Pandemic-Permitting, Michigan Crowd of 100,000-Plus to Greet Huskies
The Washington-Michigan football game for September 11 keeps growing in size and importance, moving closer to becoming the athletic spectacle it was meant to be when scheduled.
At least for now, providing the pandemic threat keeps dissipating through the Midwest.
Less than three months before kickoff, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced she is lifting capacity limits on June 1 for all outdoor events in her state, once more permitting crowds of 100,000-plus to fill the cavernous Michigan Stadium, the nation's largest college football stadium.
“I share the excitement of being able to meet together in-person, having our public meetings in-person and being able to cheer on our spectacular athletic teams in-person," Michigan president Mark Schlissel said this past week at a Board of Regents meeting. He urged fans to get vaccinated to ensure that the traditionally large football crowds are ensured.
This comes on the heels of ABC-TV revealing it will broadcast the intersectional matchup of Huskies and Wolverines to the rest of the nation at night, making this just the 10th game to be played under the lights at a place affectionately known as "the Big House."
Whitmer anticipated that all COVID-19 restrictions in her state will be removed, including a mask mandate for indoor gatherings, by July 1, barring unforeseen circumstances.
This news comes as Husky fans are mulling whether to seek game tickets and book flights for one of the bigger games for the program in the past few years. Michigan Stadium offers an official capacity of 107,601, meaning seats should be available.
Until last fall, when pandemic restrictions limited athletic gatherings everywhere nationwide, Michigan had enjoyed a streak of 45 consecutive seasons in which every football home game was played in front of a crowd of at least 100,000.
The Huskies previously shared in some of that.
Beginning in 1953, the UW and Michigan have played a dozen times, with the Wolverines holding a 7-5 series edge for games held in Seattle and Ann Arbor, Michigan, plus in the Rose Bowl.
The Maize and Blue won the first four games between the schools -- a pair of blowouts at Michigan in 1953 and 1969, and two close encounters at Husky Stadium in 1954 and 1970.
The Huskies won four of the next five meetings, beating Michigan for the first time in the 1978 Rose Bowl, 27-20, behind a Warren Moon-led team.
The Wolverines won their second Rose Bowl matchup between the schools, 23-6 in 1981.
The UW collected its only victory at the Big House in 1983, winning 20-11, and it captured a stirring last-minute comeback win in Seattle the following season, 25-24.
The Huskies secured a co-national championship and a 12-0 record by beating Michigan 34-14 in the 1992 Rose Bowl, but lost the following year to the Wolverines in Pasadena, 38-31.
Into the new millenium, the UW and Michigan have split two games in exciting fashion, with the Huskies winning 23-18 at home in 2001 and losing 31-29 in Ann Arbor in 2002.
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