When Utah busted through the BCS barrier in 2004 as a Fiesta Bowl participant, all it wanted was a quality foe to test itself against. Instead, what it got was an outmatched Big East challenger with an 8-3 record.
Call it karma, good luck or atonement for a college football atrocity, the U football program has steadily stockpiled an impressive set of parting gifts in the form of quality opponents since being stuck with Pittsburgh in January of 2004.
The latest powerhouse opponent the Utes have lined themselves up with is the Michigan Wolverines in 2008. The game will take place as part of an ABC-ESPN nationally televised doubleheader.
The game has been scheduled for August 30th and will replace the Utes’ previously scheduled home-and-home series it had scheduled with Washington State. Although Michigan will not be returning the favor by coming to Utah the following season, the U Athletic Department couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
“We always prefer playing home and home series, but every four or five years an opportunity like this comes up that we feel has great benefits in terms of national exposure and recruiting,” said U Athletic Director Chris Hill.
Along with the opportunity to play against one of the most legendary college football programs in the country comes the added bonus of playing in the largest American football stadium in the world.
“It was a great experience for us the last time we played at Michigan and we’re excited for our team to play in that kind of atmosphere again,” said Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham, who was the Utes defensive coordinator when the Utes first played Michigan back in 2002. “The ‘Big House’ is one of the premier stadiums in the country, and the game day experience in Ann Arbor is as good as there is in college football.”
Michigan Stadium-commonly referred to as “The Big House”-has the capacity to hold over 107,000 fans and is one of the top-10 biggest stadiums in the world.
Michigan has long been one of the most prestigious college football programs in the country. The Wolverines have won an NCAA-record 860 games since 1879. They also own an NCAA-best .745 winning percentage over their program’s history.
Over the last five seasons the Wolverines have compiled a 47-16 record — including a 10-7 win over the Utes in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 2002. Michigan has finished in the AP’s top-25 poll all but one of those years (2005), including two top-10 finishes in 2003 and 2006.
Michigan is the last Big Ten opponent Utah has faced. That game was also the last time the Utes played a school that was not contracted to return the favor by playing in Salt Lake City.
The Utes are 6-8 against the Big Ten all-time and their last win in a Big Ten opponent’s stadium was in 2001 when the Utes beat Indiana 28-26.
Utah will receive an $800,000 guarantee to play against Michigan in 2008. The U athletic department also announced that it is in the final stages of agreeing to a men’s basketball series with the Wolverines, which will pit the Utes in Ann Arbor for the 2009-2010 season. Michigan will then play in the Huntsman Center during the 2010-2011 season.
Notes:The future non-conference schedule for the Utes has been tentatively set as follows:2008Aug. 30 at MichiganSept. 6 vs. Oregon StateSept 13 at Utah StateSept 27 vs. Weber State
2009Sept. 5 vs. Utah StateSept. 12 at San Jose StateSept. 19 at OregonSept. 26 vs. Louisville
2010Sept. 4 at Utah StateSept. 18 at Iowa StateSept. 25 vs. San Jose State
2011Sept. 3 vs. Iowa StateSept. 10 vs. Utah StateSept. 17 vs. OregonSept. 24 at Boise State
2012Sept. 22 at Colorado
2013Sept. 21 at Colorado