Go Blue: Competition, Controversy, and Community in Michigan Athletics

Today, sports at the University of Michigan are big business and sometimes big controversy. Inspired by these developments, the researchers of this year’s Michigan in the World project have taken a critical look at the history of sports at U-M. Along the way, we have attempted to address questions such as how athletics have contributed to what we now call diversity, equity, and inclusion, why athletic priorities have shaped the allocation of resources within the university, and how sports have contributed to a sense of community that extends well beyond the Michigan campus to include alumni and residents of the state who may never have set foot in Ann Arbor.

“Go Blue: Competition, Controversy, and Community in Michigan Athletics” is part of Michigan in the World (MITW), a paid undergraduate internship program where students develop online public exhibitions about the history of the University of Michigan and its relationships with the wider world. MITW is coordinated by the U-M History Department in partnership with the Bentley Historical Library and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. 

Project Team

Bentley Michigan in the World Fellows: Meghan Clark, Dominic Coschino, Jacob Myers, Reine Patterson, Will Sherman, Avi Sholkoff

Faculty Coordinator: Michelle McClellan

Graduate Student Supervisors: Nora Krinitsky, Andres Pletch

Public Engagement Manager: Gregory Parker