
The Wolverines have not been one of those teams that have played a neutral-site game outside of America, though it has had quite a few throughout the country. According to On3's Brett McMurphy, that's about to change.
McMurphy reports that the 2026 season opener against Western Michigan will no longer take place at The Big House and now will be played in Germany.
Michigan and Western Michigan will open the 2026 season on Saturday, Aug. 29, in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, sources told On3.
The game will be held at Deutsche Bank Park, a 55,000-seat retractable roof soccer stadium that has hosted five NFL games.
It's interesting to see Michigan willing to lose a home game in favor of an international one. Also odd is that it's against a Group of Five team rather than a more prestigious opponent.
Either way, it will be interesting to see the Wolverines suiting up on foreign soil for the first time — outside of the practices the team had in Rome back in 2017.
Update:
Michigan has confirmed that this is in progress via press release:
The University of Michigan Football program is engaged in ongoing discussions to kick off the 2026 season on foreign soil, playing host to Western Michigan at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, on Saturday, Aug. 29. This non-conference matchup would become the first game played by the Wolverines outside of North America.
Also known as Waldstadion, Deutsche Bank Park is the home field for Eintracht Frankfurt of the Bundesliga, which is the top tier of the German football (soccer) league. The retractable roof stadium has a capacity of 55,000 seats and was opened in 1925. Germany has hosted five previous NFL games in the country, with Deutsche Bank Park hosting two regular-season games during the 2023 season: Kansas City Chiefs 21, Miami Dolphins 14 (Nov. 5) and Indianapolis Colts 10, New England Patriots 6 (Nov. 12).
"We are in advanced discussions to create this first-of-its-kind opportunity for our student-athletes and fans," said Warde Manuel, the Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics. "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."
"I am excited about the football and educational experience this game could provide for our players," said Sherrone Moore, U-M's J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach. "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."
The matchup with the Broncos was originally scheduled to be played at Michigan Stadium on Sept. 5. This would become the first time that Michigan has played a Mid-American Conference school at a location other than Michigan Stadium.
More details will be forthcoming regarding the date and location of Michigan's 2026 opener.
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