Michigan Football Victors' Walk

Wolverines, Fans Delight in Revival of Old Tradition

Sep 10, 2008

Amid many other changes, the University of Michigan football program brings an old tradition back to life this fall by reintroducing the Victors' Walk.

With so many changes surrounding the University of Michigan football team this fall, Wolverine fans can take comfort in knowing that certain traditions are alive and well. Even traditions that have been dead for years.

The Victors' Walk returns as a U-M pre-game ritual this fall, giving fans the opportunity to interact up-close with new coach Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan players (click here to see the Wolverine's 2009 recruiting class). Reviving a tradition that once lived when coaches Bo Schembechler and before him Bump Elliott roamed the sidelines, the Michigan football team now makes a 200-yard walk across campus and into The Big House two hours prior to every home game.

Buses drop the team off near Crisler Arena, just each of Michigan Stadium, and fans are invited to line the path the team will walk to stadium. Members of the Michigan marching band lead the way.

The return of a tradition, even one that many Wolverine fans were never aware existed, is a welcome one, particularly in the face of other traditions fading. The arrival of Rodriguez this year, the first non-"Michigan Man" to lead the Wolverines in decades, rubbed many fans the wrong way, as did his announcement that he is doing away with the team's tradition of reserving the No. 1 jersey for a standout wide receiver. Add in the fact that The Big House itself is undergoing a renovation project that will forever change its appearance (suites are among the ongoing additions), and it's no wonder many Michigan fans were ripe for a dose of Michigan football history.

The Victors' Walk began in the 1960s under Elliott, and was continued under Schembechler until it faded away in the early '70s. Plans to revive it, according to the university, were underway prior to the signing of Rodriguez as the successor to former Coach Lloyd Carr, but Rodriguez gave the new custom his full support during the team's home opener against Utah and again a week later when Miami of Ohio came calling. The players, too, have so far seemed in favor of the new pre-game custom. Fans who wish to get an up-close look at the Michigan players and coaches can look for the Victors' Walk in each of the Wolverines' remaining home games.

The copyright of the article Michigan Football Victors' Walk in College Football is owned by Ken Welsch. Permission to republish Michigan Football Victors' Walk in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.