🏆 Scarce Michigan Wolverines Basketball ACC Free Throw Champion 2003 Trophy

This is a rare and unique piece of memorabilia for any Michigan Wolverines or college basketball collector. This trophy was awarded to the Free Throw Champion of the Michigan Basketball School ACC in the year 2003.

Given the "ACC" designation alongside "Michigan," this is likely from a highly competitive Wolverines camp, clinic, or school competition, making it a unique item that seldom appears on the market. It's a fantastic conversation starter and a great addition to any University of Michigan or sports memorabilia display.

Trophy Details:

• Award: Free Throw Champion 2003

• Organization: Michigan Basketball School ACC

• Year: 2003

• Design: Features a standing basketball player figure, a large maroon 'M' on a gold background, and striking geometric accents.

• Condition: Excellent, vintage condition with minor signs of age/wear consistent with a collectible trophy (see all photos).

• Material: Plastic figure/accents on a solid base.

Approximate Measurements:

• Height: 8 1/2 inches

• Width: 4 1/4 inches

• Depth: 3 3/4 nches (Base)

Don't miss out on this scarce piece of Michigan basketball history!

The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and play their home games at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Wolverines have won one NCAA Championship, three National Invitation Tournaments (NIT), 15 Big Ten regular season titles and four Big Ten tournaments. One NIT title and one Big Ten tournament were later vacated by the NCAA due to sanctions.[2]

Michigan has had 35 All-Americans, selected 48 times. Eight of these have been consensus All-Americans, which are Cazzie Russell (twice), Rickey Green, Gary Grant, Chris Webber, Trey Burke, as well as Harry Kipke, Richard Doyle and Bennie Oosterbaan (twice) who were retroactively selected by the Helms Foundation.[3] Twelve All-Americans have been at least two-time honorees. Russell was the only three-time All-American.[4]

Seventy-seven players have been drafted into the National Basketball Association (NBA); thirty-two of those were first round draft picks, including both Cazzie Russell and Chris Webber who were selected first overall. The 1990 NBA draft, in which Rumeal Robinson was selected 10th, Loy Vaught was selected 13th, and Terry Mills was selected 16th made Michigan the third of only ten schools that have ever had three or more players selected in the first round of the same draft.[5] Six players have gone on to become NBA champions for a total of nine times and eight players have become NBA All-Stars a total of 18 times. Rudy Tomjanovich coached both the 1994 and 1995 NBA Finals champions.[5] Glen Rice is one of only thirteen basketball players to have won a high school state championship, NCAA title and NBA championship.[6]

During the 1990s Michigan endured an NCAA violations scandal, described as involving one of the largest amounts of illicit money in NCAA history, when Ed Martin loaned four players a reported total of $616,000.[7] Due to sanctions, records starting in the 1992 Final Four, the 1992–93 season, and the 1995–96 season through the 1998–99 season were vacated by the NCAA.[8] Throughout this article asterisks denote awards, records and honors that have been vacated.
By the numbers

    All-time wins – 1,731
    All-time winning percentage – .606*
    NCAA National Championships – 1
    NCAA Final Fours – 8*
    NCAA Elite Eights – 15*
    NCAA Sweet Sixteens – 19*
    NCAA tournament appearances – 32*
    NCAA tournament wins – 68*
    No. 1 seeds in NCAA tournament – 3*
    Conference regular season championships – 15
    Conference tournament championships – 4*
    30+ win seasons – 5*
    20+ win seasons – 31*
    Weeks ranked No. 1 in AP poll – 22

* Includes vacated results and accomplishments
History
See also: List of Michigan Wolverines men's basketball seasons
Early years (1908–19)
1909 Michigan basketball team

As a result of public and alumni demand for a basketball team, Michigan fielded a team of members of the then-current student body and achieved a 1–4 record for the 1908–09 season. However, after three years of demanding a basketball program, the student body did not attend the games and the program was terminated due to low attendance.[9] Basketball returned in 1917 in what was considered the inaugural season of varsity basketball. The team was coached by Elmer Mitchell who instituted the intramural sports program at Michigan. The team finished 6–12 overall (0–10, Big Ten). The following year Mitchell led the team to a 16–8 (5–5) record.[9]
Mather era (1919–28)
Richard Doyle, Michigan's First All-American basketball player

E. J. Mather coached the team to three Big Ten titles in his nine seasons as coach. After inheriting Mitchell's team, which he led to a 10–13 overall (3–9, Big Ten) record during the 1919–20 season, he led the team to an 18–4 overall (8–4, Big Ten) record during the 1920–21 season.[9] This 1921 team won its first eight and last eight games to tie the Wisconsin Badgers and Purdue Boilermakers for the Big Ten title.[10] The team won back-to-back championships in 1925–26 and 1926–27.[9] The 1926 squad, which was captained by Richard Doyle who became the team's first All-American, tied with Purdue, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Indiana Hoosiers for the conference championship. The 1927 team had a new All-American, Bennie Oosterbaan, and won the school's first back-to-back championships and first outright championship with a 14–3 overall (10–2, Big Ten) record.[9][10] Mather died after a lengthy battle with cancer in August 1928.[9]
Veenker era (1928–31)

George F. Veenker compiled the highest overall and highest Big Ten winning percentages of any coach in school history during his three years as coach. He earned 1st(tied), 3rd and 2nd(tied) finishes during his three seasons, which included the 1928–29 conference championship. During Veenker's first season his team compiled a 13–3 overall (10–2, Big Ten) record to win the conference, and Veenker continues to be the only coach in school history to win a conference championship in his first season.[10][11] The championship team, which finished tied with Wisconsin, was captained by the school's third All-American Ernie McCoy.[10] Veenker resigned to become the Iowa State Cyclones football head coach.[11]
Cappon era (1931–38)

Franklin Cappon had a long history of association with Michigan athletics starting with his service as a four-time letterman in football and basketball from 1919 to 1923. In 1928, he became assistant football and basketball coach and in 1929 he served as Fielding H. Yost's assistant Athletic Director.[12] Although the highlight of Cappon's tenure as coach was a 16–4 (9–3) third place 1936–37 Big Ten finish, he coached John Townsend who in his 1937–38 senior season became last All-American for at least 10 years.[4][13] The team finished third in two other seasons with less impressive records of 10–8 overall (8–4, Big Ten) in 1932–33 and 15–5 overall (7–5, Big Ten) 1935–36,[14] and Cappon's overall record was 78–57 overall (44–40, Big Ten).[12] A notable captain during the Cappon era was 1933–34 captain Ted Petoskey, a two-time football All-American end and eventual Major League Baseball player.[15]
Oosterbaan era (1938–46)

In 1938 Michigan coaching duties were assumed by one of its greatest athletes. Bennie Oosterbaan had been an All-American in both football and basketball and held various coaching positions at Michigan in both of those sports as well as baseball. In basketball, he implemented a fast-paced attack as coach, and his teams' best overall record was 13–7 in 1939–40. That season he tied with his final season for his best Big Ten record at 6–6. He resigned after eight seasons to concentrate on his football coaching duties.[12]
Cowles era (1946–48)

Under Ozzie Cowles, during the 1947–48 season, Michigan ended the longest (19 years) consecutive year period without a conference championship in school history. They also became the first contestants in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament during Cowles second of two seasons.[16] The 1947–48 team posted a 16–6 overall (10–2, Big Ten) record. This team also posted the first undefeated home performance in school history with a 9–0 overall (6–0, Big Ten) record.[14]
McCoy era (1948–52)

Ernie McCoy became the second former All-American Wolverine player to coach the team.[3] Like Oosterbaan before him, he became a football and baseball coach at Michigan. He also served as assistant Athletic Director under Fritz Crisler. During his four seasons as basketball coach, Michigan's best finish was during the 1948–49 season when they finished 15–6 overall (7–5, Big Ten) and earned a third place Big Ten Conference finish. He coached Michigan's first All-Big Ten basketball players that season in Pete Elliot and captain Bob Harrison who were both selected to the first team.[17] Harrison returned the following season as the first repeat first-team All-Big Ten basketball player and Elliot was a second-team honoree.[18] McCoy served as a football scout at the same time.[17]
Perigo era (1952–60)
M. C. Burton

Bill Perigo took over the Michigan coaching job after having served three seasons as Western Michigan basketball coach. Despite previous success as a conference basketball champion coach at Western and subsequent success as a Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) champion basketball coach, his Michigan teams endured several mediocre seasons.[17] His best Big Ten records came in 1956–57 and 1958–59 when his teams compiled 8–6 conference records. The latter team was tied for second in the conference and was 15–7 overall (8–6, Big Ten).[19] It also had Perigo's only first-team All-Big Ten athlete in M. C. Burton.[18] Team captain and two-time football consensus All-American Ron Kramer was third-team All-Big Ten in 1957 after being second-team All-Big Ten in both 1955 and 1956.[18]
Strack era (1960–68)

Dave Strack, a former team 1945–46 captain, had become the freshman basketball team coach in 1948 and later had become a variety assistant to Perigo.[20] He led the team to three consecutive Big Ten Championships from 1963 to 1966 and a third-place finish in the 1964 NCAA tournament. During 1964–65 the team compiled a 24–4 overall (13–1, Big Ten) record while completing an undefeated 11–0 overall (7–0, Big Ten) home season and was the national runner-up, falling to John Wooden's UCLA in the 1965 championship game. Strack earned United Press International (UPI) National Coach of the Year honors. The team ended the season listed number one in both the UPI and Associated Press (AP) national rankings. He recruited All-Americans Russell and Buntin to anchor his mid-1960s teams.[20] Tomjanovich also became a Wolverine at the end of Strack's career and became second team All-Big Ten in 1968 subsequent later stardom.[18] The 1964 team, which went 23–5 overall (11–3, Big Ten), tied with Ohio State with sophomore Russell and junior Buntin. In 1965, Buntin became the first Wolverine to be drafted by the NBA. In 1966, Russell led the team to its third straight conference championship and NCAA selection on his way to National Player of the Year honors.[16]
Orr era (1968–80)
Johnny Orr

In Johnny Orr's twelve seasons, he twice (1973–74 and 1976–77) earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors with Big Ten championships. His teams earned four consecutive NCAA selections from 1974 to 1977. The 25–7 overall (14–4, Big Ten) 1976 team lost to an undefeated Indiana team in the NCAA championship game and Orr earned National Association of Basketball Coaches Coach of the Year honors that season. The 26–4 overall (16–2, Big Ten) 1977 team finished first in both the AP and UPI national rankings, and Orr won Basketball Weekly National Coach of the Year honors.[21] During Orr's tenure, six players earned a total of seven All-American recognitions, which is the most of any Michigan coach.[3] Steve Grote became Michigan's only three-time first-team Academic All-American from 1975 to 1977 and with a second team All Big Ten as well as three honorable mentions was the first four-time All-Big Ten honoree.[22]
Frieder era (1980–89)

Bill Frieder, who had been an assistant coach for seven years, took over from Orr in 1980. He coached the school's first post-season basketball champions during the 1983–84 season and the following two teams were back-to-back conference champions. The 1983–84 team compiled a 24–9 overall (11–7, Big Ten) record on their way to a NIT championship victory over Notre Dame. The 1984–85 team went 26–4 overall (16–2, Big Ten), which earned Frieder Big Ten and AP National Coach of the Year honors. The 1985–86 team, which finished 28–5 overall (14–4, Big Ten), started the season with 16 victories to make a total of 33 consecutive regular season victories. Frieder earned five of Michigan's six consecutive NCAA births from 1985 to 1990, currently the longest streak in program history.[23] Roy Tarpley led the 1985 team as Big Ten MVP.[23] After the 1988–89 season, Frieder accepted the head coach's job at Arizona State, but wanted to remain at Michigan for the NCAA tournament. However, when Frieder told athletic director Bo Schembechler of his intentions, Schembechler ordered him to leave immediately, telling him, "I don't want someone from Arizona State coaching the Michigan team. A Michigan man is going to coach Michigan."[24][25]
Fisher era (1989–97)
five Black males in gold athletic uniforms in the foreground on the sidelines of an athletic court while a few opposing athletes in green wait in the middle of the court.
Michigan's Fab Five (left to right) Jimmy King, Jalen Rose, Webber, Ray Jackson and Juwan Howard

Frieder's top assistant, Steve Fisher, was named interim coach immediately before the 1989 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and led the team to six straight victories and the championship. Following the victory, Michigan dropped the "interim" tag from Fisher's title. Two years later, Fisher signed the famous recruiting class known as the Fab Five (Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson). He would take these players to the NCAA championship game as Freshmen and Sophomores.[26] Fisher also won the 1997 NIT tournament with a team that compiled a 25–9 overall (11–5) record.[26][27] Many of Fisher's and the basketball team's accomplishments were tarnished by significant NCAA sanctions. He left the job due to the University of Michigan basketball scandal.[28]
Ellerbe era (1997–2001)

Brian Ellerbe assumed the title of interim coach less than five months after becoming an assistant coach. He was named full-time coach following the 25–9 (11–5) 1997–98 season in which he led the team to victories over Iowa, Minnesota and Purdue to capture the Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament championship. His subsequent teams never finished better than seventh in the conference.[29]
Amaker era (2001–07)

Tommy Amaker inherited a team that imposed sanctions on itself after his first year at the helm of the program.[30] Nonetheless, he coached the team to the postseason three times including both an NIT championship in 2004 and a runner-up finish in 2006. During the 2005–06, when the team compiled a 22–11 overall (8–8, Big Ten) record, he led them to their first national ranking in eight years when they reached No. 20 in the AP poll.[31] Despite his successes, the team never won a Big Ten Championship and never made the NCAA tournament, which led to his firing after six seasons.[7]
Beilein era (2007–19)
Stu Douglass, 2009

John Beilein's 10–22 overall (5–13 Big Ten) in his inaugural season featured the second most losses in Michigan basketball history. The Wolverines improved in Beilein's second season and posted impressive non-conference victories over top-five ranked opponents UCLA and Duke. Beilein led Michigan to the 2009 NCAA tournament, its first appearance since 1998 and the first that was not vacated since 1995.[32] After upsetting Clemson in the first round, the Wolverines were eliminated by Oklahoma in the round of 32 by a final score of 73–63.[33]

Following a disappointing 15–17 season in 2009–10, the Wolverines bounced back to return to the NCAA tournament in 2011, advancing to the round of 32 before losing to top-seeded Duke, 73–71. The 2010–11 Wolverines, who swept rival Michigan State for the first time since 1997, finished the season 21–14. In the 2011–12 season, Michigan split the season series between Ohio State and Michigan State, and was the co-Big Ten champions along with the Buckeyes and Spartans. It was the program's first Big Ten title since 1986. The Wolverines finished the season 24–10 and 13–5 in conference play, losing in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA tournament.

The 2012–13 Michigan team earned a No. 1 ranking in the AP poll on January 28, 2013, marking the first time since November 30, 1992 that Michigan held that position.[34] The team also made program history for the best season start, at 21–2. On March 31, The Wolverines defeated Florida by a score of 79–59 to make their first Final Four appearance since the 1992–93 season. The Wolverines then defeated Syracuse by a score of 61–56 in the Final Four. In the 2013 NCAA tournament national championship game, the Wolverines lost against Louisville by the score of 82–76. On February 20, 2018, NCAA confirmed and upheld penalties against Louisville for "arranging striptease dances and sex acts for prospects, student-athletes and others."[35][36] Louisville had to vacate its 2013 national championship, but the NCAA does not retroactively award vacated championships to default winners.[37]

The 2013–14 team had another strong season, winning Michigan's first outright Big Ten championship since 1986 and advancing to the Elite Eight of the 2014 NCAA tournament, where it lost to Kentucky 75–72. With the departure of several key players to NBA draft, as well as injuries to Caris LeVert and Derrick Walton,[38] the 2014–15 team ended the season with a 16–16 record and a quarterfinals appearance at the Big Ten tournament, but did not make the 2015 NCAA tournament. Despite several injuries before and during the season, the 2015–16 team compiled a 23–13 record and made it to the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament. The team also qualified as a First Four team for the 2016 NCAA tournament, but eventually lost in the round of 64.

During the 2016–17 season, Beilein became the winningest coach in school history, passing Johnny Orr with his 210th win on March 9, with a 75–55 win over Illinois in the opening round of the 2017 Big Ten tournament. Michigan went on to win the tournament, its first since the vacated 1998 title, winning four games in four days as the No. 8 seed and capping it off with a 71–56 championship victory over Wisconsin. It was the first time that a No. 8 seed had won the Big Ten tournament. Michigan made the 2017 NCAA tournament as a No. 7 seed, defeating Oklahoma State and Louisville to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Michigan went on to lose to Oregon in the round and finished the season with a 26-12 record.

During the 2017–18 season, Beilein's Wolverines again won four games in four days to win back-to-back Big Ten tournament championships for the first time in school history. The team went on to win the West regional title and advance to the Final Four following its win over Florida State, 58–54. The win improved the team's record to 32–7, marking a new school record for victories. Following a Final Four victory over a rising Loyola-Chicago team, Michigan moved on to face Villanova in the 2018 NCAA tournament national championship game. The Wolverines fell short by a score of 79–62, and this brought Michigan’s record in a national championship game to 1–6, the worst record among teams that have previously won a title.

The 2018–19 team started the season on the best run in program history, winning their first 17 games before losing to Wisconsin on the road. The Wolverines finished the regular season third in the Big Ten and earned a No. 2 seed in the 2019 NCAA tournament, despite losing three starters from the previous season's team. The team made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament for a third straight season before losing to No. 3 seed Texas Tech.

On May 13, 2019, in a surprising move,[39] Beilein signed a five-year contract to become the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. Beilein led Michigan to a 278–150 record with nine NCAA tournament appearances, including two finishes as the national runner-up.[40] Beilein advocated for a system similar to college football, where a committed player needed to stay in school for at least three years.[41] It was speculated that the rise of "one-and-done" and early NBA Draft entries, which resulted in a trend of more time spent on recruiting and higher turnover of players, contributed to Beilein’s decision to depart from college basketball.[42] Beilein's departure from Michigan was widely regarded as a loss for college basketball.[43][44]
Howard era (2019–2024)
Juwan Howard during a game at Xfinity Center in 2020

On May 22, 2019, Fab Five member Juwan Howard was named the head basketball coach of the Wolverines, agreeing on a five-year contract.[45] Despite losing three of their leading scorers from the 2018–19 team to the NBA draft, Howard led an unranked Wolverines to a 7–0 start, including back-to-back wins over No. 6 UNC, 73–64, and No. 8 Gonzaga, 82–64, capturing the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament title.[46][47] Following the strong performance, Michigan jumped from unranked to No. 4 in the AP poll,[48] becoming only the second team after the 1989–90 Kansas Jayhawks to achieve the feat in the 70-year history of the poll.[49][50] In their first Big Ten game under Howard, the Wolverines defeated Iowa 103–91 and scored their most points in a Big Ten game since 1998 (112 against Indiana).[51] They achieved the No. 9 seed in the 2020 Big Ten tournament, but their first game, against No. 8 seed Rutgers, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 4, 2021, the 2020–21 Wolverines clinched the regular season Big Ten title with a 69–50 victory over instate rival Michigan State.[52] Michigan ended the regular season with a 23–5 overall record and a 14–3 conference record (.823 conference winning percentage). Michigan's Big Ten regular season championship was their first since 2014. The Wolverines received an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the East region, where they defeated No. 16 Texas Southern and No. 8 LSU to advance to their fourth straight Sweet Sixteen. They then defeated No. 4 Florida State before being upset by No. 11 UCLA in the Elite Eight.

The 2021–22 Wolverines finished the regular season with a 17–13 overall record (11–9 Big Ten) and lost their first game of the Big Ten tournament to Indiana. Michigan managed to make the 2022 NCAA tournament as a No. 11 seed, beating No. 6 Colorado State and No. 3 Tennessee to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for a fifth consecutive season. In the round Michigan lost to Villanova to end their tournament.

In each of the following two seasons, the Wolverines failed to make the NCAA tournament with Howard. It was the first time Michigan did not make the NCAA tournament in back-to-back years since the 2007–08 team. On March 15, 2024, after losing a program record 24 games, the university announced it was parting ways with Howard after five years.[53]
May era (2024–present)

On March 23, 2024, Dusty May was named the head basketball coach at the University of Michigan.[54][55][56] In his first month, he led the 2024–25 Wolverines to being the Fort Myers Tip-Off champions,[57] and ranked inside the top 15 of the AP poll for the first time since November 2021.[58] Michigan finished the regular season tied for second place at 14–6 in the conference and earned the No. 3 seed in the 2025 Big Ten tournament. On March 16, the Wolverines won the Big Ten tournament against Wisconsin, their first tournament title since 2018.[59][60] May became the first officially recognized conference coach to win the Big Ten tournament title in their first season, with the only other being Brian Ellerbe in Michigan’s first win in 1998; though that season was later vacated by the NCAA. May also won the most total games and conference games in program history for a first-year head coach.[61][62] Michigan received an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA tournament as the No. 5 seed in the South Region.[63]On March 20, the Wolverines defeated No. 12 seed UC San Diego, 68–65, in the First Round. With 26 wins, May became the winningest first-year head coach in program history.[64] On March 22, Michigan defeated No. 4 seed Texas A&M in the Second Round 91–79, winning a fifth consecutive postseason game.[65] No team in NCAA history has ever lost as many games the season before and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen the next year (since introduced in 1975).[66] On March 28, Michigan lost to the No. 1 overall seed Auburn in the regional semifinal, 65–78. The Wolverines finished the year 27–10, an increase of 19 wins from the previous season.[67]
Championships
NCAA National Championships
Year     Coach     Opponent     Score     Site     Overall record     Big Ten record
1989     Steve Fisher     Seton Hall     80–79 (OT)     Seattle     30–7     12–6
National Championships     1
1989 NCAA tournament Results Round     Opponent     Score
First Round     No. 14 Xavier     92–87
Second Round     No. 11 South Alabama     91–82
Sweet Sixteen     No. 2 North Carolina     92–87
Elite Eight     No. 5 Virginia     102–65
Final Four     No. 1 Illinois     83–81
Championship     No. 3 Seton Hall     80–79OT
Big Ten regular season championships
Year     Coach     Overall record     Conference record
1921+     E. J. Mather     18–4     8–4
1926+     E. J. Mather     12–5     8–4
1927     E. J. Mather     14–3     10–2
1929+     George Veenker     13–3     10–2
1948     Ozzie Cowles     16–6     10–2
1964+     Dave Strack     23–5     11–3
1965     Dave Strack     24–4     13–1
1966     Dave Strack     18–8     11–3
1974+     Johnny Orr     22–5     12–2
1977     Johnny Orr     26–4     16–2
1985     Bill Frieder     26–4     16–2
1986     Bill Frieder     28–5     14–4
2012+     John Beilein     24–10     13–5
2014     John Beilein     28–9     15–3
2021     Juwan Howard     23–5     14–3
Big Ten regular season championships     15

+ Conference co-champions
Big Ten tournament championships
Year     Coach     Opponent     Score     Site     Overall record     Big Ten record
1998*     Brian Ellerbe     Purdue     76–67     Chicago     25–9     11–5
2017     John Beilein     Wisconsin     71–56     Washington, D.C.     26–12     10–8
2018     John Beilein     Purdue     75–66     New York City     33–8     13–5
2025     Dusty May     Wisconsin     59–53     Indianapolis     27–10     14–6
Big Ten tournament championships     4
Rivalries

    Duke–Michigan
    Michigan–Michigan State
    Michigan–Ohio State

Record against Big Ten opponents
Opponent     Series record
Illinois     *85–96
Indiana     *67–110
Iowa     *100–68
Maryland     14–10
Michigan State     *104–92
Minnesota     *99–71
Nebraska     *23–4
Northwestern     *120–60
Ohio State     *84–108
Oregon     5–3
Penn State     *40–17
Purdue     *77–94
Rutgers     18–4
UCLA     7–13
USC     1–1
Washington     2–2
Wisconsin     *100–76
Total     *946–829

Totals through March 16, 2025
Fab Five
The Fab Five during their sophomore year, Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan. From left to right, Jimmy King, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Ray Jackson, Juwan Howard.

The Fab Five, the 1991 recruiting class of five freshman starters, were Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson. They were notable for having gone to the championship game of the 1992 and 1993 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament as freshmen and sophomores, for having started the trend of wearing baggy gym shorts,[68][69] which was later popularized by Michael Jordan,[70] and for wearing black athletic socks.[70][71] Due to the issues found with Webber’s eligibility in the Ed Martin scandal, the records from their 1992 Final Four appearance and the entire following season have been vacated.[70] Although Webber was the only member of the Fab Five officially implicated with the scandal, the reputation of the whole group has been tarnished.[72] Webber (1993), Howard (1994) and Rose (1992, 1994) were college basketball All-Americans.[3][73] and both King (1995 3rd team and 1993 & 1994 honorable mention) and Jackson (1995 2nd team & 1994 honorable mention) achieved All-Big Ten honors.[18] All but Jackson played in the NBA.[74] They were the subject of Mitch Albom's book, Fab Five: Basketball, Trash Talk, the American Dream,[75] which at one point was under development by Fox Television as a made-for-television movie.[76] In March 2011 ESPN broadcast a documentary, Fab Five, that was the network's highest-rated in its history.
Ed Martin scandal
Main article: University of Michigan basketball scandal

During the University of Michigan basketball scandal the Big Ten Conference, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, and United States Department of Justice investigated the relationship between the University of Michigan, its men's basketball teams and basketball team booster Ed Martin. The program was punished for NCAA rules violations, principally involving payments booster Martin made to several players to launder money from an illegal gambling operation. It is one of the largest incidents involving payments to college athletes in American collegiate history.[77] It was described as one of the three or four worst violations of NCAA bylaws in history up to that time by the NCAA infractions committee chairman and the largest athlete payment scandal ever by ESPN.[77][78]

The case began when the investigation of an automobile rollover accident during Mateen Cleaves' 1996 Michigan Wolverines recruiting trip revealed a curious relationship between Martin and the team. Several Michigan basketball players were implicated over the next few years and by 1999 several were called before a federal grand jury. Four eventual professional basketball players (Chris Webber, Maurice Taylor, Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock) were discovered to have borrowed a total of $616,000 from Martin.[77] During the investigation, Webber claimed not to have had any financial relationship with Martin. Eventually he confessed to having accepted some of the money he was charged with having borrowed. For his perjury during a federal grand jury investigation, he was both fined in the legal system and briefly suspended by National Basketball Association after performing public service.[79][80]

In 2002, the university punished itself when it became apparent that its players were guilty by declaring itself ineligible for post season play immediately, returning post season play monetary rewards, vacating five seasons of games, removing commemorative banners, and placing itself on a two-year probation.[81] The following year, the NCAA accepted these punishments, doubled both the probation period and the post-season ineligibility, penalized the school one scholarship for four seasons, and ordered disassociation from the four guilty players until 2012.[78][82] The disassociation formally ended on May 8, 2013.[83] The additional year of post-season ineligibility was overturned on appeal.[84][85]

The punishment cost the 2002–03 team its post-season eligibility, cost past teams the 1997 National Invitation Tournament and the 1998 Big Ten tournament championships as well as 1992 and 1993 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament Final Four recognition. It cost Traylor his MVP awards in the 1997 NIT and 1998 Big Ten tournament, as well as Bullock's standing as the school's third all-time leading scorer and all-time leader in 3-point field goals. Steve Fisher lost his job as Michigan head coach as a result of the scandal.[8]
Head coaching history and current staff
See also: List of Michigan Wolverines men's basketball head coaches
Personnel
Current coaching staff
Michigan Wolverines
Name     Position     Consecutive season(s) at
Michigan in current position     Previous position
Dusty May     Head coach     2nd     Florida Atlantic – Head coach (2018–2024)
Mike Boynton     Assistant coach     2nd     Oklahoma State – Head coach (2017–2024)
Justin Joyner     Assistant coach     2nd     Saint Mary's – Assistant, associate head coach (2017–2024)
Akeem Miskdeen     Assistant coach     2nd     Georgia – Assistant coach (2022–2024)
Kyle Church     Assistant coach / general manager     2nd     Florida Atlantic – Assistant coach (2018–2024)
Drew Williamson     Assistant coach / director of player development     2nd     Florida Atlantic – Assistant coach / director of player development (2021–2024)
Brandon Gilbert     Special assistant     2nd     Florida Atlantic – Special assistant (2018–2024)
Matt Aldred     Strength and conditioning coach     2nd     Furman – Strength and conditioning coach, assistant head coach (2018–2024)
KT Harrell     Director of basketball operations     2nd     Florida Atlantic – Director of basketball operations (2022–2024)
Reference:[86]
Current record
        Overall     Conference     
Coach     Years     Record     Pct.     Record     Pct.     Note
Dusty May     2024–present     27–10     .730     14–6     .700     2025 Big Ten tournament championship
Honored players and coaches

Below are lists of important players and coaches in the history of Michigan Wolverines men's basketball. It includes lists of major awards and retired numbers. The honors include: Helms Foundation Player of the Year, UPI Player of the Year, Sporting News Player of the Year, Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, Associated Press Player of the Year, NABC Player of the Year, Oscar Robertson Trophy, NCAA tournament MOP, National Invitation tournament MVP, Big Ten tournament MVP, Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball, Big Ten Player of the Year, All-America, Wayman Tisdale Award, Bob Cousy Award, UPI Coach of the Year, Henry Iba Award, NABC Coach of the Year, AP Coach of the Year.
Retired numbers
Main article: List of NCAA men's basketball retired numbers

The program has officially retired one number only:[87]
Michigan Wolverines retired numbers
No.     Player     Pos.     Tenure     No. retired     Ref.
33     Cazzie Russell     SG / SF     1963–66     December 11, 1993     [88]
Honored Jerseys

Jerseys honored but numbers still active:[87]
Michigan Wolverines honored jerseys
No.     Player     Pos.     Tenure     Honored
22     Bill Buntin     PF / C     1962–65     January 7, 2006
35     Phil Hubbard     PF / C     1975–79     January 11, 2004
41     Glen Rice     SF     1985–89     February 20, 2005 [89]
45     Rudy Tomjanovich     PF     1967–70     February 8, 2003
Awards and honors

National Player of the Year

    1966 – Cazzie Russell (AP, USBWA, UPI, Helms, The Sporting News)
    2013 – Trey Burke (AP, USBWA, NABC, Naismith, Wooden)

Wayman Tisdale Award

    1992 – Chris Webber

Bob Cousy Award

    2013 – Trey Burke

NCAA tournament MOP

    1989 – Glen Rice

National Invitation Tournament MVP

    1984 – Tim McCormick
    1997 – Robert Traylor*
    2004 – Daniel Horton

Big Ten tournament MVP

    1998 – Robert Traylor*
    2017 – Derrick Walton
    2018 – Moritz Wagner
    2025 – Vladislav Goldin

Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball

    1965 – Cazzie Russell
    1966 – Cazzie Russell
    1974 – Campy Russell
    1985 – Roy Tarpley
    1988 – Gary Grant
    1989 – Glen Rice

Big Ten Player of the Year

    1985 – Roy Tarpley
    1988 – Gary Grant
    1989 – Glen Rice
    2013 – Trey Burke
    2014 – Nik Stauskas

Big Ten Freshman of the Year

    1985 – Gary Grant
    1992 – Chris Webber
    1995 – Maurice Taylor
    2000 – LaVell Blanchard
    2003 – Daniel Horton
    2012 – Trey Burke
    2019 – Ignas Brazdeikis
    2021 – Hunter Dickinson

Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year

    1987 – Gary Grant
    1988 – Gary Grant

Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year

    2018 – Duncan Robinson


    

All-Americans

    1924 – Harry Kipke (c)
    1926 – Richard Doyle (c)
    1927–28 – Bennie Oosterbaan (c 1927, 1928)
    1929 – Ernie McCoy
    1929 – Joseph Truskowski
    1937–38 – John Townsend
    1948 – Pete Elliott
    1957 – Ron Kramer
    1964–65 – Bill Buntin
    1964–66 – Cazzie Russell (c 1965, 1966)
    1970 – Rudy Tomjanovich
    1972 – Henry Wilmore
    1974 – Campy Russell
    1977 – Rickey Green (c)
    1977 – Phil Hubbard
    1985–86 – Roy Tarpley
    1987–88 – Gary Grant (c 1988)
    1989 – Glen Rice
    1990 – Rumeal Robinson
    1993 – Chris Webber (c)
    1994 – Juwan Howard
    1994 – Jalen Rose
    1998 – Robert Traylor
    2013 – Trey Burke (c)
    2014 – Nik Stauskas
    2021 – Hunter Dickinson

National Coach of the Year

    1965 – Dave Strack (UPI)
    1976 – Johnny Orr (NABC, USBWA)
    1977 – Johnny Orr (Basketball Weekly)
    1985 – Bill Frieder (AP, Basketball Weekly)
    1992 – Steve Fisher (Basketball Times)
    2021 – Juwan Howard (AP, SN, USBWA)

Big Ten Coach of the Year

    1974 – Johnny Orr
    1977 – Johnny Orr
    1985 – Bill Frieder
    2014 – John Beilein
    2021 – Juwan Howard

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers

Two former Wolverines have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Year     Player     Inducted as
2020     Rudy Tomjanovich     Coach
2021     Chris Webber     Player
NBA draft picks and active alumni
NBA draft picks
Main article: List of Michigan Wolverines in the NBA draft
First round NBA draft picks
Draft Year     Pick     Player     Selected by     Professional career
1966     1     Cazzie Russell     New York Knicks     1966–1981
1970     2     Rudy Tomjanovich     San Diego Rockets     1970–1981
1974     8     Campy Russell     Cleveland Cavaliers     1974–1985
1977     16     Rickey Green     Golden State Warriors     1977–1992
1979     15     Phil Hubbard     Detroit Pistons     1979–1989
1981     19     Mike McGee     Los Angeles Lakers     1981–1992
1984     12     Tim McCormick     Cleveland Cavaliers     1984–1992
1986     7     Roy Tarpley     Dallas Mavericks     1986–2006
1988     15     Gary Grant     Seattle SuperSonics     1988–2002
1989     4     Glen Rice     Miami Heat     1989–2004
1990     10     Rumeal Robinson     Atlanta Hawks     1990–2002
1990     13     Loy Vaught     Los Angeles Clippers     1990–2001
1990     16     Terry Mills     Milwaukee Bucks     1990–2001
1993     1     Chris Webber     Orlando Magic     1993–2008
1994     5     Juwan Howard     Washington Bullets     1994–2013
1994     13     Jalen Rose     Denver Nuggets     1994–2007
1997     14     Maurice Taylor     Los Angeles Clippers     1997–2011
1998     6     Robert Traylor     Dallas Mavericks     1998–2011
2000     8     Jamal Crawford     Cleveland Cavaliers     2000–2020
2013     9     Trey Burke     Minnesota Timberwolves     2013–2022
2013     24     Tim Hardaway Jr.     New York Knicks     2013–present
2014     8     Nik Stauskas     Sacramento Kings     2014–2022
2014     21     Mitch McGary     Oklahoma City Thunder     2014–2016
2016     20     Caris LeVert     Indiana Pacers     2016–present
2017     17     D. J. Wilson     Milwaukee Bucks     2017–2024
2018     25     Moritz Wagner     Los Angeles Lakers     2018–present
2019     28     Jordan Poole     Golden State Warriors     2019–present
2021     8     Franz Wagner     Orlando Magic     2021–present
2023     11     Jett Howard     Orlando Magic     2023–present
2023     15     Kobe Bufkin     Atlanta Hawks     2023–present
2025     27     Danny Wolf     Brooklyn Nets     2025–present
Active alumni in the NBA

Updated as of October 2025.[90]
Players

    Moussa Diabaté – Charlotte Hornets
    Vladislav Goldin – Miami Heat
    Tim Hardaway Jr. – Denver Nuggets
    Caleb Houstan – Atlanta Hawks
    Jett Howard - Orlando Magic
    Caris LeVert – Detroit Pistons
    Isaiah Livers - Phoenix Suns
    Jordan Poole – New Orleans Pelicans
    Duncan Robinson – Detroit Pistons
    Franz Wagner – Orlando Magic
    Mo Wagner – Orlando Magic
    Danny Wolf – Brooklyn Nets


Coaches and front office

    Josh Bartelstein: Phoenix Suns (CEO)
    Juwan Howard: Brooklyn Nets (Assistant coach)
    Mark Hughes: Los Angeles Clippers (VP/Assistant GM)
    Rob Pelinka: Los Angeles Lakers (GM)
    Glen Rice: Miami Heat (Scout)
    Campy Russell: Cleveland Cavaliers (Director of Alumni Relations)

Postseason
NCAA tournament results

The University of Michigan has an all-time 68–31* (61–27) record overall and 1–6* (1–4) championship game record in the NCAA tournaments in 32* (29) appearances.[91][92][93] Glen Rice holds the NCAA single-tournament scoring record with 184 points in 1989.[94] The 1992 Final Four and all 1993, 1996, & 1998 games have been vacated due to NCAA sanctions.[91]
Year     Round     Opponent     Result
1948     Elite Eight
Regional third place     Holy Cross
Columbia     L 43–63
W 66–49
1964     Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Third Place     Loyola-Chicago
Ohio
Duke
Kansas State     W 84–80
W 69–57
L 80–91
W 100–90
1965     Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship     Dayton
Vanderbilt
Princeton
UCLA     W 98–71
W 87–85
W 93–76
L 80–91
1966     Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight     Western Kentucky
Kentucky     W 80–79
L 77–84
1974     Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight     Notre Dame
Marquette     W 77–68
L 70–72
1975     First Round     UCLA     L 91–103OT
1976     First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship     Wichita State
Notre Dame
Missouri
Rutgers
Indiana     W 74–73
W 80–76
W 95–88
W 86–70
L 68–86
1977     First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight     Holy Cross
Detroit
Charlotte     W 92–81
W 86–81
L 68–75
1985     First Round
Second Round     Fairleigh Dickinson
Villanova     W 59–55
L 55–59
1986     First Round
Second Round     Akron
Iowa State     W 70–64
L 69–72
1987     First Round
Second Round     Navy
North Carolina     W 97–82
L 97–109
1988     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen     Boise State
Florida
North Carolina     W 63–58
W 108–85
L 69–78
1989     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship     Xavier
South Alabama
North Carolina
Virginia
Illinois
Seton Hall     W 92–87
W 91–82
W 92–87
W 102–65
W 83–81
W 80–79OT
1990     First Round
Second Round     Illinois State
Loyola Marymount     W 76–70
L 115–149
1992     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship     Temple
East Tennessee State
Oklahoma State
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Duke     W 73–66
W 102–90
W 75–72
W 75–71
W 76–72
L 51–71
1993     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship     Coastal Carolina
UCLA
George Washington
Temple
Kentucky
North Carolina     W 84–53
W 86–84OT
W 72–64
W 77–72
W 81–78OT
L 71–77
1994     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight     Pepperdine
Texas
Maryland
Arkansas     W 78–74OT
W 84–79
W 78–71
L 68–76
1995     First Round     Western Kentucky     L 76–82OT
1996     First Round     Texas     L 76–80
1998     First Round
Second Round     Davidson
UCLA     W 80–61
L 82–85
2009     First Round
Second Round     Clemson
Oklahoma     W 62–59
L 63–73
2011     Second Round
Third Round     Tennessee
Duke     W 75–45
L 71–73
2012     Second Round     Ohio     L 60–65
2013     Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship     South Dakota State
VCU
Kansas
Florida
Syracuse
Louisville     W 71–56
W 78–53
W 87–85OT
W 79–59
W 61–56
L 76–82
2014     Second Round
Third Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight     Wofford
Texas
Tennessee
Kentucky     W 57–40
W 79–65
W 73–71
L 72–75
2016     First Four
First Round     Tulsa
Notre Dame     W 67–62
L 63–70
2017     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen     Oklahoma State
Louisville
Oregon     W 92–91
W 73–69
L 68–69
2018     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National Championship     Montana
Houston
Texas A&M
Florida State
Loyola-Chicago
Villanova     W 61–47
W 64–63
W 99–72
W 58–54
W 69–57
L 62–79
2019     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
    Montana
Florida
Texas Tech     W 74–55
W 64–49
L 44–63
2021     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight     Texas Southern
LSU
Florida State
UCLA     W 82–66
W 86–78
W 76–58
L 49–51
2022     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen     Colorado State
Tennessee
Villanova     W 75–63
W 76–68
L 55–63
2025     First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen     UC San Diego
Texas A&M
Auburn     W 68–65
W 91–79
L 65–78
NCAA tournament seeding history

The NCAA began seeding the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament with the 1979 edition.[95] The 64-team field started in 1985, which guaranteed that a championship team had to win six games.[96]
Years →     '85     '86     '87     '88     '89     '90     '92     '93     '94     '95     '96     '98     '09     '11     '12     '13     '14     '16     '17     '18     '19     '21     '22     '25
Seeds →     1     2     9     3     3     3     6     1     3     9     7     3     10     8     4     4     2     11     7     3     2     1     11     5
NCAA tournament round history
Round     Record     Most Recent Appearance
National Championship     1–6     2018
National Third Place     1–0     1964
Final Four     7–1     2018
Elite Eight     8–7     2021
Regional third place     1–0     1948
Sweet Sixteen     14–5     2025
Round of 32     15–8     2025
Round of 64     21–4     2025
First Four     1–0     2016
NIT results

In 11* (10) National Invitation Tournament appearances, Michigan is 26*–8 (21–8) overall all-time and 3*–1 (2–1) in the championship game. 17*–0 (15–0) at Crisler Arena and 8*–2 (6–2) at Madison Square Garden.[27] The 1997 tournament was forfeited due to NCAA sanctions.[27]
Year     Round     Opponent     Result
1971     First Round
Quarterfinals     Syracuse
Georgia Tech     W 86–76
L 70–78
1980     First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals     Nebraska
UTEP
Virginia     W 76–69
W 75–65
L 68–79
1981     First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals     Duquesne
Toledo
Syracuse     W 74–58
W 80–68
L 76–91
1984     First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final     Wichita State
Marquette
Xavier
Virginia Tech
Notre Dame     W 94–70
W 83–70
W 63–62
W 78–75
W 83–63
1991     First Round     Colorado     L 64–71
1997     First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final     Miami FL
Oklahoma State
Notre Dame
Arkansas
Florida State     W 76–63
W 75–65
W 67–66
W 77–62
W 82–73
2000     First Round     Notre Dame     L 65–75
2004     First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final     Missouri
Oklahoma
Hawaii
Oregon
Rutgers     W 65–64
W 63–52
W 88–73
W 78–53
W 62–55
2006     First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final     UTEP
Notre Dame
Miami FL
Old Dominion
South Carolina     W 82–67
W 87–84
W 71–65
W 66–43
L 64–76
2007     First Round
Second Round     Utah State
Florida State     W 68–58
L 66–87
2023     First Round
Second Round     Toledo
Vanderbilt     W 90–80
L 65–66
Statistics
See also: Michigan Wolverines men's basketball statistical leaders

National records

    Most different players to make a Three-point field goal in game:[97] 9 vs. Eastern Michigan, December 13, 2008 (tied Dartmouth, 1993)
    Combined team rebounds:[97] 152, Michigan (57) vs. Indiana (95) March 11, 1961

NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Tournament records

    Single-game rebounds (Since 1973): 26—Phil Hubbard, Michigan vs. Detroit, RSF, Mar 17, 1977[98]
    Single-year points 184—Glen Rice, Michigan, 1989 (6 games)[98]
    Single-year field goals made 75—Glen Rice, Michigan, 1989 (6 games)[98]
    Single-year three-point field goals made 27—Glen Rice, Michigan, 1989 (6 games)[98]
    Career three-point field goals percentage (Minimum 30 made) 56.5% (35–62)—Glen Rice, Michigan, 1986–89 (13 games)[98]
    Single-game points, Both Teams 264—Loyola Marymount (149) vs. Michigan (115), 2nd R, Mar 18, 1990[98]
    Fewest single-game three-point field goals made, team (final four): 0, *Michigan vs. Kentucky, NSF, March 4, 1993 (ot)[99]
    Fewest single-game three-point field goals attempted, team (final four): 4, *Michigan vs. Kentucky, NSF, March 4, 1993 (ot)[99]
    Single-game assists (in a championship game): 11, Rumeal Robinson, Michigan vs. Seton Hall, March 4, 1989 (ot)[100]
    Fewest single-game three-point field goals made, team (championship game): 1, *Michigan vs. Duke, CH, June 4, 1992[101]
    Fewest single-game free throws made (in a win), team: 0, Michigan vs. Tennessee, Mar 18, 2011
    Lowest single-game three-point field goal percentage, team (championship game): 9.1% (1–11), *Michigan vs. Duke, CH, June 4, 1992[101]
    Biggest margin of victory in 8 vs. 9 match-up: 30, Michigan vs. Tennessee, Mar 18, 2011
    Single-year two-game assists (final four): 23, Rumeal Robinson, Michigan, 1989[102]

Selected former NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship Tournament records

    Single-game free throws made (final four): 15, Bill Buntin, Michigan vs. Kansas State, N3d, Mar 21, 1964 (broken Mar 20, 1965)[103]
    Fewest single-game three-point field goals made, team (final four): 1, *Michigan vs. Duke, CH, June 4, 1992 (broken March 4, 1993)[99]
    Lowest single-game three-point field goal percentage, team (final four): 9.1% (1–11), *Michigan vs. Duke, CH, June 4, 1992 (broken January 4, 2006)[99]
    Most single-game players disqualified, team (championship game): 3, Michigan vs. UCLA, Mar 20, 1965 (broken Mar 31, 1997)[101]
    Single-year two-game assists, team (final four): 42, Michigan, 1989 (broken 1990)[102]

National statistical champions

    Team field goal percentage:[104] 54.6% (1198 of 2196), 1988; 56.6% (1325 of 2341), 1989

Selected notable statistics

    30-win seasons:[105] 2019 (30), 2018 (33), 2013 (31), 1993* (31), 1989 (30)
    1989 team continues to rank second in single-season team field goal percentage: 56.6% (1325 of 2341).[106]

Current Big Ten records

    Career field goals attempted: Mike McGee (2077, 1978–81)[107]
    Career three-point field goals made: Louis Bullock (339*, 1996–99)[107]
    Single-game three-point field goals percentage (100% most made): Glen Rice (7 of 7, vs. Wisconsin February 25, 1989)[107]
    Single-season points, team: (3393, 1988–89)[108]
    Single-game field goals made, team: (55, vs. Iowa October 3, 1990)[108]
    Single-season field goals made, team: (1325, 1988–89)[108]
    Single-season field goals attempted, team: (2341, 1988–89)[108]
    Single-season field goal percentage, team: (.566, 1,325 of 2,341, 1988–89)[108]
    Single-season field goal percentage, team (conference games only): (.561, 606 of 1,080, 1988–89)[109]
    Single-game three-point field goals attempted, team: (42, vs. Florida Gulf Coast December 22, 2008)[108]
    Single-game three-point field goals attempted, team (conference games only): (40, at Indiana 1/7/09)[109]
    Single-season three-point field goals attempted, team: (912, 2008–09)[108]
    Single-season three-point field goals attempted, team (conference games only): (471, 2008–09)[109]
    Single-season rebounds, team: (1521, 1964–65)[110]
    Single-game assists, team: (37, vs. Western Michigan July 12, 1987 and vs. Eastern Michigan December 12, 1987)[110]
    Single-game assists, team (conference games only): (36, vs. Iowa March 2, 1988)[111]
    Single-season assists, team: (745, 1988–89)[110]
    Single-game blocked shots, team: (18, vs. Florida Southern July 12, 1985)[110]
    Single-season free throw percentage (conference games only): Daniel Horton (.978 (89 of 91), 2006)[112]
    Single-season personal fouls, team: (456, 1953)[111]
    Single-season overtime games: (6, 1981)[111]

Selected former Big Ten records

    Career points: Mike McGee (2439, 1977–81, broken in 1989), Glen Rice (2442, 1985–89, broken in 1993)[107]
    Career points (conference games only): McGee (1503, 1977–81, broken in 1995)[113]
    Single-game field goals made: John Tidwell (20, vs. Minnesota April 3, 1961, broken February 16, 1963)[107]
    Single-season field goals made: Cazzie Russell (308, 1965–66, broken 1981), McGee (309, 1980–81, broken in 1986)[107]
    Career field goals made: Russell (839, 1964–66, broken 1970), McGee (1010, 1978–81, broken in 1993)[107]
    Single-game three-point field goals made: Garde Thompson (9, vs. Navy December 3, 1987, broken February 23, 2003)[107]
    Single-game points, team: 128 (vs. Purdue February 19, 1966, broken December 30, 2006)[108]
    Single-game field goals made, team: (52, vs. Purdue February 19, 1966, broken December 19, 1972)[108]
    Single-season field goals made, team: (1198, 1987–88, broken 1989)[108]
    Single-season assists, team: (694, 1987–88, broken 1989)[110]
    Single-season blocked shots, team: (193, 1992–93*, surpassed 2000)[110]
    Single-season field goals made per game (conference games only): Russell (13.0 (182 in 14), 1966, broken 1969)[112]
    Single-season rebounds (total and per game) (conference games only): M. C. Burton (249 in 14 games, 1959, broken 1960)[112]
    Single-season points per game, team (conference games only): 92.9 (1965 (1,300 in 14), broken 1966)[109]
    Single-season points per game, team (conference games only): 95.4 (1966 (1,336 in 14), broken 1969)[109]
    Single-season three-point field goals attempted, team (conference games only): (434, 2007–08)[109]
    Single-game three-point field goal percentage, team (conference games only):.875 (7 of 8, vs. Iowa March 2, 1988, broken April 2, 1988)[109]

Big Ten statistical champions (individual)

    Scoring (Conference games only until 1990):[114] 1928 Bennie Oosterbaan 129; 1959 M.C. Burton 22.6; 1966 Cazzie Russell 33.2; 1974 Campy Russell 24.0; 1988 Glen Rice 22.9; 1989 Rice 24.8
    Field goal Percentage (Conference games only until 1990):[114] 1966 Cazzie Russell .542; 1967 Dave McClellan .588; 1971 Ken Brady .617; 1975 John Robinson .603; 1979 Marty Bodnar .603; 1989 Loy Vaught .677; 2001 Chris Young .640 (all games); 2006 Courtney Sims .633 (all games)
    Three-point field goals: 1989 Glen Rice 55 (conference games); 1991 Demetrius Calip 48 (conference games); 1998 Louis Bullock 51* (conference games); 1999 Robbie Reid 49 (conference games); 1997 Louis Bullock 101* (all games); 1998 Louis Bullock 93* (all games)[115]
    Three-point field goal percentage: 1998 Louis Bullock .481* (conference games); 1999 Robbie Reid .458 (conference games); 2003 LaVell Blanchard .433 (conference games)[115]
    Free throw percentage: 1975 C.J. Kupec .880 (conference games); 1997 Louis Bullock .893* (conference games); 2006 Daniel Horton .978 (conference games); 2007 Dion Harris .873 (conference games); 1998 Louis Bullock .911* (all games); 1999 Louis Bullock .864* (all games); 2006 Daniel Horton .901 (all games)[115]
    Rebounds: 1959 M.C. Burton 17.8 (conference games); 1963 Bill Buntin 15.4 (conference games); 1969 Rudy Tomjanovich 12.8 (conference games); 1970 Rudy Tomjanovich 16.2 (conference games); 1985 Roy Tarpley 9.9 (conference games); 1990 Loy Vaught 10.7 (conference games); 1992 Chris Webber-FR 9.8* (conference games); 1993 Chris Webber 9.7* (conference games); 1990 Loy Vaught 11.2; 1992 Chris Webber-FR 10.0*; 1993 Chris Webber 10.1*[115][116]
    Assists: 1988 Gary Grant 6.5 (conference games); 1990 Rumeal Robinson 6.1 (all games); 2013 Trey Burke 6.7 (all games)[116]
    Steals: 1987 Gary Grant 2.67 (conference games); 1988 Gary Grant 2.72 (conference games)[116]
    Blocked shots: 1986 Roy Tarpley 2.50 (conference games); 1989 Terry Mills 1.22 (conference games); 2008 Ekpe Udoh 2.67 (conference games); 2004 Courtney Sims 2.00 (all games); 2008 Ekpe Udoh 2.88 (all games)[116]

Big Ten statistical champions (team, conference games only)

    Scoring offense:[117] 1946 55.1, 1965 92.9, 1966 95.4, 1971 88.4, 1972 81.8, 1976 85.8, 1977 83.2, 1987 86.7, 1989 87.8, 1997* 73.3,
    Scoring defense:[117] 1948 46.3, 1952 56.2, 1964 75.5
    Scoring margin:[117] 1948 7.6, 1964 10.3, 1965 12.2, 1966 9.9, 1977 9.4, 1985 8.8, 1986 10.6, 1989 10.3
    Field goal percentage offense:[118] 1966 48.9, 1972 45.3, 1976 52.1, 1989 56.1, 2013 46.9, 2017 48.3
    Field goal percentage defense:[118] 1995 39.4
    Three-point field goals:[118] 1987 89, 1989 103, 1991 118, 1998* 121, 2009 151
    Three-point field goal percentage:[118] 1998 40.1, 2003 37.5
    Free throw percentage:[118] 1958 73.4, 1975 75.8, 2017 77.9
    Rebounds:[119] 1963 49.0, 1965 49.5, 1972 51.6, 1983 34.4, 1986 35.1, 1992 38.2, 1993* 40.9
    Rebounding margin:[119] 1986 5.8, 1992 5.8, 1993* 7.6, 2004 3.4
    Steals:[119] 1986 8.61
    Blocked shots:[119] 1986 3.94, 1993* 5.0, 2004 4.31, 2008 4.28
    Turnover margin:[119] 2017 3.4

Rankings

Michigan teams have spent a total of 22 weeks ranked No. 1, with the last occurrence in 2013.[120] Two Michigan teams have defeated the No. 1 ranked team: against Wichita State on December 14, 1964 and Duke on December 13, 1997.[121]

The following table summarizes Michigan’s history in the AP poll:[122]
    Preseason     Peak     Final     Weeks ranked     Weeks @ #1
Top 10 Poll
1963–64     8     2     2     15/15     0
1964–65     1     1     1     15/15     10
1965–66     2     2     9     10/15     0
1966–67     NR     5     NR     3/15     0
Top 20 Poll
1970–71     NR     12     NR     4/16     0
1971–72     13     9     NR     4/16     0
1972–73     19     18     NR     3/16     0
1973–74     NR     6     6     12/18     0
1974–75     17     11     19     8/19     0
1975–76     16     9     9     16/17     0
1976–77     1     1     1     17/17     8
1977–78     13     9     NR     4/17     0
1978–79     8     6     NR     8/17     0
1980–81     NR     9     NR     11/16     0
1983–84     NR     15     NR     2/17     0
1984–85     NR     2     2     12/17     0
1985–86     3     2     5     17/17     0
1987–88     9     7     10     17/17     0
1988–89     3     2     10     18/18     0
Top 25 Poll
1989–90     4     3     13     17/17     0
1991–92     20     11     15     18/18     0
1992–93     1     1     3     18/18     3
1993–94     5     3     11     18/18     0
1994–95     16     13     NR     5/18     0
1995–96     17     16     NR     13/18     0
1996–97     9     4     NR     16/18     0
1997–98     NR     12     12     12/18     0
2005–06     NR     21     NR     2/19     0
2008–09     NR     23     NR     3/19     0
2009–10     15     15     NR     3/20     0
2011–12     18     10     13     19/19     0
2012–13     5     1     T–10     19/19     1
2013–14     7     7     7     13/19     0
2014–15     24     17     NR     4/19     0
2015–16     25     24     NR     2/19     0
2016–17     NR     23     23     2/19     0
2017–18     NR     7     7     9/19     0
2018–19     19     2     8     19/19     0
2019–20     NR     4     NR     8/19     0
2020–21     25     2     4     15/17     0
2021–22     6     4     NR     3/19     0
2022–23     22     20     NR     2/19     0
2024–25     NR     10     10     13/19     0
2025–26     7     -     -     0/19     0
Notes

^ a: * designates records and awards forfeited due to the University of Michigan basketball scandal.
See also
List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach
NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by school
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament bids by school
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament bids by school and conference

The University of Michigan (UMich, U-M, or Michigan) is a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Michigan is one of the earliest American research universities and is a founding member of the Association of American Universities.

The university has the largest student population in Michigan, enrolling more than 52,000 students, including more than 30,000 undergraduates and 18,000 postgraduates. UMich is classified as an "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" by the Carnegie Classification.[12] It consists of 19 schools and colleges, offering more than 280 degree programs.[13][14] The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2021, it ranked third among American universities in research expenditures according to the National Science Foundation.

The campus, comparable in scale to a midsize city, spans 3,177 acres (12.86 km2). It encompasses Michigan Stadium, which is the largest stadium in the United States, as well as the Western Hemisphere, and ranks third globally. The University of Michigan's athletic teams, including 13 men's teams and 14 women's teams competing in intercollegiate sports, are collectively known as the Wolverines. They compete in NCAA Division I (FBS) as a member of the Big Ten Conference. Between 1900 and 2022, athletes from the university earned a total of 185 medals at the Olympic Games, including 86 gold.[15]
History
Main article: History of the University of Michigan
Origins

Three years after founding Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit on the strait between Lakes Saint Clair and Erie in 1700, the French explorer and later governor of La Louisiane, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, wrote to King Louis XIV's minister, Louis Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain, in the Royal government in Paris, urging the establishment of a seminary, similar to those in Montréal and Québec, in the newly formed parish of Sainte-Anne[16] for the education of both Indigenous and French children in piety and the French language.[17] A marriage register from St. Ann's Church in 1755 identified a "director of Christian schools," suggesting the influence of the gentle St. John Baptist de La Salle and his famous Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools.[17] The colony was surrendered to the British monarchy in 1762 following the French and Indian War. The local French population maintained the Christian schools;[18] however, the British, who viewed the colony merely as a trading post, did practically nothing for education, leading to stagnation during their rule from 1763 to 1796.[18]

The colony came under the control of the Americans with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The strong demand for education among the frontier population led to various attempts to establish a New England-style college.[19] Notably, in 1802, the inhabitants petitioned Congress for a township of land to establish an academy,[18] and in 1806, Gabriel Richard, who presided over the Christian schools in Detroit,[16] petitioned for land to found a college.[20][21] These preliminary endeavor yielded negligible results.[22] Consequently, it was not until 1817 that the Territorial government, at the instigation of Judge Augustus B. Woodward[23] and with the support of President Thomas Jefferson,[24] passed "an Act to establish the Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania" within the Territory of Michigan that the university came into being. The act was enacted on August 26, 1817,[25][26] with Richard appointed as vice president and John Monteith as president, and it included thirteen professorships, or didaxiim. The legislative act was signed by acting governor and secretary William Woodbridge, presiding judge Augustus B. Woodward of the Territorial Supreme Court, and judge John Griffin.[27]
The Catholepistemiad, 1817–1821
First Annual Report of the University of Michigania, authored by its first president John Monteith, November 16, 1818

The term "Catholepistemiad," a neologism derived from a blend of Greek and Latin roots, can be loosely translated as "School of Universal Knowledge".[28] The corporation was modeled after the Imperial University of France, an entity established by Napoleon I a decade prior,[29][30] and included an array of schools and libraries under a single administration,[31] with the authority to establish additional schools across the territory.[30] It was not until Michigan became a state in 1837 that the corporation focused solely on higher education.[29] In September 1817, the university received a subscription from the Zion Masonic Lodge. Of the total amount subscribed to start the university two-thirds came from Zion Lodge and its members.[32][33]

The cornerstone for the first schoolhouse, situated near the intersection of Bates Street and Congress Street in Detroit, was laid on September 24, 1817, and by the following year, a Lancasterian school, taught by Lemuel Shattuck, and a classical academy were operational.[34] Additional schools were established in Monroe and Mackinaw by the end of September 1817.[35] In 1821, by a new enactment, the university itself was created as a "body politic and corporate",[36] maintaining its corporate status through various modifications to its charter.[35] The new act placed the corporation under the control of a board of trustees.[37] Monteith, no longer president, joined the board, and Richard served on the board until his death in 1832.[38] The trustees continued to manage the schools and classical academy, but established no new schools.[39] By 1827, all schools had closed, and the Detroit schoolhouse was leased to private teachers.[39]
Early years, 1837–1851
Alexander J. Davis's original designs for the university featured the Gothic Revival style. He is generally credited with coining the term "Collegiate Gothic"

In 1837, following Michigan's admission to the Union, its constitution enabled the appointive regents to oversee university operations directly alongside professors, without the need for a president.[29] The regents met in Ann Arbor and accepted the town's proposal for the university to relocate,[40][41] based on a 40 acres (16 ha) grant from the Treaty of Fort Meigs[42][43] on Henry Rumsey's farmland.[44] Alexander Jackson Davis devised the original campus plan in Gothic Revival style,[45] and the regents unanimously approved his proposal;[46] however, the plan was abandoned due to financial constraints resulting from the Panic of 1837.[47][48] In 1841, Mason Hall, the first campus building, was completed, followed by the construction of South College, an identical building to the south, in 1849, leaving a gap for a future grand centerpiece.[46]
From top to bottom: a colored elevation of Mason Hall (1841–1950), the first instructional building on the Ann Arbor campus. Its design inspired North Hall (1851) in Madison, Wisconsin[49]; University of Michigan (1855) by Jasper Francis Cropsey

Asa Gray was appointed the first professor following the university's move to Ann Arbor in 1837,[50][51][52][53][54] alongside early faculty members Douglass Houghton and Andrew Ten Brook.[54][55] The first classes in Ann Arbor were held in 1841, with six freshmen and a sophomore taught by two professors, Joseph Whiting and George Palmer Williams.[56][57] In the first commencement of 1845, eleven graduates, including Judson Dwight Collins, were awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree.[58] In subsequent years, the regents established branches across the state as preparatory schools for the university,[59] starting with Pontiac and followed by Kalamazoo, Detroit, Niles, Tecumseh, White Pigeon, and Romeo.[59] However, they struggled to enroll students and some merged with local colleges.[59] Kalamazoo College was the Kalamazoo Branch of the University of Michigan from 1840 to 1850.[59] Furthermore, the university struggled with issues due to its regents' dependence on the legislature from 1837 to 1850.[60][61] Despite several attempts to gain independence, progress was slow until the late 1840s, when regents gained leverage, supported by Michigan citizens.[60] This led to a revision of the organic act on April 8, 1851, which freed the university from legislative control, changed the regent position from appointed to elected, and established a president selected by the regents.[60]
1851 to 1900

Henry Philip Tappan became the university's first president in 1852, with the ambition to shape the institution as a model for future universities. During his decade of service, he overhauled the curriculum,[62] expanded the library and museum collections,[62] established the law school,[29] and supervised the construction of the Detroit Observatory.[62] He secularized faculty appointments by prioritizing merit in selections,[62] breaking away from the retrograde tradition of regents distributing positions among Protestant denominations.[62] In 1855, Michigan became the second university in the country to issue Bachelor of Science degrees.[63] The following year, the country's first chemical laboratory was built on campus, specifically designed for chemistry education, providing additional space for classes and laboratories.[64] Tappan's tenure also saw the creation of the Michigan Glee Club, the oldest student organization at the university, and the publication of the first student newspaper, The Peninsular Phoenix and Gazetteer, in 1857.[65] Despite these accomplishments, Tappan's 11-year presidency was marked by considerable tension.[62] His impartial stance on religion faced backlash during a time of heightened religious fervor.[62] Due to changes in the Board of Regents and discontent with his administration, he was forced to resign in 1863.[62]
Mason Hall, with a statue of Benjamin Franklin in front. Photograph taken prior to 1870

In 1863, Erastus Otis Haven took office as president, having been a professor at the time and needing to prove his right for the presidency.[66] The campus was divided by conflicting views among students, faculty, and regents regarding Tappan's restoration, the homeopathy crisis, and the Civil War.[66] Haven's administration faced routine administrative difficulties and struggled to garner support for increased state aid, despite achieving modest gains.[66] The university, which had received a fixed $15,000 since 1869, still required additional funding.[66] Frustrated, Haven resigned in 1869 to become president of Northwestern, a Methodist institution, a move that sectarians viewed as a setback for secular colleges.[66] The presidency remained vacant from 1869 to 1871, with Professor Henry Simmons Frieze serving as acting president.[67] During this period, the university raised funds for University Hall, overhauled admissions with a diploma system, and introduced coeducation.[67] Women were first admitted in 1870,[68] although Alice Robinson Boise Wood was the first woman to attend classes in 1866.[69] In 1870, Gabriel Franklin Hargo graduated from the law school as the second African American to graduate from a law school in the United States.[70] In 1871, Sarah Killgore became the first woman to graduate from law school and be admitted to the bar of any state in the United States.[71] Frieze, a champion of music education, also established the University Musical Society.[67] By the late 1860s, the university had become one of the largest in the nation, alongside Harvard in Cambridge.[72] However, it faced ongoing issues with student discipline, including class rushes, instances of hazing, and rowdiness in chapel.[73][67] Frieze attributed these problems to a lack of centralized faculty control.[67]
University Hall (center, 1872–1950), flanked by Mason Hall (left, 1841–1950) and South College (right, 1849–1950), was located partly on the grounds of present-day Angell Hall

James Burrill Angell became president in 1871 and would remain in the post for nearly four decades.[74] His tenure would be remembered as the most successful in the university's history.[74] Tappan's reforms in the 1850s set the university on a path to becoming an elite institution, but it was Angell who completed that transformation.[74] Shortly after Angell's arrival, University Hall was completed at vast expense; it would remain the university's major academic building right up until the 1950s.[74] During his presidency, Angell restored campus discipline,[73][74] raised entrance and graduation requirements,[74] and persuaded the legislature to increase state aid.[74] Angell's tenure saw the addition of many extracurricular activities, including the intercollegiate football team.[74] Though a reformer, Angell was not authoritarian; he encouraged open debate and aimed for near-unanimous agreement before implementing changes, rather than pushing through with only a narrow majority.[74] This approach enabled him to address knotty issues on campus, including the long-standing homeopathy problem.[74] Angell transformed the curriculum to focus on electives, expanding course offerings.[73] That led to a faculty of great minds in many fields, from John Dewey in philosophy to Frederick George Novy in bacteriology.[75] In 1875, the university founded the College of Dental Surgery, followed by the establishment of the College of Pharmacy by Albert B. Prescott in 1876. That year, the university awarded its first Doctor of Philosophy degrees: to Victor C. Vaughan in chemistry and William E. Smith in zoology.[76][19] They were among the first doctoral degrees to be conferred in the nation.[76] The university remained the only institution in the state to grant PhD degrees until the late 1940s.[77]

    "Stand up for America; devote your life to its cause; love your homes, and prove as worthy of our cherished free institutions as they are worthy of your allegiance and service. Let not the high standard of National Honor, raised by the fathers, be lowered by their sons. Let learning, liberty and law be exalted and enthroned."

William McKinley, speaking to the first National Convention of the College Republicans in Newberry Hall in 1892[78]
Literary Class of 1880 (includes Mary Henrietta Graham, the first African American woman graduate of the University of Michigan)

With his presidency, Angell focused the university on preparing a new generation of statesmen for public service.[74] Angell himself was frequently called upon by the White House for diplomatic missions.[74] In 1880, President Rutherford Hayes appointed him as Minister to China, where he successfully negotiated an immigration treaty that facilitated foreign student enrollment.[74] Later, in 1887, 1896, and 1897, President Grover Cleveland appointed him to fisheries and waterways commissions.[74] That same year, President William McKinley named him Envoy Extraordinary to Turkey.[74] By the late 19th century, the university had gained an international reputation, in large part due to Angell's diplomatic efforts.[74] During this period, over eighty subjects of the Emperor of Japan were sent to Ann Arbor to study law as part of the opening of that empire to external influence.[79] The university also played a key role in developing the Philippine education, legal, and public health systems during American colonization, largely due to the contributions of Michigan alumni like Dean Conant Worcester and George A. Malcolm.[80] Angell retired in 1909, and seven years later, he died in the President's House, which had been his home for forty-five years.[74] His successor, Harry Burns Hutchins, who was once his student, would lead the university through World War I and the Great Influenza epidemic.[74]
1900 to 1950
Law Quadrangle, ca. 1930s

In 1910, Harry Burns Hutchins assumed the presidency, becoming the first alumnus to hold that position.[81] He had spent seven years in Ithaca, New York, where he was called by Andrew Dickson White and Charles Kendall Adams to establish the Cornell Law School.[81] Hutchins then became the dean of the law school at his alma mater, where he introduced the case method of instruction.[81] Hutchins was acting president when Angell was absent.[81] During his presidency, Hutchins established the Graduate School,[81] doubled enrollment,[81] and increased the faculty.[81] He secured more state aid and alumni support to fund the university's capital needs,[81] including the gothic Law Quadrangle,[82] Martha Cook Building,[83] Hill Auditorium, and Michigan Union, which became campus landmarks. Hutchins enhanced the university health service,[81] but wartime distractions plagued his presidency. The influenza epidemic, which caused student deaths from poor care, deeply troubled him.[81] Well-liked by the regents who encouraged him to remain president, nonetheless, Hutchins retired in 1920.[81]
A 1907 postcard illustrated by F. Earl Christy that features a Michigan football theme

The 1920s at the university were marked by the brief tenures of two presidents, Marion LeRoy Burton and Clarence Cook Little.[84] In 1920, when Burton assumed office, a conference on higher education took place at the university, resulting in the establishment of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.[85] Under his leadership, construction boomed on campus,[85] and enrollments increased,[85] propelled by the prosperous economy of the Roaring Twenties. He initiated the annual honors convocation,[85] introduced the deans' conference,[85] and increased university income.[85] The proposal for establishing a nonsectarian divinity school on campus came after strong advocacy from Charles Foster Kent and received unanimous backing from nearby churches.[86] The school was short-lived and was quietly shelved in 1927.[86] Burton fell ill in 1924 and died in 1925.[85] In this emergency, President Emeritus Hutchins was called by the regents to assist, with Alfred Henry Lloyd serving as acting president until Little's arrival.[85] Clarence Cook Little was elected president in 1925,[87] advocating for individualized education[87] and reforming curricula, particularly for women.[87] Little proposed a curriculum division after two years to address knowledge gaps, leading to the University College proposal, which was ultimately abandoned after his resignation in 1929.[87]
H.A. Kramers, second row, sixth left with J. Robert Oppenheimer, second row, fourth left, in a photograph of the Summer Symposium on Theoretical Physics in 1931 at the University of Michigan

Following Little's resignation, Alexander Grant Ruthven, an alumnus, was elected president by unanimous vote.[88] He would lead the university through the Great Depression and World War II.[88] Under Ruthven's leadership, the university administration became more decentralized with the creation of the university council, various divisions, and a system of committees.[88] For years, the university was a backwater in theoretical physics. Nonetheless, this changed under department head Harrison McAllister Randall, who brought theorists Samuel Goudsmit, George Uhlenbeck, and Otto Laporte onto the faculty.[89] Goudsmit mentored famous students at the university, including Robert Bacher and Wu Ta-You, the Father of Chinese Physics, who in turn taught Zhu Guangya and two Nobel laureates, Chen Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee. From 1928 to 1941, the Summer Symposium in Theoretical Physics featured renowned physicists like Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Paul Dirac, and Erwin Schrödinger, with at least fifteen attendees being Nobel laureates or future laureates.[90] Wolfgang Pauli held a visiting professorship at the university in 1931.[91] Stephen Timoshenko created the first U.S. bachelor's and doctoral programs in engineering mechanics when he was a faculty professor at the university. In 1948, shortly after World War II, the Michigan Memorial Phoenix Project was established to honor the hundreds of lives lost from the university during the war.[92][29] Funded by numerous contributors, including the Ford Motor Company, the Phoenix Project operated the Ford Nuclear Reactor, which established the nation's first academic program in nuclear science and engineering.[93]
1950 to present

For most of the 19th and early 20th centuries, Michigan stood as the sole university within the state, and its alumni often dominated state politics. However, by the mid-20th century, the landscape began to shift as new universities emerged, many of which were former technical schools, thereby threatening that status quo.[94] When Harlan Hatcher took office as president in 1951, he was entrusted with securing the university's preeminence among the nation and world's burgeoning research institutions. This marked the beginning of a phase of post-war development, during which Hatcher oversaw the construction of North Campus, the founding of Flint Senior College, and the establishment of the Dearborn Center, both of which have since evolved into full-fledged branch campuses.[95][96] Nonetheless, the tenures of Hatcher and his successor, Robben Wright Fleming, were marked by a sharp rise in campus activism, linked to the Civil Rights Movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement.[95] In 1963, a controversial set of admissions practices collectively known as 'affirmative action' was introduced.[97] It was a radical measure originated by Hobart Taylor Jr., aimed at boosting Black student enrollment at elite universities.[97] Meanwhile, in 1964, a group of faculty hosted the nation's first "teach-in" against U.S. foreign policy in Southeast Asia, attended by thousands of students.[98][99] Subsequent sit-ins by campus groups prompted administrative crackdowns, leading to more unrest across the campus.[95] Meanwhile, Hatcher controversially dismissed three professors for their refusal to cooperate with Joseph McCarthy's House Un-American Activities Committee during his tenure.[100] Hatcher's successor, Robben Wright Fleming guided the university through a turbulent era of activism.[95] In 1969, a year into Fleming's tenure, a Marxist militant organization known as the Weather Underground was founded on campus.[101] This group, led by members of the Jesse James Gang, an offshoot of the Students for a Democratic Society, employed militant tactics, including taking hostages.[95] A year later, a strike organized by the Black Action Movement, another radical group, resulted in the university agreeing to several demands for minority support.[102] In 1971, the Spectrum Center was founded as the nation's oldest collegiate LGBT student center.[103] Meanwhile, support among students for marijuana legalization was gaining traction on campus, as evidenced by the annual Hash Bash rally that began in 1972.[104] Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, campus unrest began to diminish the university's academic standing, which had been ranked among the top five in the nation.[94] That standing started to decline during Fleming's tenure. Campus unrest persisted during Harold Tafler Shapiro's presidency, which began in 1980, fueled by controversies surrounding the university's national defense initiatives and foreign investments.
A celebratory dinner for the university's matriculating PhD students in 2017

President James Duderstadt would succeed Shapiro and remain president until 1996.[105] He supported campus growth and fundraising initiatives. Duderstadt's successor, Lee Bollinger, conducted several major construction projects like the School of Social Work building[106] and the Tisch Hall, named in honor of alumnus Preston Robert Tisch.[107] In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court heard two cases regarding the university's affirmative action admissions: Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger. In 2002, the university elected its first female president, Mary Sue Coleman, by unanimous vote.[108][109] Throughout her presidency, Michigan's endowment saw continued growth, accompanied by a major fundraising drive known as "The Michigan Difference".[110] The Coleman's administration faced labor disputes with the university's labor unions, notably with the Lecturers' Employees Organization and the Graduate Employees Organization.[111] In the early 2000s, the university faced declining state funding, prompting suggestions for privatization.[112][113] Despite being a state institution de jure, it adopted private funding models.[114] A 2008 legislative panel further recommended converting it to a private institution due to its minimal ties to the state.[115] Mark Schlissel succeeded Coleman in 2014. Before his firing in 2022, Schlissel expanded financial aid offerings,[116] enhanced international engagement,[117] and raised student diversity.[118] He also led initiatives in biosciences[119] and the arts.[120] Schlissel's successor, Santa Ono, would serve a short and lackluster tenure amid the national pro-Palestinian protests[121][122][123][124][125][126][127][128][129] before his immediate resignation.[130] The presidency has remained vacant since then, with Domenico Grasso serving as the interim president.[131]
Historical links
University presidents Harry Burns Hutchins, left, and James Burrill Angell, center, with Cornell University founder Andrew Dickson White, right, in a 1900s photograph

The founding of the University of Michigan in the 19th century was influenced by the transatlantic Republic of Letters, an intellectual community that spanned Europe and the Americas.[62] Key figures, such as Henry Philip Tappan, were instrumental in aligning the university with the ideals championed by the intellectual community, including liberty, reason, and scientific inquiry.[62] Alumni and faculty from Michigan, like Andrew Dixon White, carried these ideals forward as they shaped other institutions.[132][133] Notably, Cornell alumni David Starr Jordan and John Casper Branner later introduced these concepts to Stanford University in the late 19th century.[132] Early university leaders like James Burrill Angell contributed to establishing other universities by sharing their insights.[74] Alongside Charles William Eliot of Harvard, Andrew D. White of Cornell, and Noah Porter of Yale, Angell was heavily involved in the early period of Johns Hopkins University as an advisor to the trustees and recommended Daniel Coit Gilman as the first president of the wealthy new foundation.[134] Clark Kerr, the first chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, referred to Michigan as the "mother of state universities."[94]

    University of California: had its early planning based upon the University of Michigan.[a][135][136]
    University of Chicago: Michigan alumnus Robert Ezra Park played a leading role in the development of the Chicago School of sociology. The University of Chicago Laboratory School was founded in 1896 by John Dewey and Calvin Brainerd Cady, who were members of the Michigan faculty.
    Cornell University: Andrew Dixon White and Charles Kendall Adams, the first and second presidents of Cornell, respectively, were members of the Michigan faculty. Cornell had its Law School founded by Michigan alumni Charles Kendall Adams and Harry Burns Hutchins. Six of the fourteen past presidents of Cornell University have had connections to the University of Michigan. Edmund Ezra Day, the fifth president, was the founding dean of Michigan's business school. Frank H. T. Rhodes, the ninth president, spent three years as vice president of academic affairs at Michigan. Martha E. Pollack, the fourteenth president, served as provost at Michigan from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, Jeffrey S. Lehman received his graduate degrees from Michigan.[133]
    Harvard University: Michigan alumnus Edwin Francis Gay was the founding dean of the Harvard Business School from 1908 to 1919,[137] instrumental in the school's planning.
    Johns Hopkins University: had its pharmacology department established by John Jacob Abel, an alumnus of Michigan.
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology: had its Media Lab co-founded by Michigan alumnus Jerome Wiesner. Nicholas Negroponte, the co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Media Lab, has held a visiting professorship at the University of Michigan.
    Northwestern University: Michigan alumnus Henry Wade Rogers was instrumental in transforming Northwestern from a small cluster of colleges into a major, nationally recognized university. His wife, Emma Winner Rogers, founded the Northwestern University Settlement Association.[138]
    Syracuse University: Alexander Winchell and Erastus O. Haven, the first and second chancellors of Syracuse University, respectively, were members of the Michigan faculty.
    University of Washington: Charles Odegaard, who served as president of the University of Washington from 1958 to 1973 and is credited with elevating its academic standing, was previously the dean of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.
    Wellesley College: Michigan alumna Alice Freeman Palmer, the president of Wellesley College from 1881 to 1887, "transformed the fledgling school from one devoted to Christian domesticity into one of the nation's premier colleges for women."[139]
    Yale University: had its residential college system co-organized by James Rowland Angell, a graduate of Michigan.[140] Michigan alumnus Henry Wade Rogers introduced the "case system" and the college degree requirement into the Yale Law School.

Campus
    
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University of Michigan Campus
  Historic buildings
  Museums
  Libraries
  Arts venues
  Housing and dining
  Open spaces
  Sports
  University of Michigan campus
A hand-colored lithograph depicting a view of the University of Michigan by Richard Rummell in 1907

The University of Michigan's campus in Ann Arbor is divided into four main areas: the Central Campus area, the North Campus area, the North Medical Campus area, and Ross Athletic Campus area. The campus areas include more than 500 major buildings,[141] with a combined area of more than 37.48 million square feet (860 acres; 3.482 km2).[142] The Central and Athletic Campus areas are contiguous, while the North Campus area is separated from them, primarily by the Huron River.[143] The North Medical Campus area was developed on Plymouth Road, with several university-owned buildings for outpatient care, diagnostics, and outpatient surgery.[144]

All four campus areas are connected by bus services, the majority of which connect the North and Central campus areas. There is a shuttle service connecting the University Hospital, which lies between North and Central campus areas, with other medical facilities throughout northeastern Ann Arbor.[145]

There is leased space in buildings scattered throughout the city, many occupied by organizations affiliated with the University of Michigan Health System. In addition to the University of Michigan Golf Course on Ross Athletic Campus, the university operates a second golf course on Geddes Road called Radrick Farms Golf Course.[146] The university also operates a large office building called Wolverine Tower in southern Ann Arbor. The Inglis House is an off-campus facility, which the university has owned since the 1950s. The Inglis House is a 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) mansion used to hold various social events, including meetings of the Board of Regents, and to host visiting dignitaries.[147] Another major off-campus facility is the Matthaei Botanical Gardens, which is located on the eastern outskirts of the City of Ann Arbor.[148]
Central Campus Historic District
Further information: University of Michigan Central Campus Historic District
See also: The Diag
The northwest corner of The Diag around 1873, showing the university's gate, the Law Building (1863–1950) and University Hall (1872–1950)

The original Central Campus spanned 40 acres (16 ha), bordered by North University Avenue, South University Avenue, East University Avenue, and State Street. The master plan was developed by Alexander Jackson Davis. The first structures built included four Greek Revival faculty residences in 1840,[149][150][151][152] as well as Mason Hall (1841–1950)[153] and South College (1849–1950),[154] which functioned as both academic spaces and dormitories. Only one of the original faculty residences remains today; it has been renovated in the Italianate style to serve as the President's House,[152] making it the oldest building on campus.[43] The Chemical Laboratory,[155] built by Albert Jordan in 1856 and operational until 1980, was notable for housing the nation's first instructional chemistry lab. After the completion of the Old Medical Building (1850–1914)[156] and the Law Building (1863–1950),[157] an open space known as The Diag began to take shape. Among the notable structures on the original Central Campus were University Hall (1872–1950),[158] designed by alumnus E. S. Jennison,[159] and the Old Library (1881–1918),[160] designed by Henry Van Brunt, who was also the architect behind Memorial Hall (1870) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The Old Library (1881–1918), designed by Henry Van Brunt, had an addition built to the south in 1898. The portion constructed in 1883 was torn down in 1918.

The Central Campus today, however, bears little resemblance to its 19th-century appearance, as most of its original structures were demolished and rebuilt in the early 20th century.[161][162] The rebuilt structures are primarily the work of Albert Kahn, who served as the university's supervising architect during that period.[163] In 1909, Regent William L. Clements became chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee, leading to Albert Kahn's growing influence in the university's architectural development. Clements, impressed by Kahn's work on his industrial projects and residence in Bay City, awarded him multiple university commissions and appointed him as the university's supervising architect. The West Engineering Hall (1910), Natural Science Building (1915), and General Library (1920) were all designed by Kahn. During a period of limited construction funding, these structures exhibited a simple design with minimal ornamentation. However, Kahn's Hill Auditorium (1913), adequately funded by Regent Arthur Hill, features extensive Sullivanesque ornamentation and excellent acoustic design, which was rare for that period.[159]
James Burrill Angell Hall (1924) on Central Campus serves as a major academic building for the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

Beginning in 1920, the university received greater funding for construction projects, thanks to president Burton's fiscal persuasiveness with the legislature, propelled by a prosperous economy. This allowed campus buildings to be constructed in a grand manner. Kahn's Italian Renaissance Clements Library (1923), Classical Greek Angell Hall (1924), and Art Deco Burton Memorial Tower (1936) all feature unusual and costly materials and are considered some of his most elegant university buildings. The last of Kahn's university commissions was the Ruthven Museums Building (1928), designed in the Renaissance style.[159]

Other architects who contributed to the Central Campus include Spier & Rohns, who designed Tappan Hall (1894) and the West Medical Building (1904); Smith, Hinchman and Grylls, the architects of the Chemistry Building (1910) and East Engineering Building; and Perkins, Fellows and Hamilton, who designed University High School (1924). The Michigan Union (1919) and Michigan League (1929), completed by alumni Irving Kane Pond and Allen Bartlit Pond, house the university's various student organizations. Alumni Memorial Hall, funded by contributions from alumni in memory of the university's Civil War dead, was completed by Donaldson and Meier. It was designated as the University Museum of Art in 1946.[159]
Lawyers Club (1924), Law Quadrangle

The area just south of The Diag is predominantly Gothic in character, contrasting with the classical designs prevalent in many of Kahn's university buildings. The Martha Cook Building (1915), completed by York and Sawyer, Samuel Parsons, and George A. Fuller in 1915, draws inspiration from England's Knole House and Aston Hall. It was one of the university’s early women’s residences. York and Sawyer also designed the Law Quadrangle, which features a flagstone courtyard by landscape architect Jacob Van Heiningan. The Lawyers' Club, part of the quadrangle, includes a clubhouse, dining hall, and dormitory, modeled after English clubs with an Elizabethan-style lounge and a dining hall inspired by the chapels of Eaton. The Law Library's main reading room showcases craftsmanship from the Rockefeller Church of New York. Hutchins Hall, designed by alumnus James Baird, is named after Harry Burns Hutchins, the fourth president of the university. Following its completion, nearby buildings like the School of Education Building, by Malcomson and Higginbotham, and Emil Lorch's Architecture and Design Building adopted Gothic elements reflecting the style of the Law Quadrangle and Martha Cook Residence.[159]

The Central Campus is the location of the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. Most of the graduate and professional schools, including the Law School, Ross School of Business, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and the School of Dentistry, are on Central Campus. Two main libraries, Hatcher Graduate Library and Shapiro Undergraduate Library, as well as the university's many museums, are also on Central Campus.[164]
North Campus
Earl V. Moore Building (1964), designed by Eero Saarinen

The North Campus area built independently from the city on a large plot of farmland—approximately 800 acres (3.2 km2)—that the university bought in 1952.[165] Architect Eero Saarinen devised the early master plan for the North Campus area and designed several of its buildings in the 1950s, including the Earl V. Moore School of Music Building.[166] The North Campus Diag features a bell tower called Lurie Tower, which contains a grand carillon.[167] The university's largest residence hall, Bursley Hall, is in the North Campus area.[162]

The North Campus houses the College of Engineering, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, the Stamps School of Art & Design, the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and an annex of the School of Information.[168] The campus area is served by Duderstadt Center, which houses the Art, Architecture and Engineering Library. Duderstadt Center also contains multiple computer labs, video editing studios, electronic music studios, an audio studio, a video studio, multimedia workspaces, and a 3D virtual reality room.[169] Other libraries located on North Campus include the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and the Bentley Historical Library.
Ross Athletic Campus
The University of Michigan Golf Course was designed by Scottish golf course architect Alister MacKenzie and opened in 1931

Ross Athletic Campus is the site for the university's athletic programs, including major sports facilities such as Michigan Stadium, Crisler Center, and Yost Ice Arena. The campus area is also the site of the Buhr library storage facility, Revelli Hall, home of the Michigan Marching Band, the Institute for Continuing Legal Education,[170] and the Student Theatre Arts Complex, which provides shop and rehearsal space for student theatre groups.[171] The university's departments of public safety and transportation services offices are located on Ross Athletic Campus.[170]

The University of Michigan Golf Course is located south of Michigan Stadium. It was designed in the late 1920s by Alister MacKenzie, the designer of Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, home of the Masters Tournament.[172] The course opened to the public in 1931 and has one of "the best holes ever designed by Augusta National architect Alister MacKenzie" according to the magazine Sports Illustrated in 2006.[173]
Residential halls
Main article: University of Michigan Housing

The University of Michigan's residential system can accommodate approximately 10,000 students.[174] The residence halls are located in three distinct geographic areas on campus: the Central Campus area, The Hill (between the Central Campus area and the main medical campus) and the North Campus area. The largest residence hall has a capacity of 1,270 students,[175] while the smallest accommodates 25 residents.[176]

    Residential halls at the University of Michigan
    Martha Cook Building
    Martha Cook Building
    Law Quadrangle
    Law Quadrangle
    John P. Cook Dormitory
    John P. Cook Dormitory
    Lawyers Club
    Lawyers Club
    Stockwell Residence Hall
    Stockwell Residence Hall
    Betsy Barbour House
    Betsy Barbour House
    North Quadrangle
    North Quadrangle
    Joseph A. and Marguerite K. Bursley Hall
    Joseph A. and Marguerite K. Bursley Hall
    Vera Baits Houses
    Vera Baits Houses
    West Quandrangle
    West Quandrangle
    Mosher-Jordan Hall
    Mosher-Jordan Hall
    Northwood Apartments
    Northwood Apartments

Organization and administration
Governance
See also: Board of Regents of the University of Michigan and President of the University of Michigan
William W. Cook Legal Research Building at the Law School, showing the emblem of the University of Michigan
Photograph of Michigan University Regents 75th Anniversary Celebration on June 27, 1912.
Standing L-R: Frank B. Leland, John H. Grant, Shirley W. Smith, Harry O. Bulkey, William L. Clements, Lucius Lee Hubbard, Benjamin Hanchett, Junius E. Beal
Seated L-R: Luther L. Wright, James B. Angell, Harry B. Hutchins, Walter M. Sawyer

The University of Michigan is governed by the Board of Regents, established by the Organic Act of March 18, 1837. It consists of eight members, elected at large in biennial state elections for overlapping eight-year terms.[177][178][179] Before the Office of President was established in 1850, the University of Michigan was directly managed by the appointed regents, with a rotating group of professors responsible for carrying out day-to-day administrative duties.[180] The Constitution of the State of Michigan of 1850 restructured the university's administration. It established the Office of the President and transitioned the Board of Regents to an elected body. The state constitution granted the Board of Regents the power to appoint a non-voting presiding president to lead their meetings,[181] effectively elevating the board to the level of a constitutional corporation independent of the state administration and making the University of Michigan the first public institution of higher education in the country so organized. As of 2021–22, the Board of Regents is chaired by Jordan B. Acker (B.A. '06).

The Board of Regents delegates its power to the university president who serves as the chief executive officer responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the university, that is, the main campus in Ann Arbor. The president retains authority over the branch campuses in Dearborn and Flint but is not directly involved in their day-to-day management. Instead, two separate chancellors are appointed by the president to serve as chief executive officers overseeing each branch campus. All presidents are appointed by the Board of Regents to serve five-year terms, at the board's discretion, and there are no term limits for university presidents. The board has the authority to either terminate the president's tenure or extend it for an additional term.

The presidency of the University of Michigan is currently vacant, with Domenico Grasso (PhD ‘87) serving as the interim president.[182] Following the immediate resignation of Santa Ono,[183][184][185][186] the university's former president, the board of regents named Grasso as the university’s interim president on May 8, 2025.[182] He will lead the university during the search for the next president.[182] Laurie McCauley has been serving as the 17th and current provost of the university since May 2022, and she was recommended by former president Santa Ono to serve a full term through June 30, 2027.[187]

The President's House, located at 815 South University Avenue on the Ann Arbor campus, is the official residence and office of the University President. Constructed in 1840, the three-story Italianate President's House is the oldest surviving building on the Ann Arbor campus and a University of Michigan Central Campus Historic District contributing property.[188]
Student government

The Central Student Government, housed in the Michigan Union, is the university's student government. As a 501(c)(3) independent organization, it represents students from all colleges and schools, manages student funds on campus, and has representatives from each academic unit. The Central Student Government is separate from the University of Michigan administration.[189]
Photograph of the senior parade on commencement day, circa 1903

Over the years, the Central Student Government has led voter registration drives,[190] revived Homecoming events,[191] changed a football seating policy,[192] and created a Student Advisory Council for Ann Arbor city affairs.[193] A longstanding goal of the Central Student Government has been to create a student-designated seat on the Board of Regents.[194] In 2000 and 2002, students Nick Waun, Scott Trudeau, Matt Petering, and Susan Fawcett ran for the Board of Regents on the statewide ballot as third-party nominees, though none were successful.[195] A 1998 poll by the State of Michigan concluded that a majority of voters would approve adding a student regent position if put to a vote.[194] However, amending the composition of the Board of Regents would require a constitutional amendment in Michigan.[196]

In addition to the Central Student Government, each college and school at the University of Michigan has its own independent student governance body. Undergraduate students in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts are represented by the LS&A Student Government.[197] Engineering Student Government manages undergraduate student government affairs for the College of Engineering. Graduate students enrolled in the Rackham Graduate School are represented by the Rackham Student Government, and law students are represented by the Law School Student Senate as is each other college with its own respective government. In addition, the students who live in the residence halls are represented by the University of Michigan Residence Halls Association, which contains the third most constituents after Central Student Government and LS&A Student Government.[198]
Finances
The William W. Cook Legal Research Library and other buildings comprising the Law Quadrangle were built during 1923–33 and then donated to the university by William Wilson Cook. It was the university's most significant private gift at the time.

In the fiscal year 2022–23, the State of Michigan spent $333 million on the university, which represents 3.03% of its total operating revenues of $11 billion.[199] The university is the second-largest recipient of state appropriations for higher education in Michigan for 2022-23, trailing Michigan State University ($372 million).[200] The Office of Budget and Planning reports that Michigan Medicine's auxiliary activities are the largest funding source, contributing $6.05 billion to the Auxiliary Funds, which accounts for 55.1% of the total operating budget. Student tuition and fees contributed $1.95 billion to the General Fund, accounting for 11% of the total budget.[199] Research grants and contracts from the U.S. federal government contributed $1.15 billion to the Expendable Restricted Funds, accounting for 10.4% of the total budget.[199]

The university's current (FY 2022–23) operating budget has four major sources of funding:[199]

    General Fund money, which accounts for 25.4% of the operating budget, is derived from various sources: student tuition and fees ($1.95 billion or 75.2%), state support ($333 million or 12.8%), sponsored research ($301 million or 11.6%), and other revenue ($8 million or 0.3%). It covers the costs of teaching, student services, facilities, and administrative support. The state's annual contribution to the school's operating budget was 3.03% in 2023 and does not cover intercollegiate athletics, housing, or Michigan Medicine.[199]
    Auxiliary Funds, which account for 58.2% of the operating budget, are sourced from self-supporting units and do not receive taxpayer or tuition support. These include Michigan Medicine ($6.16 billion), intercollegiate athletics ($186 million), student housing ($160 million), and student publications.[199]
    Expendable Restricted Funds, which account for 14.2% of the operating budget, are from providers who designate how their money is spent. Funding comes from research grants and contracts, endowment payout ($305 million), and private gifts ($157 million). It pays for scholarships and fellowships; salaries, benefits and research support for some faculty; and research, programs and academic centers.[199]
    Designated Funds, which account for 2.2% of the operating budget, come from fees charged for and spent on experiential learning, programs, conferences, performance venues, and executive and continuing education.[199]

Endowment

The university's financial endowment, known as the "University Endowment Fund", comprises over 12,400 individual funds.[201] Each fund must be spent according to the donor's specifications.[201] Approximately 28% of the total endowment is allocated to support academic programs, while 22% is designated for student scholarships and fellowships.[201] Approximately 19% of the endowment was allocated to Michigan Medicine and can only be used to support research, patient care, or other purposes specified by donors.[201]

As of 2023, the university's endowment, valued at $17.9 billion, ranks as the tenth largest among all universities in the country.[202][203] The university ranks 86th in endowment per student.[202] The law school's endowment, totaling over $500 million, has a significantly higher per-student value compared to that of its parent university.[204] It ranks as the eighth wealthiest law school in the nation in 2022.[204]
Schools and colleges
Samuel Trask Dana Building (West Medical Building) houses the School for Environment and Sustainability

There are thirteen undergraduate schools and colleges.[205] By enrollment, the three largest undergraduate units are the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, the College of Engineering, and the Ross School of Business.[206] At the graduate level, the Rackham School of Graduate Studies serves as the central administrative unit of graduate education at the university.[207] There are 18 graduate schools and colleges. Professional degrees are conferred by the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the School of Nursing, the School of Dentistry, the Law School, the Medical School, and the College of Pharmacy.[206] Michigan Medicine, the university's health system, comprises the university's three hospitals, dozens of outpatient clinics, and many centers for medical care, research, and education.
College/school     Year
founded[208]     Enrollment
(FA 2023)     General Fund Budget
($, 2022–23)[199]     Budget
per student
($, 2022–23)[199]
A. Alfred Taubman College of
Architecture & Urban Planning     1906     737     25,707,200     34,881
School of Dentistry     1875     670     41,055,284     61,277
College of Engineering     1854     11,113     276,845,246     24,912
School for Environment and Sustainability     1927     516     28,034,976     54,331
School of Information     1969     1,760     50,147,537     28,493
School of Kinesiology     1984     1,312     22,088,845     16,836
Law School     1859     1,017     57,495,856     56,535
College of Literature, Science, and the Arts     1841     21,973     522,704,411     23,788
Marsal Family School of Education     1921     371     19,058,427     51,370
Medical School     1921     1,677     124,714,812     74,368
School of Music, Theatre & Dance     1880     1,134     43,101,134     38,008
School of Nursing     1893     1,183     31,644,687     26,750
College of Pharmacy     1876     561     22,056,888     39,317
School of Public Health     1941     1,162     49,478,265     42,580
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy     1914     362     17,191,821     47,491
Stephen M. Ross School of Business     1924     4,433     137,479,144     31,013
School of Social Work     1951     940     31,557,111     33,571
Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design     1974     740     18,111,495     24,475
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor*      –     52,065     2,590,485,130     49,755
*included other standalone units
Academics
AdmissionsUndergraduate
Undergraduate admission statistics of
the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
      2024[209]     2023[210]     2022[211]     2021[212]     2020[213]
First-time fall freshman
Early action & regular decision, combined
Applicants     98,310     87,632     84,289     79,743     65,021
Admits     15,373     15,722     14,914     16,071     16,974
Admit rate     15.64%     17.94%     17.69%     20.15%     26.11%
Enrolled     7,278     7,466     7,050     7,290     6,879
Yield     47.34%     47.49%     47.27%     45.36%     40.53%
SAT range     1360-1530     1350–1530     1350–1530     1360–1530     1340–1520
ACT range     31-34     31–34     31–34     31–35     31–34
Fall transfers
Applicants     6,832     6,113     5,633     4,942     4,513
Admits     2,385     2,109     2,062     2,051     2,066
Admit rate     34.91%     34.50%     36.61%     41.50%     45.78%
Enrolled     1,580     1,414     1,342     1,407     1,305
Yield     66.25%     67.05%     65.08%     68.60%     63.17%

U.S. News & World Report rates Michigan "Most Selective",[214] and The Princeton Review rates its admissions selectivity of 96 out of 99.[215] Admissions are characterized as "more selective, lower transfer-in" according to the Carnegie Classification.[216][217] Michigan received over 83,000 applications for a place in the 2021–22 freshman class, making it one of the most applied-to universities in the United States.[217][218] Of those students accepted to Michigan's Class of 2027, 7,050 chose to attend.

Admission is based on academic prowess, extracurricular activities, and personal qualities. The university's admission process is need-blind for domestic applicants.[219] It does not consider legacy preferences.[220] Admissions officials consider a student's standardized test scores, application essay and letters of recommendation to be important academic factors, with emphasis on an applicant's academic record and GPA, while ranking an applicant's high school class rank as 'not considered'.[211][212] In terms of non-academic materials as of 2022, Michigan ranks character/personal qualities and whether the applicant is a first-generation university applicant as 'important' in making first-time, first-year admission decisions, while ranking extracurricular activities, talent/ability, geographical residence, state residency, volunteer work, work experience and level of applicant's interest as 'considered'.[211] Some applicants to Music, Theatre and Dance and some applicants to the College of Engineering may be interviewed.[211] A portfolio is required and considered for admission for Art, Architecture and the Ross School of Business.[211] Submission of standardized test scores is recommended but not compulsory.[221] Of the 52% of enrolled freshmen in 2023 who submitted SAT scores; the middle 50 percent Composite scores were 1350–1530. Of the 18% of the incoming freshman class who submitted ACT scores; the middle 50 percent Composite score was between 31 and 34.

Since the fall of 2021, the university has had the largest number of students in the state, surpassing Michigan State University's former enrollment leadership.[222] Given the state's shrinking pool of college-age students, there is public concern that the university's expansion could harm smaller schools by drawing away good students.[223][224] Some of the state's regional public universities and smaller private colleges have already seen significant declines in enrollment, while others face difficulties in maintaining enrollment figures without lowering admission standards.[223]

The university experienced an unexpected surge in student enrollment for the 2023 academic year, having admitted more students than it could support.[225] This over-yield situation has placed considerable strain on student housing affordability, heightened faculty members' workloads, and stretched resources thin.[225] The university is now embracing a steady-state admissions management strategy aimed at maintaining a stable class size.[225]
Graduate
Doctoral program statistics of
the Rackham Graduate School
      2024[226]     2023[226]     2022[226]     2021[226]     2020[226]
Applicants     21,554     19,166     17,547     18,820     17,061
Offers     2,586     2,875     2,480     2,349     2,326
Selectivity     12.00%     15.00%     14.13%     12.48%     13.63%
Matriculations     1,102     1,258     981     1,013     945
Yield     42.61%     43.76%     39.56%     43.12%     40.63%

The Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, the graduate school of the University of Michigan, received a total of 21,554 applications for admission into its doctoral programs for the 2024 admission year, encompassing the Summer and Fall terms.[226] The school extended offers of admission to 2,586 applicants, representing 12.00% of the applicant pool.[226] Subsequently, 1,102 of the offers were accepted, resulting in a yield rate of 42.61% for the academic year.[226] Applicants may submit multiple applications to different doctoral programs and receive multiple offers, but can only matriculate into one program at a time. Doctoral programs that are not administered by Rackham are not included in the statistics.

The selectivity of admissions to doctoral programs varies considerably among different disciplines, with certain highly competitive fields exhibiting acceptance rates in the single digits. For instance, in 2023, the field of Business Administration admitted only 5.2% of its 519 applicants. Similarly, the field of Sociology had a selectivity rate of 5.01%, selecting from a pool of 439 applicants. The field of Psychology was even more competitive, with a selectivity rate of 4.1% out of 805 applicants. Other traditionally highly competitive fields include Philosophy, Public Policy & Economics, Political Science, and Robotics.[226]
History of admissions policies
Enrollment in University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (2013–2024) Academic Year     Undergraduates     Graduate     Total Enrollment
2013–2014[227]     28,283     15,427     43,710
2014–2015[228]     28,395     15,230     43,625
2015–2016[229]     28,312     15,339     43,651
2016–2017[230]     28,964     15,754     44,718
2017–2018[231]     29,821     16,181     46,002
2018–2019[232]     30,318     16,398     46,716
2019–2020[233]     31,266     16,824     48,090
2020–2021[213]     31,329     16,578     47,907
2021–2022[212]     32,282     17,996     50,278
2022–2023[211]     32,695     18,530     51,225
2023–2024[210]     33,730     18,335     52,065

In August 1841, the university first published its admission requirements for incoming freshmen. These criteria placed a strong emphasis on proficiency in ancient languages, particularly Latin and Greek.[234] Prospective students faced an examination process that assessed their knowledge across various subjects, including arithmetic, algebra, English grammar, geography, Latin literature (Virgil and Cicero's Select Orations), Greek literature (Jacob's or Felton's Greek Reader), Latin grammar (Andrews and Stoddard's), and Greek grammar (Sophocles's).[citation needed]

A decade later, the university made a significant change to its admission policy. In 1851, it introduced a more flexible approach by waiving the ancient language requirement for students not pursuing the traditional collegiate course and allowing admission without examination in classical languages for these students.[235] This adjustment can be viewed as a prelude to scientific education, signaling a gradual shift from the classical curriculum to a more diverse and modern academic offering.[citation needed]

In the early days of the university, the admission requirements varied across different departments, and most admissions were based on referrals. However, in 1863, a standardized entrance examination was introduced, establishing a single set of qualifications for admission to all academic and professional departments.[236] The university administration at the time praised the implementation of this entrance examination, recognizing its contribution to enhancing the admission process.[235]
Affirmative action
Main article: Affirmative action at the University of Michigan

In 2003, two lawsuits involving U-M's affirmative action admissions policy reached the U.S. Supreme Court (Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger). U.S. President George W. Bush publicly opposed the policy before the court issued a ruling.[237] The court found that race may be considered as a factor in university admissions in all public universities and private universities that accept federal funding, but it ruled that a point system was unconstitutional. In the first case, the court upheld the Law School admissions policy, while in the second it ruled against the university's undergraduate admissions policy.[238] The debate continued because in November 2006, Michigan voters passed Proposal 2, banning most affirmative action in university admissions. Under that law, race, gender, and national origin can no longer be considered in admissions.[239] U-M and other organizations were granted a stay from implementation of the law soon after that referendum. This allowed time for proponents of affirmative action to decide legal and constitutional options in response to the initiative results. In April 2014, the Supreme Court ruled in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action that Proposal 2 did not violate the U.S. Constitution. The admissions office states that it will attempt to achieve a diverse student body by looking at other factors, such as whether the student attended a disadvantaged school, and the level of education of the student's parents.[239]
Undergraduate graduation and retention

Among all first-time freshmen students who enrolled at the university in fall 2017, 82.0% graduated within four years (by August 31, 2021); 10.2% graduated in more than four years but in five years or less (after August 31, 2021, and by August 31, 2022); 1.1% graduated in more than five years but in six years or less (after August 31, 2022, and by August 31, 2023).[210] The percentage of undergraduate students from the fall 2022 cohort returning in fall 2023 was 98.0% for full-time freshman students.[210]
Majors and programs

The university offers 133 undergraduate majors & degrees across the College of Engineering (18), College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (77), College of Pharmacy (1), Ford School of Public Policy (1), LSA Residential College (3), Marsal Family School of Education (3), Ross School of Business (1), School of Dentistry (1), School of Information (2), School of Kinesiology (3), School of Music, Theatre & Dance (16), School of Nursing (1), School of Public Health (2), Stamps School of Art & Design (2), and Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning (2). The most popular undergraduate majors, by 2021 graduates, were computer and information sciences (874), business administration and management (610), economics (542), behavioral neuroscience (319), mechanical engineering (316), experimental psychology (312).[240]

The Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies offers more than 180 graduate degree programs in collaboration with fourteen other schools and colleges. Nineteen graduate and professional degree programs, including the juris doctor, master of business administration, doctor of dental surgery, master of engineering, doctor of engineering, doctor of medicine, and doctor of pharmacy, are offered exclusively by the schools and colleges; Rackham does not oversee their administration. The university conferred 4,951 graduate degrees, and 709 first professional degrees in 2011–2012.[241][242]
Employability
An archway leading into the Law Quadrangle from South University Avenue

The university is listed among the leading suppliers of undergraduate and graduate alumni to Silicon Valley tech firms.[243] In 2015, the university ranked 6th on the list of top feeder schools for Google, which employed over 500 graduates at the time. The university ranked 10th on the list of top feeder schools for Meta.[244] Google and Meta remain the university's first and second top employers in 2024.[245]

In 2022, Michigan Ross ranked 11th among all business schools in the United States according to Poets & Quants, with its MBA graduates earning an average starting base salary of $165,000 and an average sign-on bonus of $30,000.[246]

The U.S. Department of Education reports that as of June 2024, federally aided students who attended University of Michigan-Ann Arbor had a median annual income of $83,648 (based on 2020-2021 earnings adjusted to 2022 dollars) five years after graduation.[247] This figure exceeds both the midpoint for 4-year schools of $53,617 and the U.S. real median personal income of $40,460 for the year 2021 adjusted to 2022 dollars.[247][248] Federally aided bachelor's graduates from the university's largest program, computer and information science, which had over 950 students in the 2020-21 cohort, had a median annual income of $153,297 five years after graduation.[247]

According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, law tops the list of most valuable first professional degrees offered by the university when ranked by earnings potential in 2022, with its federally aided students earning a median salary of $197,273 five years after graduation.[247] Dentistry ($158,677), pharmacy ($142,224), and medicine ($134,187) follow behind in that order.[247]

The fields of business administration ($140,827), economics ($108,627), mathematics ($107,395), and statistics ($105,494) are among the bachelor's degree programs with the highest earning potential offered by the university.[247] In 2022, the university's federally aided students in these programs were earning median salaries exceeding the $100,000 threshold five years after graduation.[247] Additionally, various engineering disciplines such as computer engineering ($123,120), aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering ($113,025), industrial engineering ($109,239), electrical, electronics and communications engineering ($109,107), mechanical engineering ($101,514), chemical engineering ($100,000) are among the top-earning majors.[247] Computer sciences ($153,297) and information science ($125,257) also fall into this high-earning category.[247]
Libraries and publications
Main articles: University of Michigan Library and University of Michigan Press

The University of Michigan library system comprises nineteen individual libraries with twenty-four separate collections—roughly 13.3 million volumes as of 2012.[249] The university was the original home of the JSTOR database, which contains about 750,000 digitized pages from the entire pre-1990 backfile of ten journals of history and economics, and has initiated a book digitization program in collaboration with Google.[250] The University of Michigan Press is also a part of the library system.

Several academic journals are published at the university:

    The Law School publishes Michigan Law Review and six other law journals: The Michigan Journal of Environmental and Administrative Law, University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, Michigan Journal of Race & Law, Michigan Telecommunications and Technology Law Review, Michigan Journal of International Law, and Michigan Journal of Gender and Law.[251]
    The Ross School of Business publishes the Michigan Journal of Business.
    Several undergraduate journals are also published at the university, including the Michigan Journal of Political Science, Michigan Journal of History, University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Journal, the Michigan Journal of International Affairs, and the Michigan Journal of Asian Studies.

Museums
For a more comprehensive list, see List of museums and collections at the University of Michigan.
Newberry Hall (Kelsey Museum of Archeology)

The university is also home to several public and research museums including but not limited to the University Museum of Art, University of Michigan Museum of Natural History, Detroit Observatory, Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry, and the LSA Museum of Anthropological Archaeology.

Kelsey Museum of Archeology has a collection of Roman, Greek, Egyptian, and Middle Eastern artifacts.[252] Between 1972 and 1974, the museum was involved in the excavation of the archaeological site of Dibsi Faraj in northern Syria.[253] The Kelsey Museum re-opened November 1, 2009, after a renovation and expansion.[254]

The collection of the University of Michigan Museum of Art include nearly 19,000 objects that span cultures, eras, and media and include European, American, Middle Eastern, Asian, and African art, as well as changing exhibits. The Museum of Art re-opened in 2009 after a three-year renovation and expansion.[255] UMMA presents special exhibitions and diverse educational programs featuring the visual, performing, film and literary arts that contextualize the gallery experience.[256]

The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History began in the mid-19th century and expanded greatly with the donation of 60,000 specimens by Joseph Beal Steere in the 1870s. The building also houses three research museums: the Museum of Anthropology, Museum of Paleontology. Today, the collections are primarily housed and displayed in the Ruthven Museums Building which was completed in 1928.[257]
Reputation and rankings
Academic rankings
National
Forbes[258]    29
U.S. News & World Report[259]    20 (tie)
Washington Monthly[260]    18
WSJ/College Pulse[261]    22
Global
ARWU[262]    30
QS[263]    45
THE[264]    22 (tie)
U.S. News & World Report[265]    21 (tie)

The university places an emphasis on research and on attracting influential academics to join its faculty.[266] It is a large, four-year, residential research university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.[216][267][268] The four-year, full-time undergraduate program comprises the majority of enrollments and emphasizes instruction in the arts, sciences, and professions with a high level of coexistence between graduate and undergraduate programs. The university has "very high" research activity and the comprehensive graduate program offers doctoral degrees in the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields as well as professional degrees in medicine, law, and dentistry.[216] The university has been included on the list of Public Ivies.[b][275]
Comprehensive rankings

The 2025-2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities report ranked the university 21st among world universities with a global score of 83.2.[276]

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor was ranked 26th among world universities in 2023 by the Academic Ranking of World Universities, based on the number of alumni or staff as Nobel laureates and Fields Medalists, the number of highly cited researchers, the number of papers published in Nature and Science, the number of papers indexed in the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index, and the per capita academic performance of the institution.[citation needed]

The 2024 edition of the CWUR Rankings ranked the university 13th nationally and 16th globally, with an overall score of 89.1, taking into account all four areas evaluated by CWUR: education, employability, faculty, and research.[277][278] This metric evaluates the number of faculty members who have received prestigious academic distinctions (10% weight).[277] The university's employability ranking is 42nd globally, based on the professional success of the university's alumni, measured relative to the institution's size (25% weight).[277] In the education category, the university is ranked 35th globally. This metric assesses the academic success of the university's alumni, measured relative to the institution's size (25% weight).[277]

In the 2025 QS World University Rankings, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor was ranked 44th in the world, its lowest position in 10 years, with an overall score of 79.[279][280]
Global/overall Rankings
Country of Publication         Score (out of 100)     World Rank     Year     Change
(Y/Y)     Change
(5 Yr.)
 China     Academic Ranking of World Universities     38.0     30     2024     Decrease 4     Decrease 10
 United States     U.S. News Best Global Universities     83.2     21     2025–26     Decrease 2     Decrease 2
 United Kingdom     QS Top Global Universities     84.7     45     2026     Decrease 1     Decrease 24
 United Kingdom     THE World University Rankings     87.7     22     2025     Increase 1     Decrease 1
 United Arab Emirates     CWUR World University Rankings     89.1     16     2025     Steady     Steady
National Rankings
Institution         US Rank     Year     Change
(Y/Y)     Change
(5 Yr.)
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor     U.S. News Best National Universities     20 (tie)     2025     Increase 1     Increase 5
College of Engineering     U.S. News Best Engineering Schools     11     2025     Decrease 2     Decrease 6
School for Environment and Sustainability     Niche Best Colleges for Environmental Science in America     7     2025         
Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy     U.S. News Best Public Affairs Programs     =4     2024     Steady     
School of Information     U.S. News Best Library and Information Studies Programs     =6     2021         
School of Kinesiology     Niche Best Colleges for Kinesiology and PhysicalTherapy in America     4     2025         
Marsal Family School of Education     U.S. News Best Education Schools     =3     2024     Decrease 2     
School of Public Health     U.S. News Best Public Health Schools     =5     2024     Steady     
School of Music, Theatre & Dance     Niche Best Colleges for Music in America     15     2025         
School of Social Work     U.S. News Best Schools for Social Work     1     2024     Steady     
Stamps School of Art & Design     U.S. News Best Art Schools     =8     2020         
Stephen M. Ross School of Business
U.S. News Best Business Schools     =13     2025     Decrease 1     Decrease 1
Bloomberg
Businessweek Best B-Schools     8     2024–25     Increase 1     
School of Dentistry     Niche Top Colleges for Dental Studies in America     3     2025         
Law School     U.S. News Best Law Schools     =8     2025     Increase 1     Increase 1
Medical School
U.S. News Best Medical Schools: Research     Unranked[c]     2024         
U.S. News Best Medical Schools: Primary Care     Unranked[c]     2024         
School of Nursing
U.S. News Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice     =8     2024     Decrease 2     
U.S. News Best Nursing Schools: Master's     7     2024     Increase 1     
College of Pharmacy     U.S. News Best Pharmacy Schools     =2     2024     Increase 1     
Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning     Niche Best Colleges for Architecture In America     28     2025         
National Rankings
Institution         US Rank     Year     Change
(Y/Y)     Change
(5 Yr.)
University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
Forbes Top 25 Public Colleges     4     2023         
Niche Top Public Universities In America     1     2026     Increase 1     
U.S. News Top Public Schools     3     2026     Steady     
Princeton Review Dream College Among Students     5     2024     Increase 4     
Princeton Review Dream College Among Parents     6     2024     Increase 2     
Specific rankings

Michigan was ranked 6th in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs Rankings.[281] Michigan was ranked 3rd in the 2021 U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Business Programs Rankings.[282] The 2020 Princeton Review College Hopes & Worries Survey ranked Michigan as the No. 9 "Dream College" among students and the No. 7 "Dream College" among parents.[283]
Department rankings
                
    
            Increase     
            Decrease     
                
            Steady     
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                Increase     
                Decrease     
Subject-specific Rankings
                
    
                    
                
                
                
                
                
            
                
            
                
            
                

                
            
                
                
                
            
                
                
                
                
                
            
                
                
            
                
                
                
                
                

                    

                    
                
                    
                    
            

                
                
            
                
                
                

                
                
            
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
            
                
                
                
                
            
                
                
                
            
                
                
                
                    
            
                
                
                
            
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                

                
                
                    
                    
                

                
                
                

                
                
            
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Research
R&D statistics, by year     National Science Foundation     National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
    Total R&D
expenditures
($000)     National
rank     National
Academy
members     National
rank
2024      –      –     139      –
2023     1,925,875[286]     4      –      –
2022     1,770,708[286]     4      –      –
2021     1,639,645[286]     3      –      –
2020     1,673,862[286]     2      –      –
2019     1,675,805[286]     2     120[287]     10
2018     1,600,869[286]     2     118[288]     9
2017     1,530,139[286]     2     113[289]     12

The University of Michigan is one of the twelve founding members of the Association of American Universities, a consortium of the leading research universities in North America. The university manages the fourth-largest research budget of any university in the United States, with total R&D expenditures of $1.925 billion in 2023.[290][291] The federal government was the main source of funding, with grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, NASA, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), collectively accounting for over half of the research volume.[292]

The first measurement of the magnetic moment and spin of free electrons and positrons was conducted by H. Richard Crane, an experimental physicist at the university.[293] The university operated the Ford Nuclear Reactor from 1933 to 1955, during which it conducted extensive research related to nuclear energy. It currently hosts several major research centers focusing on optics, reconfigurable manufacturing systems, and wireless integrated microsystems.

A pioneer in computing technology, the university designed and built the Michigan Terminal System, an early time-sharing computer operating system,[294][295][296] and was involved in the development of the NSFnet national backbone, which is regarded as the foundation upon which the global Internet was built.[297][298][299] In 2024, the university began collaborating with Los Alamos National Laboratory on high-performance computing and AI research.[300][301]

The first inactivated flu vaccine was developed by Thomas Francis Jr. and Jonas Salk at Michigan.[302][303][304] This was the first of many advancements at the university related to vaccination, including the development of a live attenuated influenza vaccine by Hunein Maassab.[305] The university also introduced histotripsy, a non-invasive technique that uses focused ultrasound to treat diseased tissue, and has made significant contributions to medical technology with innovations such as the EKG and gastroscope.[306][307][308]

In the social sciences, the Klein–Goldberger model, an enhanced macroeconomic model, was developed by Lawrence Klein and Arthur Goldberger at the university.[309] George Katona created consumer confidence measures in the late 1940s. J. David Singer initiated the Correlates of War project in 1963 to compile scientific knowledge about war.[310][311] The American National Election Studies, established with a National Science Foundation grant in 1977, has been based at the university and partnered with Stanford University since 2005.[citation needed] The Institute for Social Research, established in 1949, is the nation's longest-standing laboratory for interdisciplinary research in the social sciences.[312]
    Clarivate
(Web of Science)     Nature Index     ARWU     NTU Rankings     URAP
    Highly Cited
Researchers     Share**     National
rank     Global
rank     World rank     World rank     World rank
2024     25[313]      –      –      –     30     13[314]      –
2023     28[313]     380.50[315]     4     21     26     10[314]     16[316]
2022     32[313]     372.55[317]     6     23     28     14[314]     12[318]
2021     27[313]     338.53[319]     6     24     26     9[314]     8[320]
2020     29[313]     398.65[321]     4     16     22     9[314]     8[322]
2019     37[313]     343.97[323]     5     19     20     8[314]     8[324]
2018     38[313]     344.07[325]     6     19     27     7[314]     9[326]
2017     20[313]     336.04[327]     5     16     24     7[314]      –
**Time frame: January 1 – December 31

The university has been featured in multiple bibliometric rankings that assess its impact on academic publications through citation analysis. The University Ranking by Academic Performance for 2023–24 has positioned the university at 16th globally.[328] Additionally, in 2024, the Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities ranked it 13th worldwide.[329] The university has a significant presence in the Nature Index, ranking 6th nationally and 23rd globally among research institutions, with a share of 365.97 and a count of 1199 in 2022.[317] The university boasted 28 researchers who were recognized by Clarivate as being highly cited in 2023.[313] In 2019, the university had 120 faculty members who were national academy members, placing it 10th among its peers in this metric.[287]

Undergraduate students participate in various research projects through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) as well as the UROP/Creative-Programs.[330][331][332]

The university is a member of the international research association Universities Research Association and the state-wise University Research Corridor.[333][334] Beginning in 2005, the university operated the UM-SJTU Joint Institute with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, but in 2025, it withdrew from the partnership due to national security concerns.[335]
Student life
Student body
Undergraduate demographics
as of July 2025[336]
Race and ethnicity     Total
White     49%     
 
Asian     19%     
 
Hispanic     10%     
 
Foreign national     8%     
 
Black     5%     
 
Two or more races     5%     
 
Unknown     4%     
 
Economic diversity[336]
Low-income[d]     18%     
 

As of fall 2023, the Ann Arbor campus had 52,065 students enrolled: 33,730 undergraduate students and 18,335 graduate students. The total number of employees reached 53,831, which included 21,475 individuals working with Michigan Medicine, 6,114 supplemental staff, 7,820 faculty members, and 18,422 regular staff.[13][337] The largest college at the university was the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts with 21,973 students (42.2% of the total student body), followed by the College of Engineering (11,113; 21.3%) and Ross School of Business (4,433; 8.1%). All other colleges each hosted less than 5% of the total student population.[338]

Students come from all 50 U.S. states and nearly 100 countries.[217] As of 2022, 52% of undergraduate students were Michigan residents, while 43% came from other states. The remainder of the undergraduate student body was composed of international students.[339] Of the total student body, 43,253 (83.1%) were U.S. citizens or permanent residents and 8,812 (16.9%) were international students as of November 2023.[340]

As of October 2023, 53% of undergraduate students self-identified as White, 17% as Asian, 7% as Hispanic, 4% as Black, 5% as belonging to two or more races, and 5% as having an unknown racial composition. The remaining 8% of undergraduates were international students.[336]

According to a 2017 report by the New York Times, the median family income of a student at Michigan was $154,000. 66% of students came from families within the top 20% in terms of income.[341] As of 2022, approximately 23% of in-state undergraduate students and 14% of out-of-state students received a Pell Grant.[339]
Groups and activities
Photograph of the University of Michigan Democratic Club in 1898.
Back Row (L–R): Arthur Lacy, C. Thomas, J.M. Baily
Front Row (L–R): F.K. Bowers, C.F. Kelley, C.D. Landis, JS. McElligott

By 2012, the university had 1,438 student organizations.[342] The student body is politically engaged; in one poll, 96% stated they intended to vote in the 2020 presidential election. It is largely progressive, with 43% identifying as very liberal, 33% as somewhat liberal, and 13% moderate. 11% identified as conservative or very conservative.[343] With a history of student activism, some of the most visible groups include those dedicated to causes such as civil rights and labor rights, such as local chapters of Students for a Democratic Society and United Students Against Sweatshops. Conservative groups also organize, such as the Young Americans for Freedom.[344]

There are also several engineering projects teams, including the University of Michigan Solar Car Team, which has placed first in the North American Solar Challenge ten times and podium in the World Solar Challenge seven times[345] and the Wolverine Soft student-run game studio, which has released more than 15 video games on itch.io and Steam.[346] Michigan Interactive Investments,[347] the Tamid Israel Investment Group,[348] and the Michigan Economics Society[349] are also affiliated with the university.

The university also showcases many community service organizations and charitable projects, including Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children, Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan,[350] The Detroit Partnership, Relay For Life, U-M Stars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, InnoWorks at the University of Michigan, SERVE, Letters to Success, PROVIDES, Circle K, Habitat for Humanity,[351] and Ann Arbor Reaching Out. Intramural sports are popular, and there are recreation facilities for each of the three campuses.[352]
Michigan Union, a Collegiate Gothic building constructed on land wholly owned by the student society in 1917, was designed by Michigan alumni Irving Kane Pond and Allen Bartlit Pond.

The Michigan Union and Michigan League are student activity centers located on Central Campus; Pierpont Commons is on North Campus. The Michigan Union houses a majority of student groups, including the student government. The William Monroe Trotter House, located east of Central Campus, is a multicultural student center operated by the university's Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs.[353] The University Activities Center (UAC) is a student-run programming organization and is composed of 14 committees.[354] Each group involves students in the planning and execution of a variety of events both on and off campus.

The Michigan Marching Band, composed of more than 350 students from almost all of U-M's schools,[355] is the university's marching band. Over 125 years old (with a first performance in 1897),[356] the band performs at every home football game and travels to at least one away game a year. The student-run and led University of Michigan Pops Orchestra is another musical ensemble that attracts students from all academic backgrounds. It performs regularly in the Michigan Theater. The University of Michigan Men's Glee Club, founded in 1859 and the second oldest such group in the country, is a men's chorus with over 100 members.[357] Its eight-member subset a cappella group, the University of Michigan Friars, which was founded in 1955, is the oldest currently running a cappella group on campus.[358] The University of Michigan is also home to over twenty other a cappella groups, including Amazin' Blue, The Michigan G-Men, and Compulsive Lyres, all of which have competed at the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) finals in New York City. Compulsive Lyres are the first and only group from Michigan to claim an ICCA title, having won in 2002.[359] The Michigan G-Men are one of only six groups in the country to compete at ICCA finals four times, one of only two TTBB ensembles to do so, and placed third at the competition in 2015.[360] Amazin' Blue placed fourth at ICCA finals in 2017.

The University of Michigan also has over 380 cultural and ethnic student organizations on campus.[361] These range the Arab Student Association to Persian Student Association[362] to African Students Association[363] to even the Egyptian Student Association.[364]
Fraternities and sororities

Fraternities and sororities play a role in the university's social life; approximately seven percent of undergraduate men and 16% of undergraduate women are active in the Greek system.[365] Four different Greek councils—the Interfraternity Council, Multicultural Greek Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Panhellenic Association—represent most Greek organizations. Each council has a different recruitment process.[366]
Delta Sigma Delta, the first dental fraternity in the world

National honor societies such as Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, and Tau Beta Pi have chapters at U-M.[367] Degrees "with Highest Distinction" are recommended to students who rank in the top 3% of their class, "with High Distinction" to the next 7%, and "with Distinction" to the next 15%. Students earning a minimum overall GPA of 3.4 who have demonstrated high academic achievement and capacity for independent work may be recommended for a degree "with Highest Honors", "with High Honors", or "with Honors".[367] Those students who earn all A's for two or more consecutive terms in a calendar year are recognized as James B. Angell Scholars and are invited to attend the annual Honors Convocation, an event which recognizes undergraduate students with distinguished academic achievements.[367]
Phi Delta Phi, the oldest legal organization in continuous existence in the United States

The University of Michigan hosts three secret societies: Michigauma, Adara, and the Vulcans. Michigauma and Adara were once under the umbrella group "The Tower Society", the name referring to their historical locations in the Michigan Union tower. Michigauma was all-male while Adara was all-female, although both later became co-ed.

    Michigauma, more recently known as the Order of Angell, was formed in 1902 by a group of seniors in coordination with university president James Burrill Angell. The group disbanded itself in 2021 due to public concerns about elitism and the society's history. The group was granted a lease for the top floor of the Michigan Union tower in 1932, which they referred to as the "tomb", but the society vacated the space in 2000. Until more recent reforms, the group's rituals were inspired by the culture of Native Americans.[368] Some factions on campus identified Michigauma as a secret society, but many disputed that characterization, as its member list has been published some years in The Michigan Daily and the Michiganensian, and online since 2006 reforms.
    Adara, known as Phoenix, was formed in the late 1970s by women leaders on campus and disbanded itself in 2021 amid campus criticisms of secret societies.[369] In the early 1980s they joined the tower society and occupied the sixth floor of the tower just below Michigamua.
    Vulcans, occupied the fifth floor of the Union tower though were not formally a part of the tower society. They draw their heritage from the Roman god Vulcan. The group which used to do its tapping publicly is known for its long black robes and for its financial contributions of the College of Engineering.

Media and publications
Stanford Lipsey Student Publications Building

The student newspaper is The Michigan Daily, which was founded in 1890 and is editorially and financially independent from the university. The Daily publishes daily online content and a weekly print edition. The yearbook is the Michiganensian, founded in 1896. Other student publications at the university include the conservative Michigan Review and the Gargoyle Humor Magazine.

WCBN-FM (88.3 FM) is the student-run college radio station which plays in freeform format. WOLV-TV is the student-run television station that is primarily shown on the university's cable television system. WJJX was previously the school's student-run radio station. A carrier current station, it was launched in 1953.[370]
Safety

Violent crime is rare on campus, though there have been a few notorious cases, including Theodore Kaczynski's attempted murder of professor James V. McConnell and research assistant Nicklaus Suino in 1985. In 2022, David DePape, the man convicted of attacking Paul Pelosi, who is the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, targeted Gayle Rubin, an associate professor of anthropology and women’s studies at the university.[371] DePape testified during his trial that he hoped to use Nancy and Paul Pelosi in an effort to get to Gayle Rubin.[371]

In 2014, the University of Michigan was named one of 55 higher education institutions under investigation by the Office of Civil Rights "for possible violations of federal law over the handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints." President Barack Obama's White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault was organized for such investigations.[372] Seven years later, in 2021, the university attracted national attention when a report commissioned by the university was released that detailed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against doctor Robert Anderson who reportedly abused at least 950 university students, many of whom were athletes, from 1966 to 2003.[373] Several football players from that time say football coach Bo Schembechler ignored and enabled the abuse and told players to "toughen up" after being molested.[374] Schembechler reportedly punched his then 10-year-old son Matthew after he reported abuse by Anderson.[375] Following the exposure of a similar history of abuse at Ohio State University, male survivors of both Anderson at Michigan and Strauss at Ohio State spoke out to combat sexual abuse.[376] The University of Michigan settled with the survivors for $490 million.[377]
Athletics
Main article: Michigan Wolverines
Burgee of University of Michigan

The university's athletics history dates back to the late 19th century, with the baseball team founded in 1866, the football team established in 1879, and the men's tennis team originating in 1893. The university has 27 varsity intercollegiate sports, including 13 men's teams and 14 women's teams.[378]

The university's intercollegiate sports teams, known as the "Wolverines," participate in the Big Ten Conference in most sports, with the exception of the women's water polo team, which competes in the Collegiate Water Polo Association. The teams compete at the NCAA Division I level in all sports, including Division I FBS in football. The teams share the nickname "Wolverines" with several other collegiate athletic teams in the country, such as the Utah Valley Wolverines, the Grove City Wolverines, and the Morris Brown Wolverines.
Souvenir program from 1897 for the Chicago–Michigan football rivalry game

In 1896, the university became a founding member of the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives, which later evolved into the Western Conference (1896–1899) and eventually became known as the Big Ten Conference (since 1950). However, by April 1907, just a decade later, the university was voted out of the conference for refusing to adhere to league rules. Following a nine-year absence, the university rejoined the conference in 1917.

In 1926, Harvard made an agreement to play football against Michigan, dropping Princeton from its schedule due to past rough matches. Princeton perceived this move as a threat to the 'Big Three' relationship, fearing it would lose its status as a rival to Harvard and be relegated to a secondary class. By the 1930s, the 'Big Three' was restored and expanded into the Ivy League in 1939.[379]

In 2023, during the NCAA's investigation into sign-stealing allegations against the football team's staff members, the university's board of regents considered the possibility of leaving the Big Ten conference due to dissatisfaction with the conference's handling of the investigation.[380][381]
Venues
Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan football, 2011

The Ray Fisher Stadium, constructed in 1923, serves as the home venue for the baseball team. The Alumni Field at Carol Hutchins Stadium, formerly known as the Varsity Diamond, is the home field for the university's softball team. The Yost Ice Arena, opened in 1923, is the home arena for the men's ice hockey team. The Crisler Center, opened in 1967 and previously known as the University Events Building and Crisler Arena, serves as the home venue for the men's and women's basketball teams as well as the women's gymnastics team. The Phyllis Ocker Field, constructed in 1995 and built partially on the site of Regents Field, is the home venue for the university's field hockey teams.

Michigan Stadium is the largest stadium in the United States,[382][383][384] as well as the Western Hemisphere,[385][386] and ranks third globally.[387][388][389] The extra seat in the stadium's capacity is said to be "reserved" for former head coach Fritz Crisler.[390] Prior to the construction of Michigan Stadium in 1927, the football team played their home games at Regents Field. In 1902, Dexter M. Ferry donated land adjacent to Regents Field, and the entire complex was renamed Ferry Field. Ferry Field served as the home stadium for the football team until the opening of Michigan Stadium. Today, Ferry Field serves as a tailgating space for Michigan Stadium during football games.
Fight songs and chants
Sheet music covers of the Michigan fight songs "Varsity" (left) and "The Victors" (right)

The Michigan fight song, "The Victors", was written by student Louis Elbel in 1898. The song was declared by John Philip Sousa to be "the greatest college fight song ever written."[391] The song refers to the teams as being "the Champions of the West". At the time, the Big Ten Conference was known as the Western Conference.

Although mainly used at sporting events, the Michigan fight song is often heard at other events as well. U.S. President Gerald Ford had it played by the United States Marine Band as his entrance anthem during his term as president from 1974 to 1977, in preference over the more traditional "Hail to the Chief",[392] and the Michigan Marching Band performed a slow-tempo variation of the fight song at his funeral.[393] The fight song is also sung during graduation commencement ceremonies. The university's alma mater song is "The Yellow and Blue". A common rally cry is "Let's Go Blue!" which has a complementary short musical arrangement written by former students Joseph Carl, a sousaphonist, and Albert Ahronheim, a drum major.[394]
Singing The Yellow and the Blue between halves of the Penn Game, November 1916

Before "The Victors" was officially the university's fight song, the song "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight" was considered to be the school song.[395] After Michigan temporarily withdrew from the Western Conference in 1907, a new Michigan fight song, "Varsity", was written in 1911 because the line "champions of the West" was no longer appropriate.[396]
Accomplishments

The Michigan football program ranks first in NCAA history in total wins (1,004 through the end of the 2023 season) and tied for 1st among FBS schools in winning percentage (.734).[397][398] The team won the first Rose Bowl game in 1902. the university had 40 consecutive winning seasons from 1968 to 2007, including consecutive bowl game appearances from 1975 to 2007.[399] The Wolverines have won a record 45 Big Ten championships. The program claims 12 national championships,[400][401] most recently winning the 2024 National Championship Game,[402] and has produced three Heisman Trophy winners: Tom Harmon (1940), Desmond Howard (1991), and Charles Woodson (1997).[403] In 2025, the university made history by becoming the first institution in intercollegiate sports to have first-round draft picks in all five major professional sports leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS) within the same year.[404] Through the 2025 NFL draft, 421 Michigan football players have been selected into the NFL, with at least one every year since the inaugural draft.[405]

The men's ice hockey team, which plays at Yost Ice Arena, has won nine national championships.[406]

The men's basketball team, which plays at the Crisler Center, has appeared in five Final Fours and won the national championship in 1989. The program also voluntarily vacated victories from its 1992–1993 and 1995–1999 seasons in which illicit payments to players took place, as well as its 1992 and 1993 Final Four appearances.[407] The men's basketball team has most recently won back-to-back Big Ten Tournament Championships.

More than 250 Michigan athletes or coaches have participated in Olympic events,[408] and as of 2021 its students and alumni have won 155 Olympic medals.[409] Through the 2012 Summer Olympics, 275 Michigan students and coaches had participated in the Olympics, winning medals in each Summer Olympic Games except 1896, and winning gold medals in all but four Olympiads. the university's students/student-coaches (e.g., notably, Michael Phelps) have won a total of 185 Olympic medals: 85 golds, 48 silvers, and 52 bronzes.[410]

In 10 of the past 14 years concluding in 2009, the university has finished in the top five of the NACDA Director's Cup, a ranking compiled by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics to tabulate the success of universities in competitive sports. The university has finished in the top 10 of the Directors' Cup standings in 21 of the award's 29 seasons between 1993–2021 and has placed in the top six in nine of the last 10 seasons.[411]
Notable people
    
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Benefactors
Henry Ford (second from the left) at the dedication of Yost Field House in 1923

The university was assisted in its formation in the 1810s by a Masonic lodge (Zion Lodge No. 1 F&AM), which provided much-needed financial support for its establishment.[412] Of the total amount subscribed to start the university, two-thirds came from the Masonic lodge and its members.[412] Since then, private donors have become an important source of funding for the university. Among the individuals who have made significant donations commemorated at the university are William Wilson Cook, Dexter Mason Ferry, the Ford family, the Nichols family, the Marsal Family, the Tisch Family, William Erastus Upjohn, John Stoughton Newberry, Clara Harrison Stranahan, William K. Brehm, William Morse Davidson, A. Alfred Taubman, Penny W. Stamps, and Ronald Weiser. The Zell Family Foundation, led by Sam and Helen Zell, has donated a total of $152 million to the university over the years.[413][414] Stephen M. Ross made a $200 million donation to the business school and athletic campus in 2013.[415] Ross made a separate $100 million contribution to the university in 2004.[416] Charles Munger pledged $110 million in 2013 for a graduate residence and fellowships.[417] In 2024, the Hong Kong-based Li Ka Shing Foundation endowed a professorship at the university to support research in biomedical engineering.[418]
Faculty
For a more comprehensive list, see List of University of Michigan faculty and staff.

The university employs 8,189 faculty members,[419][420] of whom 3,195 are tenured or on a tenure track.[419] Among them, there are 37 members of the National Academy of Sciences,[421] 62 members of the National Academy of Medicine,[422] 30 members of the National Academy of Engineering,[423] 89 Sloan Research Fellows,[424] 17 Guggenheim Fellows,[425] 99 members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,[426] and 17 members of the American Philosophical Society.[427][428] The university's current and former faculty includes fourteen Nobel laureates, eight Pulitzer Prize winners, three David M. Holland Medal winners, and one John Bates Clark Medal recipient.

Current faculty include physicists Mark Newman, Duncan G. Steel, Steven Cundiff, Stephen Forrest, and Gordon Kane; mathematicians Hyman Bass, Sergey Fomin, William Fulton, Robert Griess, and Melvin Hochster; chemist Melanie Sanford; Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Heather Ann Thompson; National Medal of Science recipients Huda Akil and Robert Axelrod; biostatistician Gonçalo Abecasis; philosophers Elizabeth S. Anderson, Allan Gibbard, and Peter Railton; and social psychologist Richard E. Nisbett. The faculty also includes feminist legal theorist Catharine MacKinnon, Strict Scrutiny co-host Leah Litman, engineer James P. Bagian, and A. Galip Ulsoy, co-inventor of the Reconfigurable Manufacturing System.
Photograph of Joseph Brodsky teaching at the University of Michigan

Philosophers who were members of the faculty include pragmatists John Dewey, Charles Horton Cooley, and George H. Mead, along with analytic philosophers William Frankena and Cooper Harold Langford. The faculty included notable writers such as Nobel Prize-winning essayist Joseph Brodsky, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet W. H. Auden, and Robert Frost, the only poet to receive four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry.

Notable faculty in physics have included Donald A. Glaser, the inventor of the bubble chamber; Samuel Goudsmit and George Uhlenbeck, discoverers of electron spin; Juris Upatnieks and Emmett Leith, inventors of 3D holography; Gérard Mourou, inventor of chirped pulse amplification; and H. Richard Crane, who was called "one of the most distinguished experimental physicists of the 20th century". Wolfgang Pauli, a pioneer of quantum physics, served as a visiting professor at the university in 1931 and again in 1941. Physicists Martin Lewis Perl and Lawrence W. Jones served as co-advisors to Nobel laureate Samuel C. C. Ting at the university. Perl himself was also awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1995 for his discovery of the tau lepton. Other distinguished physicists who have served on the faculty include Martinus Veltman, Carl Wieman, and Charles H. Townes. Notable mathematicians Raoul Bott, Richard Brauer, Samuel Eilenberg (co-founder of category theory), Frederick Gehring, Herman Goldstine, and Anatol Rapoport have all served on the faculty.

In medicine, notable individuals who have served on the faculty include the former director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins, the developer of the polio vaccine Jonas Salk, Nobel Prize–winning physiologist Charles B. Huggins, co-discoverer of tumour-inducing viruses Peyton Rous, geneticist James V. Neel, neuroanatomist Elizabeth C. Crosby, and co-discoverer of restriction enzymes Hamilton O. Smith.

Past faculty have also included "the founding father of 21st-century sociology" Charles Tilly, social psychologist Robert Zajonc, chemical engineer Donald L. Katz, Supreme Court justice Henry Billings Brown, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Leslie Bassett, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer David C. Turnley, Nobel Prize-winning economist Lawrence R. Klein, and John Bates Clark Medal recipient Kenneth E. Boulding.

    Robert Frost
    Robert Frost
    John Dewey
    John Dewey
    Charles H. Townes
    Charles H. Townes
    Elizabeth C. Crosby
    Elizabeth C. Crosby
    Francis Collins
    Francis Collins
    Gérard Mourou
    Gérard Mourou

Alumni
    
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For a more comprehensive list, see List of University of Michigan alumni.

Michigan alumni include nine Nobel laureates,[429] two Abel Prize winners (Isadore M. Singer and Karen Uhlenbeck), two Fields Medalists (June Huh and Stephen Smale), five Turing Award winners, and 35 Pulitzer Prize winners. By alumni count, Michigan ranks fifth as of 2018, among all universities whose alumni have won Pulitzers.
Mathematics and sciences
Jerome Karle

Claude Shannon,[430] who laid the foundations of the Information Age, ranks among the most distinguished mathematicians from the university. Two Fields medalists Stephen Smale and June Huh, both completed their Ph.D.s in Mathematics at Michigan. Isadore Singer, the Abel Prize-winning mathematician who helped prove the Atiyah–Singer index theorem, studied physics at the university during World War II. Karen Uhlenbeck, the first woman to win the Abel Prize, received her bachelor's degree from the university in 1964. George Dantzig, who developed linear programming, studied at Michigan under G.Y. Rainich, R.L. Wilder, and T.H. Hildebrandt. Other mathematicians from the university include Kenneth Ira Appel, who, along with Wolfgang Haken, solved the famous Four Color Theorem; Leonard Jimmie Savage, who was known for his contributions to Bayesian statistics and decision theory; and Carl R. de Boor, a renowned mathematician in numerical analysis.

In physics, Nobel laureate Samuel C. C. Ting, who discovered the J/ψ particle, studied under Martin Lewis Perl, another Nobel-winning physicist who discovered the tau lepton, at the university. Chemist Jerome Karle, who revealed molecular structures, completed his Ph.D. in Physics at Michigan in 1943. His wife, Isabella Karle, an alumna, developed techniques to extract plutonium chloride from plutonium oxide mixtures. Other alumni include nuclear physicist Robert Bacher, a leader of the Manhattan Project; Richard Smalley, who discovered fullerenes; Moses Gomberg, a pioneer in radical chemistry, who later became a professor at the university and taught Frank Spedding, who led the development of the Ames process in the Manhattan Project.

Alumni in biology and medicine include Marshall Warren Nirenberg, famous for breaking the genetic code, who received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the university in 1957; Stanley Cohen, who discovered growth factors; and John Jacob Abel, regarded as the father of pharmacology, who studied under the university's physiologist Henry Sewall in 1883. Other alumni include Raymond Pearl, a founder of biogerontology, David Botstein, a leader of the Human Genome Project, and Nancy Ascher, the first woman to perform a liver transplant.

Other notable alumni in science include Edgar F. Codd, who developed the relational model of data and completed his Ph.D. at Michigan, and computer scientist Michael Stonebraker, who also made contributions to database research. Both Codd and Stonebraker are Turing Award winners.
Law and government
For a more comprehensive list, see List of University of Michigan law and government alumni.
U.S. President Gerald Ford wears a "Michigan #1" sweater during the kick-off of Ford's 1976 presidential campaign at the University of Michigan's campus in Ann Arbor

The university boasts several holders or candidates of the United States presidency, including Gerald Ford,[431] the 38th president and the Republican Party's nominee for president in 1976; Thomas E. Dewey,[432] who was the Republican Party's nominee for president in both 1944 and 1948; Arthur LeSueur, a Socialist candidate for president in 1916; Gilbert Hitchcock, a Democratic candidate in 1928; Arthur Vandenberg, a Republican presidential hopeful in 1948; Ben Carson,[433] a Republican candidate in 2016; and Larry Elder, a Republican candidate in 2024. John Worth Kern and Burton K. Wheeler both ran for the vice presidency, with Kern representing the Democratic Party alongside William Jennings Bryan in 1908, and Wheeler as a Progressive Party's nominee with Robert La Follette Sr. in 1924.

Among the 23 former governors of Michigan who hold formal college degrees, 10 are graduates of the university. (Woodbridge N. Ferris only attended for a year) As of 2021, the university has matriculated 63 U.S. governors or lieutenant governors, including former Governor of Michigan Rick Snyder,[434] first female lieutenant governor of Missouri Harriett Woods, and former Governor of California Culbert Olson.[435] More than 250 Michigan graduates have served as legislators as either a United States Senator (48 graduates) or as a Congressional representative (over 215 graduates), including former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt,[436] U.S. Representative Justin Amash.[437] Former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan,[438] former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot,[439] and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan[440] are also Michigan graduates.

Michigan graduates have held a range of cabinet-level positions, including United States Secretary of State (William Rufus Day[441]); United States Secretary of the Treasury (George M. Humphrey[442]); United States Attorney General (Harry Micajah Daugherty[443]); United States Secretary of the Interior (Kenneth Lee Salazar[444]); United States Secretary of Agriculture (Clinton Anderson,[445] Julius Sterling Morton,[446] Arthur M. Hyde,[447] and Dan Glickman[448]); United States Secretary of Commerce (Roy D. Chapin[449] and Robert P. Lamont[450]); United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (Tom Price[451]); and Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget (Rob Portman[452]). Multiple alumni served in the judicial branch of the U.S. government, including William Rufus Day,[441] Frank Murphy,[453] and George Sutherland,[454] all of whom served as Supreme Court justices. As of 2019, the university has placed onto various State Supreme Courts over 125 graduates, 40 of whom served as Chief Justice.

Foreign alumni include the Prime Minister of Singapore (Lawrence Wong[455]); the current ruler of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi[456]); the 51st Prime Minister of Italy (Lamberto Dini); the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda 1994–2004 (Lester Bird); the 47th President of Costa Rica (Luis Guillermo Solís); the Prime Minister of Peru 1993–1994 (Alfonso Bustamante); the Prime Minister of Jordan 2012–2016 (Abdullah Ensour[457]); the 13th President of Pakistan (Arif Alvi[458]); Chief Secretary of Hong Kong 2007–2011 (Henry Tang Ying-yen[459]); Deputy Prime Minister of South Korea 2017–2018 (Kim Dong-yeon); Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria in the government of Boyko Borisov (Simeon Djankov); Deputy Prime Minister of Madagascar 1997–1998 (Herizo Razafimahaleo). British Members of Parliament Terry Davis and Howard Flight are also Michigan graduates. As of 2022, Michigan has matriculated 64 Ambassadors who served as Ambassador in more than 72 countries.
Business and finance
For a more comprehensive list, see List of University of Michigan business alumni.
George Getty, patriarch of the Getty family, earned his juris doctor from the law school in 1882

Michigan alumni have founded or cofounded many prominent companies, such as Alphabet Inc. (Larry Page[460]), Johnson & Johnson (Edward Mead Johnson[461]), Abbott Laboratories (Wallace Calvin Abbott), Stryker Corporation (Homer Stryker[462]), Emerson Electric Company (John Wesley Emerson), Loews Corporation (Preston Robert Tisch[463]), Devon Energy (J. Larry Nichols[464]), Merrill Lynch (Charles Edward Merrill[465]), Leidos as SAIC (J. Robert Beyster[466]), Rocket Mortgage (Gary Gilbert[467]), Twilio (Jeff Lawson[468], Evan Cooke[468], John Wolthuis[468]), Domino's (Tom Monaghan[469]), H&R Block (Henry W. Bloch[470]), Related Companies (Stephen M. Ross[471]), Admiral Group (Henry Engelhardt[472]), Akamai Technologies (Randall Kaplan), and Five Guys (Jerry Murrell[473])

The university counts several patriarchs of influential business dynasties, including George Getty of the renowned Getty family. The university also boasts a number of graduates from affluent families, including heirs and heiresses to major fortunes, such as Josiah K. Lilly Jr. (heir to Eli Lilly and Company); Charles Rudolph Walgreen Jr.[474] (heir to Walgreens); John Gideon Searle (heir to G. D. Searle); Doug Meijer[475] and Hank Meijer[476] (heirs to Meijer); Christopher Ilitch (heir to Ilitch Holdings, Inc.); and Kenneth B. Dart (heir to Dart Container Corporation). Raoul Wallenberg, a member of the prominent Wallenberg family, one of the wealthiest families in the world, studied at the university in 1931.[477][478]

As of May 2024, about 2.8% of all Fortune 1000 executives with MBAs are alumni from Michigan Ross, ranking it as the 6th highest among all business schools in the United States.[479][480] Alumni have led several companies, including Berkshire Hathaway (Charlie Munger[481]), Ford (James Hackett[482]), General Motors (Roger Smith, Frederick Henderson, and Richard C. Gerstenberg[483]), State Farm Insurance (Jon Farney[484]), Citigroup (John C. Dugan[485]), Tencent (Martin Lau[486]), The Boeing Company (Edgar Gott[487]), Wells Fargo (Timothy J. Sloan[488]), Allstate Corp. (Thomas J. Wilson[480]), American Airlines (Robert Isom[480]), PNC Financial Services (William S. Demchak[489]), General Mills (Stephen Sanger[490]), Turkish Airlines (Temel Kotil[491]), International Paper (John V. Faraci[492]), KB Financial Group (Euh Yoon-dae[493]), Chrysler Group LLC (C. Robert Kidder[494]), BorgWarner Inc. (Timothy M. Manganello[495]), Bunzl (Michael Roney[496]), Celanese (David N. Weidman[497]), JetBlue (Dave Barger[498]), Restaurant Brands International (J. Patrick Doyle[499]), and Bain Capital (Edward Conard[500]).
Engineering and technology
For a more comprehensive list, see List of University of Michigan alumni § Computers, engineering, and technology.

Many alumni have made significant contributions to the fields of engineering and technology, including Clarence "Kelly" Johnson[501] and Joseph Francis Shea, a key figure in the Apollo program, earned his Ph.D. in 1955. The university produced numerous developers and original authors of widely recognized software programs, such as Thomas Knoll[502] (original author of Adobe Photoshop); Mike Engelhardt[503] (original author of LTspice); Niels Provos[504] (creator of Bcrypt); and Sid Meier[505] (creator of video games series Civilization).

Several astronauts attended Michigan including the all-Michigan crews of both Gemini 4,[506] and Apollo 15.[507] The university claims the only alumni association with a chapter on the Moon, established in 1971 when the crew of Apollo 15 placed a charter plaque for a new University of Michigan Alumni Association on the lunar surface.[436][507]
Sports

Famous athletes who attended the university include professional football quarterback Tom Brady,[436] and Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps.[508] National Hockey League players Zach Hyman, Brendan Morrison,[436] and Michael Cammalleri[436] all played for the university's ice hockey team. National Baseball Hall of Famers George Sisler and Barry Larkin also played baseball at the university.[436]
Music and theatre

Musical graduates include operatic soprano Jessye Norman,[436] singer Joe Dassin, multiple members of the bands Tally Hall and Vulfpeck, jazz guitarist Randy Napoleon, and Mannheim Steamroller founder Chip Davis.[436] Well-known composers who are alumni include Frank Ticheli, Andrew Lippa, and the Oscar and Tony Award-winning duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Pop superstar Madonna[436] and rock legend Iggy Pop[436] attended but did not graduate.

In Hollywood, famous alumni include actors Michael Dunn,[436] Darren Criss, James Earl Jones,[436] and David Alan Grier;[436] actresses Lucy Liu,[436] Gilda Radner,[436] and Selma Blair[436] as well as television director Mark Cendrowski and filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan.[436] Many Broadway and musical theatre actors, including Gavin Creel,[436] Andrew Keenan-Bolger, his sister Celia Keenan-Bolger, and Taylor Louderman attended the university for musical theatre. Emmy Award winner Sanjay Gupta attended both college and medical school at the university.[509]
Literature

Notable writers who attended the university include playwright Arthur Miller,[436] essayists Susan Orlean,[436] Jia Tolentino,[510] Sven Birkerts, journalists and editors Mike Wallace,[436] Jonathan Chait of The New Republic, Indian author and columnist Anees Jung, Daniel Okrent,[436] and Sandra Steingraber, food critics Ruth Reichl and Gael Greene, novelists Brett Ellen Block, Elizabeth Kostova, Marge Piercy,[436] Brad Meltzer,[436] Betty Smith,[436] and Charles Major, screenwriter Judith Guest,[436] Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Theodore Roethke, National Book Award winners Keith Waldrop and Jesmyn Ward, composer/author/puppeteer Forman Brown, Alireza Jafarzadeh (a Middle East analyst, author, and TV commentator), and memoirist and self-help book author Jerry Newport.
Other notable alumni
Activists associated with the university include Weather Underground leader Bill Ayers,[511] activist Tom Hayden,[436] assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, and the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski. 

Crisler Center (formerly known as the University Events Building and Crisler Arena) is an indoor basketball arena located on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It serves as the home arena for the men's and women's basketball teams, as well as the women's gymnastics team at the university.[3]
History
Fritz Crisler from 1962 Michiganensian

Constructed in 1967, Crisler Center is named for Fritz Crisler, the university's athletic director from 1941 to 1968. It was designed by alumnus Dan Dworsky.

The arena, often dubbed "The House that Cazzie Built", is a reference to alumnus Cazzie Russell, whose popularity led to the basketball team's fan base exceeding the capacity of Yost Fieldhouse, prompting the construction of the facility.[1][2]
U.S. President Gerald R. Ford delivering remarks at his 1976 presidential campaign kickoff rally at Crisler Arena

The facility hosted the 1980–1982 Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournament. It has also hosted Big Ten and NCAA gymnastics championships, the 1999 Big Ten wrestling championship, and other events. Prior to the opening of Cliff Keen Arena, the arena was the full-time home to the men's and women's gymnastics teams and the wrestling team. The women's gymnastics team continues to hold significant meets in the arena.[3]

The arena has also hosted concerts, including the opening show of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's The River Tour. John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed 4 songs at the arena on December 10, 1971. Elvis Presley performed at the arena on April 24, 1977.

The 2014 NCAA Men's Gymnastics championship was held at Crisler Center. Michigan's Men's Gymnastics team won their second consecutive national championship in that meet.
Renovation

The university completed a $52 million renovation to the Crisler Center in 2012.[6] A new scoreboard was added along with the construction of an athletic facility in between the arena and Michigan Stadium called the Junge Family Champions Center. Along with the Junge Center, the university added the Mortenson Family Plaza on the roof of the Junge Center. The outside walls were torn down and the concourse was expanded. A new grand entrance along with new boxes were expected to be ready by January 2013, but were completed just before the start of the 2012–13 Basketball season, much earlier than originally planned. The renovations also included renovations to the control room, updating the controllers for game stats and content for the University of Michigan football stadium and the Crisler Center.[7]

Part of the Crisler renovation also included the construction of the William Davidson Player Development Center. The $23.2 million facility boasts 2 full courts with 10 baskets, weight room, sports medicine training room, and two identical wings for Men's and Women's basketball offices.[8]
Tenants
Crisler Center has been the home of Michigan Wolverines men's basketball since its opening in 1967. The women's basketball team has been at Crisler Center since 1974. It has also been the home of Michigan's wrestling, women's volleyball and men's gymnastics teams. The gymnastics team hosted events at Crisler Center from 1978 to 1989. The wrestling team called Crisler Center its home from 1967 to 1989. The women's gymnastics team competed at Crisler Center from 1978 to 1989 before moving to Cliff Keen Arena in 1990 before ultimately returning to Crisler Center as their primary home in 2004. College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athletic bodies, including the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA). These national affiliation organizations may be subdivided into divisions, generally based on the number and level of scholarships that may be provided to the athletes. Institutions that play in Division II of the NCCAA are typically small Bible colleges. Some institutions may have multiple affiliations with the most common being USCAA and NCCAA. The NCAA does not allow this. An institution does not need to join a national affiliation orginaization to play college basketball, but this is very rare. As of 2025, Cheyney, a former NCAA member, fields a team with no national affiliation.

Each affiliation organization comprises conferences into which the vast majority of teams are divided. Traditionally, the location of a school has been a significant factor in determining conference affiliation. The bulk of the games on a team's schedule during the season are against fellow conference members. Therefore, geographic proximity of conference members allows local rivalries to develop and minimizes travel costs. Further, televised road games played in the same time zone as that of the visiting team's fans tend to draw larger audiences, which enhances the value of the media rights.

Institutional compatibility is another factor that may lead schools to band together in the same conference. For instance, as of 2025, all full members of the West Coast Conference are Christian colleges and universities located in the Pacific Time Zone. The Ivy League comprises institutions in the Northeast with similar, high academic standards that prefer to schedule nearly all their conference basketball games on Fridays and Saturdays, except during breaks between semesters, to minimize the disruption caused to the studies of the student-athletes.

Since the 1990s, geographic proximity has gradually become a less important factor in determining conference membership in NCAA Division I, the top tier competition of college basketball in the United States. For instance, the Big Ten Conference was originally composed of institutions in the Midwest. It has since expanded to include members in New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania. On July 1, 2024, the Big Ten admitted four new members, all of which are located in the Pacific Time Zone. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) had a footprint that extended from Maryland to Florida, with all members located in states on the Atlantic Coast in the 1990s. It has since expanded to include members in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Indiana. In July and August 2024, the ACC admitted two new members located in California and one new member located in Texas.

The shifts in conference membership are primarily driven by schools seeking lucrative media rights deals and appropriately competitive playing partners for their football programs. In most cases, schools house as many of their sports in the same primary conference as possible. So, the football-driven changes in affiliation lead to changes in the composition of basketball conferences. When a conference loses a member to another conference, it will often try to recruit a replacement from a third conference. This triggers a domino effect, and smaller, less stable conferences struggle to remain large enough to compete at the same level as they had in the past. The smallest NCAA Division I conferences sometimes recruit Division II teams and help those institutions transition to Division I, in order to replace teams they have lost. Sometimes, this is done pre-emptively to make the conference larger and protect it against the possible loss of some of its teams.

Teams are not required to join conferences and may play as independents instead. Chicago State is the most recent independent basketball team in Division I of the NCAA, having competed as an independent for two seasons before joining the Northeast Conference in 2024. Finding opponents can be problematic for an independent team, particularly during the latter part of the season, when most other teams are regularly playing conference opponents. In addition, each conference gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, which generates significant revenue for participating teams. Independent teams do not have access to such a pathway and must be selected at-large in order to participate in the tournament.

Most games between conference opponents take place in the latter part of the season. While there are various rankings of teams throughout the entire NCAA,[1] there are also conference standings based on the results of games against conference opponents. Once the conference schedule is complete, the conference stages a tournament that includes some or all of its teams. The regular-season conference standings are generally used to determine qualification for and seeding in the conference tournament.

A notable exception to the regular-season standings being used for seeding in the conference tournament were the 2023 and 2024 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) men's and women's tournaments. Regular-season conference standings determined qualification for the tournaments, but seeding was based on a formulaic ranking of the strength of the qualifiers, including their performances against non-conference opponents. Starting in 2025, the WAC returned to seeding the tournament based on the conference standings, and the formulaic ranking became part of the conference's tiebreaker procedure.

In most cases, the winner of the conference tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. However, teams that are in transition to Division I are not eligible to participate in the NCAA tournament. Under rules revised in 2025, the transition period from Division II to Division I generally takes three years and may be longer, if the team is coming from a different affiliation. Therefore, if such a team wins a conference tournament, the conference will use an alternative method to designate the team that receives its automatic bid. Some conferences allow transitioning teams to participate in their conference tournaments; others do not allow this.[2]
History
Naismith Court at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas in 2021. The Kansas Jayhawks are among the most storied and historic programs at the collegiate level, due to their ties to James Naismith, the inventor of basketball

The history of basketball can be traced back to a YMCA International Training School, known today as Springfield College, located in Springfield, Massachusetts. The sport was created by physical education teacher James Naismith, who in the winter of 1891 was given the task of creating a game that would keep track athletes in shape and that would prevent them from getting hurt. The date of the first formal basketball game played at the Springfield YMCA Training School under Naismith's rules is generally given as December 21, 1891. Along with this during the history and rise of the college game of basketball many issues arose. These issues were known as "civil wars" in college basketball, according to Kurt Edward Kemper. At first all colleges were considered as equal competitors because there were no divisions or conferences which caused smaller schools to protest against this. Eventually they created the NIT program, but this was only for the larger colleges and universities, so they then in 1937 had to create the NAIB for smaller colleges.[1][3][2] Basketball began to be played at some college campuses by 1893.[4]
Collegiate firsts

The first known college to field a basketball team against an outside opponent was Vanderbilt University, which played against the local YMCA in Nashville, Tennessee, on February 7, 1893, where Vanderbilt won 9–6.[4] The second recorded instance of an organized college basketball game was Geneva College's game against New Brighton YMCA on April 8, 1893, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, which Geneva won 3–0.[4]

The first recorded game between two college teams occurred on November 22, 1894, when the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry (now known as Drexel University) faced Temple College (now known as Temple University).[5] Drexel won the game, which was played under rules allowing nine players per side, among many other variations from modern basketball, 26–1. The first intercollegiate match using the modern rule of five players per side is often credited as a game between the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, Iowa, on January 18, 1896.[4][6] The Chicago team won the game 15-12, under the coaching of Amos Alonzo Stagg, who had learned the game from James Naismith at Springfield YMCA.[7][6] However, some sources state the first "true" five-on-five intercollegiate match was a game in 1897 between Yale and Penn, because although the Iowa team that played Chicago in 1896 was composed of University of Iowa students, it reportedly did not officially represent the university, rather it was organized through a YMCA.[7] By 1900, the game of basketball had spread to colleges across the country.
Tournaments
Souvenir program from the inaugural NIT showcasing the "National Championship Trophy" won by Temple in 1938.

The Amateur Athletic Union's annual U.S. national championship tournament (first played in 1898) often featured collegiate teams playing against non-college teams. Four colleges won the AAU tournament championship: Utah (1916), NYU (1920), Butler (1924) and Washburn (1925). College teams were also runners-up in 1915, 1917, 1920, 1921, 1932 and 1934.

The first known tournament featuring exclusively college teams was the 1904 Summer Olympics, where basketball was a demonstration sport, and a collegiate championship tournament was held.[8] The Olympic title was won by Hiram College.[8] In March 1908, a two-game "championship series" was organized between the University of Chicago and Penn, with games played in Philadelphia and Bartlett, Illinois. Chicago swept both games to win the series.[9][10]

In March 1922, the 1922 National Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament was held in Indianapolis – the first stand-alone post-season tournament exclusively for college teams. The champions of six major conferences participated: Pacific Coast Conference, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association, Western Pennsylvania League, Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The Western Conference and Eastern Intercollegiate League declined invitations to participate.[11] Wabash College won the 1922 tournament.

The first organization to tout a regularly occurring national collegiate championship was the NAIA in 1937, although it was quickly surpassed in prestige by the National Invitation Tournament, or NIT, which brought six teams to New York's Madison Square Garden in the spring of 1938.[7] Temple defeated Colorado in the first NIT tournament championship game, 60–36.[7]
NCAA tournament

In 1939, another national tournament was implemented by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The location of the NCAA tournament varied from year to year, and it soon used multiple locations each year, so more fans could see games without traveling to New York. Although the NIT was created earlier and was more prestigious than the NCAA for many years, it ultimately lost popularity and status to the NCAA Tournament. In 1950, following a double win by the 1949–50 CCNY Beavers men's basketball team (when the NIT comprised 12 and the NCAA 8 teams), the NCAA ruled that no team could compete in both tournaments, and effectively indicated that a team eligible for the NCAA tournament should play in it.[12] Not long afterward, assisted by the 1951 scandals based in New York City, the NCAA tournament had become more prestigious than before, with conference champions and the majority of top-ranked teams competing there.[13] The NCAA tournament eventually overtook the NIT by 1960. Through the 1960s and 1970s, with UCLA leading the way as winner of ten NCAA Tournament championships, a shift in power to teams from the west amplified the shift of attention away from the New York City-based NIT. When the NCAA tournament expanded its field of teams from 25 to 32 in 1975, to 48 in 1980, to 64 in 1985, and to 68 teams in 2011, interest in the NCAA tournament increased again and again, as it comprised more and more teams, soon including all of the strongest ones. (Expansion also improved the distribution of playing locations, which number roughly one-third the number of teams in the field.)

In 2011, the NCAA field expanded to 68 teams and the last 8 teams playing for four spots making the field into 64, which is called the first round and so on. The former first round is called the second round, the second round is called the third round, and the Sweet Sixteen is the same, but it is technically the fourth round in the current format, etc.[14]

In 2016, the field did not expand, but the round numbers changed again. The first four games containing the last 8 teams is now referred to as the first four. Consequently, the first round does not start until the first four games are out of the way and the field is narrowed to 64 teams. So after the first four games the first round starts instead of that being the second round. The Second is now when there are 32 teams left, the sweet sixteen is the third round, and so on.[15]

In 2020, for the first time in the NCAA's history, the tournament had to be canceled due to fears of the COVID-19 pandemic. This move was done largely out of fear of the virus spreading to players and watchers, with prior attempts to limit the spread without canceling by first choosing to limit attendees, and then canceling the tournament in its entirety.[16]

The cancellation of the tournament, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, led to a lot of uncertainty for the coaches, players, and NCAA as a whole. Many people were very disappointed and had wished it was just delayed, rather than completely being cancelled. Unfortunately, this pandemic really effected the seniors on the teams, considering their last season just got abruptly taken from them. The NCAA did consider granting waivers to the student athletes who participated in winter sports (including basketball) so that they could regain eligibility for the 2021 season. However, many of the seniors were projected to be picked in the NBA draft, so this led to the difficult decision of playing one more year with their college teammates or moving on to the big stage.

In 2021, the tournament was able to take place, and the teams were so ready to be back. Baylor was the Men's 2021 NCAA Champions. In 2022, Kansas won the tournament, defeating North Carolina in the championship. For the women's competition, the 2021 champions were Stanford, who defeated Arizona in a very close game.[17] In 2022, the women's NCAA champions was South Carolina, defeating UConn in the championship. LSU's women and UConn's men were the 2023 national champions, defeating Iowa and San Diego State, respectively, in the championship games.[18]
National Invitation Tournament (NIT)
Main article: National Invitation Tournament
This section is an excerpt from National Invitation Tournament.[edit]

The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country which are selected annually. From its founding in 1938 to 2022, the semifinals and finals were always played at Madison Square Garden (MSG) in New York City. Predating the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament by one year, the NIT was considered the most prestigious post-season showcase for college basketball before its status was superseded in the mid-1950s by the NCAA tournament.[19][20]

A second, much more recent "NIT" tournament is played in November and known as the NIT Season Tip-Off. Formerly the "Preseason NIT" (and still sometimes referred to as such colloquially), it was founded in 1985. Unlike the postseason NIT, its final rounds are played at Madison Square Garden. Both tournaments were operated by the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Basketball Association (MIBA) until 2005, when they were purchased by the NCAA,[21] and the MIBA disbanded.
Unless otherwise qualified, the terms National Invitation Tournament or NIT refer to the post-season tournament in both common and official use.
Racial integration

Racial integration of all-white collegiate sports teams was high on the regional agenda in the 1950s and 1960s. These issues included inequality, racism, and the alumni demand for the top players needed to win high-profile games. The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) took the lead. "College basketball data allow for direct comparisons of the racial differences in the marginal revenues generated by players" (Brown and Jewell 1995). First they started to schedule integrated teams from the North. The wake-up call came in 1966 when Don Haskins's Texas Western College team with five black starters defeated the all-white University of Kentucky team to win the NCAA national basketball championship.[22] This happened at a time when there weren't any black varsity basketball players in either the Southeastern Conference or the Southwest Conference. Finally ACC schools—typically under pressure from boosters and civil rights groups—integrated their teams.[23][24] With an alumni base that dominated local and state politics, society and business, the ACC flagship schools were successful in their endeavor—as Pamela Grundy argues, they had learned how to win:

    The widespread admiration that athletic ability inspired would help transform athletic fields from grounds of symbolic play to forces for social change, places where a wide range of citizens could publicly and at times effectively challenge the assumptions that cast them as unworthy of full participation in U.S. society. While athletic successes would not rid society of prejudice or stereotype—black athletes would continue to confront racial slurs...[minority star players demonstrated] the discipline, intelligence, and poise to contend for position or influence in every arena of national life.[25]

Suspension of Yale University

In 1969, for the first time, the NCAA Council did not permit participation by American college basketball players in the Maccabiah Games. The Maccabiah Games are an international multi-sport event held in Israel, open to all Jewish athletes from around the world, and to all Israeli citizens regardless of their religion. In 1961 the Games were declared a "Regional Sports Event" by, and under the auspices and supervision of, the International Olympic Committee.[26][27] The NCAA failed to permit such participation by American college basketball players despite the fact that it had permitted such participation in the past and continued to permit participation by American college athletes in other Maccabiah Games sports, such as swimming, track, fencing, and soccer.[28][29][30][31]

Basketball was different, however. In that the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) – with which the NCAA was locked in a bitter power struggle – was for the first time organizing the Team USA basketball team for the Maccabiah Games, a role that had formerly been held by the NCAA.[31][32] NCAA executive director Walter Byers, whom the Harvard Crimson described as "power-mad" and others described as a "petty tyrant", headed the NCAA and was involved in the decision.[33][34][35][28][31] The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), an affiliate of the NCAA, followed the NCAA's orders on sanctions.[29] The New York Times reported that the failure of the NCAA to permit such participation in Maccabiah basketball was believed "to stem from the N.C.A.A.'s feud with the Amateur Athletic Union over control of [amateur] athletes."[29][30] Author Leonard Shecter called the NCAA decision a "classic example of NCAA stupidity".[36]

In 1969—against the wishes of the NCAA—Yale University Jewish center Jack Langer played for Team United States at the 1969 Maccabiah Games in Israel. He did so with the approval of Yale President Kingman Brewster, the university said it would not stop Langer from "what we feel is a matter of religious freedom," and all Ivy League presidents fully endorsed Yale's stand. Thereafter, Yale played Langer in basketball games the following season.[37][29] A special assistant to the President of Yale, Henry Chauncey Jr., said: "There is no question that Jack Langer will continue to play basketball. We don't care what they do - Jack Langer will play when the coach wants to use him."[38] On January 15, 1970, the NCAA Council placed Yale University on two‐year "full athletic probation" in all sports.[39] It thereby restricted Yale teams and athletes (not just basketball players) for two years from competing in NCAA tournaments, championships and other postseason competitions, and from receiving any monies for televised events.[40][30][39][41] The decision impacted 300 Yale students, every Yale student on its sports teams, over the next two years.[42]

The Presidents of the other seven Ivy League schools issued a statement condemning the NCAA's actions in regard to the "Langer Case".[38] The Harvard Crimson called the probation "not only unjust, but intolerable", and urged the Ivy League to withdraw from the NCAA.[31] Harvard track and field captain Ed Nosal and two other Harvard athletes, sympathetic to Langer and Yale and disdainful of the absurdity of the NCAA rule, protested at the 1970 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships by standing on the awards stand wearing blue Yale jerseys.[43] In February 1970, Representative Robert N. Giaimo (D-Connecticut) said in the U.S. Congress:

    The Yale case, involving basketball player Jack Langer, is tragic. It shows that the NCAA is willing to use any weapon in its continuing power struggle with the Amateur Athletic Union. It shows that the NCAA does not care if it hurts member institutions or individual athletes in the process. It shows once again that the NCAA is ... under the control of a stubborn, dictatorial hierarchy that does not hesitate to use athletes and schools alike as mere pawns in a game of power politics.[44]

Original rules

The original rules for basketball were very different from today's modern rules of the sport, including the use of eight players per side. James Naismith established 13 original rules:

    The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
    The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist.
    A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, with allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed.
    The ball must be held by the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.
    No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking, or tripping in any way of an opponent is allowed. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitution shall be allowed.
    A foul will be called when a player is seen striking at the ball with the fist, or when violations of rules 3 and 4 and such as described in rule 5 have been made.
    If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents ("consecutive" means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul).
    A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.
    When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.
    The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to rule 5.
    The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals, with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
    The time shall be two fifteen-minute halves, with five minutes rest between.
    The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner.

History of NCAA basketball rule changes

The following is a list of some of the major NCAA Basketball rule changes with the year they went into effect.[45][46]
Season     Rule Change
1891–92     The first set of rules is created.
1900–01     A dribbler may not shoot for a field goal and may dribble only once, and then with two hands.
1908–09     A dribbler is permitted to shoot. The dribble is defined as the "continuous passage of the ball", making the double dribble illegal.
Players are disqualified upon committing their fourth personal foul (women).
1910–11     Players are disqualified upon committing their fourth personal foul (men).
No coaching is allowed during the progress of the game by anybody connected with either team. A warning is given for the first violation and a free throw is awarded after that.
1917–18     Players are disqualified upon committing their fifth personal foul (women only).
1920–21     The basket is moved to two feet from the baseline. Previously the players could climb the padded wall to get closer to the basket (with the new rule the wall is out of bounds).
A player can re-enter a game once. Before this rule, if a player left the game, he could not re-enter for the rest of the game.
1921–22     Running with the ball was changed from a foul to a violation.
1923–24     The player fouled must shoot his own free throws. Before this rule, one person usually shot all the free throws for a team.
1928–29     The charging foul by the dribbler is introduced.
1930–31     A held ball may be called when a closely guarded player is withholding the ball from play for 5 seconds.
1932–33     The 10-second (mid-court) line is introduced to reduce stalling (men only).
No player with the ball may stand in the free throw lane for more than 3 seconds.
1933–34     A player may re-enter a game twice.
1935–36     No offensive player (with or without the ball) may stand in the free throw lane for more than 3 seconds.
1937–38     The center jump after every made basket is eliminated.
1938–39     The ball will be thrown in from out of bounds at mid-court by the team shooting a free throw after a technical foul. Previously, the ball was put into play by a center jump after the technical free throw.
1939–40     Teams have the option of taking a free throw or taking the ball at midcourt.
1942–43     Any player who has yet to foul out will be allowed to receive a fifth foul in overtime.
1944–45     Defensive goaltending is banned.
Five personal fouls disqualifies a player; no extra foul is permitted in overtime (men).
Unlimited substitution is allowed.
Offensive players cannot stand in the free throw lane for more than 3 seconds.
1948–49     Coaches are allowed to speak to players during a timeout.
1951–52     Games are to be played in four 10-minute quarters. Previously it was two 20-minute halves.
1952–53     Teams can no longer waive free throws and take the ball at midcourt.
1954–55     The one-and-one free throw is introduced allowing a player to take a second free throw if the first one is made.
Games return to two 20-minute halves.
1955–56     The two-shot penalty in existence for the last 3 minutes of each half is eliminated; the one-and-one free throw exists for the whole game.
1956–57     The free-throw lane is increased from 6 feet to 12 feet in width.
On the lineup for a free throw, the two spaces adjacent to the end line must be occupied by opponents of the shooter. In the past, one space was marked 'H' for the home team, and one 'V' for the visitors.
Grasping the rim is ruled unsportsmanlike conduct.
1957–58     Offensive goaltending is now banned.
One free throw for each common foul for the first six personal fouls in a half, and the one-and-one is used thereafter.
1967–68     The dunk is made illegal during the game and during warmups.
1969–70     Women's basketball introduces the five-player full-court game on an experimental basis.
1971–72     The five-player full-court game becomes mandatory for women's basketball.
The 30-second shot clock is introduced (women only).
1972–73     The free throw on the common foul for the first six personal fouls in a half is eliminated.
An official can charge a technical foul on a player for unsportsmanlike conduct if the official deems the player 'flopped' to get a charging call.
Freshmen are now eligible to play varsity basketball.
1973–74     Officials can now penalize players away from the ball for fouls for acts such as holding, grabbing and illegal screens.
1976–77     The dunk is made legal again.
1981–82     The jump ball is eliminated except for the start of the game and overtime if necessary. An alternating arrow will indicate possession of the ball in jump-ball situations in a game (men only).
1982–83     When a closely guarded player is guarded for 5 seconds, a jump ball is no longer required. Instead a turnover is created and the ball goes to the other team.
1983–84     Two free throws are issued if a foul occurs in the last two minutes of a half or in overtime (men only). This rule was rescinded a month into the season, before the start of conference play.
1984–85     A new, smaller ball ("size 6"; 28.5 inches circumference, 18 ounces) is introduced for women's play.
1985–86     The 45-second shot clock is introduced for men's play.
If a shooter is intentionally fouled and the basket is missed, the shooter will get two free throws and the team will get possession of the ball.
1986–87     A three-point shot was introduced, with the line a uniform 19 feet 9 inches (6.02 m) from the center of the basket. Mandatory for men's basketball; experimental for women's.
The men's alternating possession rule is extended to the women's game.
1987–88     The men's three-point line was made mandatory for women's basketball.
Each intentional personal foul gives the non-fouling team two free throws and possession of the ball (men only).
The NCAA adopts a single rule book for men's and women's basketball for the first time, although some rules differ between the sexes to this day.
1988–89     The men's rule regarding intentional fouls is extended to the women's game.
1990–91     Beginning with a team's 10th foul in a half, two free throws (the so-called "double bonus") are to be awarded for each non-shooting personal foul on the defense, and each loose-ball foul (men only).
Three free throws are awarded when a shooter is fouled from three-point range and misses the shot (both men and women).
1993–94     The men's shot clock is reduced from 45 seconds to 35 seconds.
The game clock will be stopped with successful baskets in the last minute of each half and in the last minute of overtime, with no substitution permitted. The 5-second rule regarding closely guarded players is eliminated.
1994–95     Scoring is restricted to a tap-in when 0.3 seconds or less remains on the game clock (men and women).
1997–98     The 5-second rule regarding closely guarded players is reinstated.
Timeouts can be made by players on the court or the head coach.
The "double bonus" introduced to the men's game in 1990 is extended to the women's game.
1998–99     In a held ball situation initiated by the defense, the defense shall gain possession of the ball regardless of the possession arrow.
1999–2000     The held ball rule from 1998 to 1999 was rescinded.
Maximum of five players occupying lane spaces during free throws in women's play (two from the shooting team, three from the defending team).
2000–01     In women's play only, if the defending team commits a foul during a throw-in after a made basket or free throw, the team putting the ball in play retains the right to run the end line during the subsequent throw-in.
2001–02     In women's play, six players now allowed in lane spaces (four defenders, two offensive players). Additionally, the defensive players nearest the basket are now required to line up in the second space from the basket.
2005–06     Kicked balls will no longer reset the shot clock. If the violation occurs with less than 15 seconds, the clock will be reset to 15 seconds.
2006–07     A timeout called by an airborne player falling out of bounds will not be recognized.
2007–08     The women's rule regarding lane alignment during free throws (maximum of four defenders and two offensive players, with the nearest defenders on the second space from the basket) is extended to the men's game.
2008–09     Three-point arc extended to 20 feet 9 inches (6.32 m) from the center of the basket for men's play only.
Referees may use instant replay to determine if a flagrant foul has been committed and who started the incident.
When the entire ball is over the level of the basket during a shot and touches the backboard, it is a goaltending violation if the ball is subsequently touched, even if still moving upward.
2011–12     Women's three-point arc extended to match men's arc.
Restricted area arc created 3 feet from the center of the basket (men and women). When an offensive player makes contact with a defender who establishes position within this area, the resulting foul is blocking on the defender.
2013–14     10-second backcourt rule introduced (women only).
Any timeout called within the 30 seconds preceding a scheduled media timeout break replaces the media timeout (women only).
2015–16     The men's shot clock changed to 30 seconds, making it identical to the women's shot clock.
Coaches prohibited from calling timeouts from the bench in live-ball situations; players remain free to do so.
Restricted area arc extended from 3 feet to 4 feet from the center of the basket (men only).
Dunks are permitted during warm-ups.
Number of timeouts for each team reduced from 5 to 4.
Women's basketball changed from 20-minute halves to 10-minute quarters.
In women's basketball, bonus free throws come into effect on the fifth team foul in a quarter; all bonus free throw situations result in two free throws.
The women's rule regarding timeouts within 30 seconds of a scheduled media timeout was extended to the men's game.
2016–17     Coaches allowed to call timeouts from the bench during inbounds plays before the pass is released.
2017–18     Men only: The shot clock will be reset to 20 seconds, or the amount remaining on the shot clock if greater, when the ball is inbounded in the frontcourt after (1) a defensive foul or (2) a deliberate kick or fisting of the ball by the defense.
Men only: If an injured player is unable to shoot free throws as the result of a flagrant foul, or if the player is bleeding, only his substitute can shoot the ensuing free throws.
Men only: When the ball is legally touched inbounds and an official immediately signals a clock stoppage, a minimum of 0.3 seconds must elapse on the game clock.
Men only: A player dunking the ball may hold onto the rim to prevent injury to himself or another player, even if it would result in another violation.
Women only: No new 10-second backcourt count awarded if the team in possession is granted and charged a timeout.
Women's basketball adopted the men's 4-foot restricted area arc.
Women only: Abandoned the "flagrant-1" and "flagrant-2" foul designations in favor of the FIBA standard of "unsportsmanlike" and "disqualifying" fouls. The new "unsportsmanlike" designation now includes contact dead-ball technicals.
2019–20     Men and women:[47][48]

    For men's basketball, the three-point arc was extended to the FIBA distance of 6.75 meters (22 ft 2 in) from the center of the basket and 6.6 meters (21 ft 8 in) in the corners. This change took immediate effect in Division I, and will take effect in Divisions II and III in 2020–21. In women's basketball, the FIBA arc was planned be used as an experimental rule in postseason events apart from the NCAA championships (such as the WNIT and WBI), but none of these events were held in 2020.
    After an offensive rebound in the frontcourt, the shot clock resets to 20 seconds, regardless of the amount of time remaining on the shot clock.

Men only:

    Coaches are once again able to call live-ball timeouts from the bench, but only in the last 2 minutes of regulation time or the last 2 minutes of any overtime.
    The list of calls reviewable by instant replay expanded to include basket interference and goaltending, but only in the last 2 minutes of regulation time or the last 2 minutes of any overtime.
    Technical fouls will be assessed for derogatory comments on an opponent's race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation or disability.

Women only:

    The shot clock reset rule on defensive fouls and certain defensive violations adopted in the men's game in 2017–18 was extended to the women's game.
    After any technical foul, the non-fouling team is awarded the ball at midcourt.
    A player who receives one technical and one unsportsmanlike foul in the same game is automatically ejected.
    If referees are at the replay monitor to review an unsportsmanlike or contact disqualifying foul, they can address any other acts of misconduct during the sequence being reviewed.

2022-23     The three-point line was moved from twenty feet and nine inches to 22 feet 1.75 inches.[49] The women's line stayed the same distance.

The shot clock will change to only 20 seconds on any offensive rebound.

Players are assessed a Class B technical foul for a flop (men only).[50]
One-and-done and suspension rule

The one-and-done rule has been a part of college basketball since 2006, the first NBA draft it affected. The rule was created by NBA Commissioner, David Stern, which changed the draft age from 18 years old to 19 years old. This change meant players could not be drafted into the NBA straight out of high school. Instead, however, they usually went to a college to play only one season before entering the following NBA draft when they were eligible, hence the name one-and-done. The first player to be drafted during this "one-and-done era" was Tyrus Thomas, a forward out of Louisiana State, who was drafted fourth overall in 2006.Along with the one and done rule, they also added the rule of players not being allowed to participate in any professional or NBA camps or activities until they are officially done with college basketball, and if any one is to break this rule it results in a one-game suspension.[51]
Conferences
NCAA Division I
See also: NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, and List of NCAA Division I men's basketball champions

In 2025–26, a total of 364 schools (including those transitioning from a lower NCAA division to Division I) will play men's basketball in 31 Division I basketball conferences. All of these schools also sponsor women's basketball except The Citadel and VMI, two military colleges that were all-male until the 1990s and remain overwhelmingly male today.

The conferences for 2025–26 are
A map of all NCAA Division I basketball teams

    America East Conference
    American Athletic Conference
    Atlantic 10 Conference
    Atlantic Coast Conference
    Atlantic Sun Conference
    Big 12 Conference
    Big East Conference
    Big Sky Conference
    Big South Conference
    Big Ten Conference
    Big West Conference
    Coastal Athletic Association
    Conference USA
    Horizon League
    Ivy League
    Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
    Mid-American Conference
    Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
    Missouri Valley Conference
    Mountain West Conference
    Northeast Conference
    Ohio Valley Conference
    Pac-12 Conference[a]
    Patriot League
    Southeastern Conference
    Southern Conference
    Southland Conference
    Southwestern Athletic Conference
    Sun Belt Conference
    Summit League
    West Coast Conference
    Western Athletic Conference

Notes

    Inactive for the 2025–26 season. Its remaining two members will play the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons as affiliate members of the West Coast Conference.

In the early decades of college basketball, and well into the 1970s, many schools played as independents, with no conference membership. However, the rise of televised college sports in the 1980s led to the formation of many new conferences and the expansion of previously existing conferences. There are currently no Division I independent schools. The most recent D-I independent was Chicago State, which joined the Northeast Conference for the 2024–25 season.
NCAA Division II
See also: NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament and NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament

As of the 2025–26 college basketball season, there are 23 Division II basketball conferences:
A map of all NCAA Division II basketball teams

    California Collegiate Athletic Association
    Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference
    Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
    Conference Carolinas
    East Coast Conference
    Great American Conference
    Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
    Great Lakes Valley Conference
    Great Midwest Athletic Conference
    Great Northwest Athletic Conference
    Gulf South Conference
    Lone Star Conference
    Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
    Mountain East Conference
    Northeast-10 Conference
    Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
    Pacific West Conference
    Peach Belt Conference
    Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
    Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
    South Atlantic Conference
    Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
    Sunshine State Conference

There are currently four independent Division II schools without conference affiliations for the 2025–26 season: Salem, UPR-Rio Piedras, UPR-Mayaguez, and UPR-Bayamon; the latter three also maintain dual membership in both the Liga Atlética Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico as well as NCAA Division II.

The most recent change in the list of Division II conferences is the demise of the Heartland Conference, which disbanded at the end of the 2018–19 school year. In 2017, eight of its nine members announced a mass exodus to the Lone Star Conference (LSC) effective in 2019. The remaining member would soon announce that it would become a de facto member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), and one of the original eight schools to announce a move to the LSC later changed course and chose to become a de facto MIAA member as well.
NCAA Division III
See also: NCAA Division III men's basketball tournament and NCAA Division III women's basketball tournament

    Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference
    American Rivers Conference
    American Southwest Conference
    Atlantic East Conference
    Centennial Conference
    City University of New York Athletic Conference
    Coast to Coast Athletic Conference
    College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
    Collegiate Conference of the South
    Conference of New England
    Empire 8 Conference
    Great Northeast Athletic Conference
    Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
    Landmark Conference
    Liberty League
    Little East Conference
    MAC Commonwealth[a]
    MAC Freedom[a]
    Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference
    Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
    Midwest Conference
    Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
    New England Small College Athletic Conference
    New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference
    New Jersey Athletic Conference
    North Atlantic Conference
    North Coast Athletic Conference
    Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference
    Northwest Conference
    Ohio Athletic Conference
    Old Dominion Athletic Conference
    Presidents' Athletic Conference
    St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
    Skyline Conference
    Southern Athletic Association
    Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
    Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
    State University of New York Athletic Conference
    United East Conference
    University Athletic Association
    Upper Midwest Athletic Conference
    USA South Athletic Conference
    Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

There are currently two independent Division III schools without conference affiliations for the 2025–26 season: Maranatha Baptist and Trinity Washington.

Notes

    One of the three leagues operated by the Middle Atlantic Conferences (MAC).

The most recent changes to the roster of D-III conferences came in 2023. The New England Collegiate Conference, which had been decimated earlier in the decade by the closure of several of its member schools and conference realignment in Division III, disbanded as an all-sports conference. (It remains in operation for men's volleyball and the non-NCAA esports.) The Colonial States Athletic Conference and United East Conference merged after the 2022–23 season under the United East banner. The last previous change came in 2020, when the American Collegiate Athletic Association merged into the Capital Athletic Conference, with the merged entity soon renaming itself the Coast to Coast Athletic Conference.

Since its introduction in 1973, Division III has always had the lowest share of Black coaches. As of 2015, less than 10% of the coaches in Division III were black (compared to around 20% in Division II and 25% in Division I).[52]
NAIA
See also: NAIA Men's Basketball Championships and NAIA Women's Basketball Championships

From 1992 to 2020, the NAIA operated separate Division I and Division II men's and women's basketball championships; the distinction between the two divisions was that D-I schools awarded basketball scholarships while D-II schools chose not to. Basketball divisions were abolished after the 2019–20 season, and single men's and women's championships have been held since then.
Map of NAIA Division I
Map of NAIA Division II

    American Midwest Conference (AMC)
    Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC)
    California Pacific Conference (CalPac)
    Cascade Collegiate Conference
    Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC)
    Continental Athletic Conference (CAC)
    Crossroads League (CL)
    Frontier Conference
    Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC)
    Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC)
    HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC)
    Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC)
    Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC)
    Mid-South Conference (MSC)
    Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC)
    River States Conference (RSC)
    Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC)
    Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC)
    The Sun Conference (TSC)
    Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC)

National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Divisions I and II
See also: National Christian College Athletic Association

    Central Region
    East Region
    Mid-East Region
    Mid-West Region
    North Central Region
    South Region
    Southwest Region
    West Region

National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Divisions I, II, and III
See also: National Junior College Athletic Association, NJCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, NJCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship, NJCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship, and NJCAA Women's Basketball Championship

    Alabama Community College Conference
    Arizona Community College Athletic Conference
    Arrowhead Conference
    Bi-State Conference
    Carolinas Junior College Conference
    Colorado Community College Athletic Conference
    Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference
    Garden State Athletic Conference
    Georgia Junior College Athletic Association
    Great Rivers Athletic Conference
    Illinois Skyway Conference
    Iowa Community College Athletic Conference
    Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference
    Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference
    Massachusetts Community College Athletic Association
    Metro Athletic Conference
    Michigan Community College Athletic Association
    Mid-Florida Conference
    Mid Hudson Conference
    Mid-State Athletic Conference
    Mid-West Athletic Conference
    Minnesota College Athletic Conference
    Mississippi Association of Community & Junior Colleges
    MISS-LOU Junior College Conference
    Missouri Community College Athletic Conference
    Mon-Dak Conference
    Mountain Valley Conference
    NJCAA Region 9
    North Central Community College Conference
    North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference
    Northeast Football Conference
    Ohio Community College Athletic Conference
    Panhandle Conference
    Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association
    Scenic West Athletic Conference
    Southern Conference
    Southwest Junior College Conference
    Southwest Junior College Football Conference
    Suncoast Conference
    Tennessee Junior and Community College Athletic Association
    Western Junior College Athletic Conference
    Western New York Athletic Conference
    Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference
    Western States Football League
    Wyoming Community College Athletic Conference

California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA)
See also: California Community College Athletic Association

    Bay Valley Conference
    Big 8 Conference (California)
    Central Valley Conference
    Coast Conference
    Foothill Athletic Conference
    Golden Valley Conference
    Orange Empire Conference
    Pacific Coast Athletic Conference (CCCAA)
    South Coast Conference
    Western State Conference

United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA)
See also: United States Collegiate Athletic Association

    Eastern Metro Athletic Conference
    Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
    Northeastern Intercollegiate Athletics Conference
    Penn State University Athletic Conference
    Yankee Small College Conference

Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC)
See also: Northwest Athletic Conference

    Northern Region
    Southern Region
    Eastern Region
    Western Region

Association of Christian College Athletics (ACCA)
See also: Association of Christian College Athletics

    Midwest Christian College Conference

Independent conferences