Michigan Football History

Dr. John Behee joins us once again for a stimulating tale of when Michigan left the Big 10 conference.

Yes it is true...once upon a time the Michigan Wolverines left the Big 10 Conference and it was for football reasons. DOn't worry it happened over 100 years ago  back in the early Twentieth-Century when Fielding Yost was at the helm of Big Blue. 

The story starte in 1906, a year of turmoil and change for football. Dr. John Behee joined us once again to describe the scene in 1906 and the reasons that Michigan did indeed end up leaving the Western Conference of the Big 10. Dr. Behee joined us in the podcast above to describe the scene depicted in chapter 8 of his book titled Coach Yost: Michigan's Tradition Maker.

The book and the podcast have the details of the defection and it was for good reason.  Powerful faculty members from across the conference and the nation were gaining power in a move to sideline football and its coachs and players. The Students and later the administration at the University of Michigan banned together to protect their gridiron eleven and defend their beloved coach and in doing so  may have preserved college football to become the great spectacle it is today. Join us by listening to the podcast above.

For more great conversations with Dr. John Behee on Fielding Yost you can find them here Coach Yost podcast episodes and posts.

The banner photo is of 1906 University of Michigan football team:
Front row: Harry Patrick, John Loell, Harry Bishop
Middle row: Lawrence Hull, Walter Graham, Paul Magoffin, Joe Curtis, John Garrels, Harry Hammond, Keene Fitzpatrick
Back row: Harry Workman, Fred Newton, Walter Eyke, Samuel Davison, Mason Rumney, Carl Clement. Courtesy Wikimedia Commons and taken by the an unknown.

A Very Special thanks to information obtained from John Behee and his wonderful book