The Oklahoma and Texas ganes were first announced in 2014 shortly after the Notre Dame series ended ...
Posted on September 9, 2026 at 10:50:25 AM by Cutter
These games were announced over a decade ago, well before CFP expansion and the enlargement of the Big Ten Conference.
I do recall that Manuel did cancel the home-and-home series with UCLA earlier this decade in order to have seven home games each season. Given the latitude to do so, I imagine he could have done the same thing with Texas and Oklahoma. I think we all recall the charge that Michigan played nobody OOC when those two UCLA games were canceled.
In fact, we do know he was able to get UT to flip flop locations so UM could play seven games at home per year. But we also know that part of the deal behind the most recent SEC expansion meant putting those games back to their original seasons, ergo the reason why Michigan has alternating years of six and eight home games from 2024 to 2027.
Who wanted those changes? The television networks paying the bill did. People act like Manuel operates in a vacuum with no other major stakeholders to consider.
We'll see what happens in due course to the non-conference schedule post-2027. It appears for now that Michigan will go with two minor opponents to start the 2028 and 2029 seasons. No announcement has yet been made about that third non-conference game. For all we know, that decision may still be in flux for the reasons you articulated. Will there be three G5 opponents (with the charge that UM plays nobody) or another home-and-home with P4 team (or maybe a 2-for-1 deal like Michigan had with Colorado in the 1990s)?
Stay tuned.
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