The University of Michigan is engaged in ongoing discussions to kick off the 2026 season against Western Michigan at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany. The game will be played on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
The 2026 season opener would also be the first time that Michigan football has played a game outside of North America. The Wolverines were originally scheduled to play Western Michigan on September 5, 2026, in Ann Arbor.
Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel spoke about the ongoing discussions in a statement.
“We are in advanced discussions to create this first-of-its-kind opportunity for our student athletes and fans,” said Manuel. “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.”
For Western Michigan, the Broncos will become the first school from the MAC to play in an international college football game.
Throughout college football history, there have been four games played in Germany. This game between the Wolverines and the Broncos, however, would be the first to feature two FBS college football programs.
There have been several college football games played in Ireland recently, but Germany has mostly hosted NFL games.
The NFL began holding football games in Germany in 2022. Two of the games held in Germany in 2023 were at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. The two games featured the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Indianapolis Colts, and New England Patriots.