Ever have a conflict between a big U-M game and a major life event (birth, marriage, funeral, etc.)? We posted a question to Facebook and inCircle and heard many great stories. It turns out it is a familiar conflict for U-M alumni.
Submit your story about this topic.
Also: Check out other recent fan questions.
Read the late fall 2011 issue of Michigan Alumnus magazine, which includes a write-up of some of the best stories here.
Alumni stories
Tanya Juarez Lundberg
Yes. A friend got married during the 2005 UM v Penn State game. Luckily we just showed up for the wedding around 10 pm. Would have HATED to miss that game!! Go Blue :)
Scott W. Snyder Jr.
My wedding reception was during the Michigan vs Norte Dame game in 2009. My friends and I watched the game while the women were on the dance floor dancing. It was a great game, and I’m glad I was able to watch it! GO BLUE!!
Lisa DeMore Rudolph
Well, I scheduled my wedding for a football bye week. Also, my first son was born November 24, awfully close to a particularily important football game. He was induced, so we made sure to schedule accordingly. My doctor didn’t mind, however. He also is a Michigan alum.
Brian DrivesaChevy Kaminski Jr.
yeah my Mom’s birthday is the fourth weekend in september and I missed her 50th birthday to attend my 6 years in a row of every football game. We always seem to have a home game on that 4th september saturday, oy vey!
Kay Crawford VandenBosch
This past December, we had tickets for the outdoor UM hockey game. Then came a wedding invitation for that day, then notice of husband’s union Christmas party on that day and, finally, granddaughter announced that she was graduating from college that day – in Grand Rapids! Guess you know we went to Grand Rapids . . .
Nicholas Jay Casarez
I got lucky. My wife (an MSU alum) and I (a UofM alum) got married last October on the weekend of the UofM vs. MSU game. We held the ceremony/reception on Friday and then tailgated and went to the game Saturday. It was a lot of fun and our friends definitely approved! Worst part: Michigan lost. Best part: it was her idea. I guess the only real conflict here was our view on the outcome of the game. I joked that we would have to get an annulment and redo the weekend in a couple years!
Theresa Parks Stager
We are turning our wedding into a UM/MSU party. My kids got the chicken pox before our last reception, we moved it to our only available weekend (the BIG weekend.) My husband (a Spartan alum) is very much looking forward to it, as am I!
Bobby Jones
what do you mean, conflict? Of course the big game takes precedent!
Josh Daunt
My sister got married the day of the UM-MSU triple overtime game. All the guys were downstairs in the bar watching the OTs and right after Braylon’s catch I got dragged upstairs for the dances.
Laura Ambrook Redmond
Gave birth 2 days before the scheduled game on Sept 15. Wasn’t planning to go but then it was re-scheduled due to 9/11.
Courtney Cagnon Jorgensen
We got married on Game Day 2005 UM-ND. We are a divided house, so the guys were in the backroom of the church with a 13” black and white tv, watching the game. They didn’t walk down the aisle til the game ended. Haha!
Brian Bartlett
Of several the best was Iowa 2004. A sister-in-law was getting married. My wife stood up in the wedding. My daughter was flower girl; my son an usher. A friend offered his “Watchman” for the day. I said “I don’t think the wedding is televised” and went to the Big House.
Art Bartell
In the summer of 1976, as a Junior Army ROTC Cadet, I attended the US Army Paratrooper school and earned my Parachutist Badge…Upon return to Ann Arbor for my Senior year, I gave all my friends, including my girlfriend, grief about being “Legs” – Army slang for non-paratroopers. My girlfriend was not impressed that I had exited an airplane in flight so she decided to jump with the Michigan Skydiving Club in Tecumseh, MI – on Sat, 2 Oct 1976 – Home game against Wake Forest! I had never missed a home game and wasn’t going to start then so I went to the game instead of going to watch her jump… We won 31-0 and she survived the jump… Guess she wasn’t too upset with me – she agreed to marry me three years later and we’ve now been married for 32 years!! Go Blue!!!
Sandra Keene
It was November 22, 1969, the opening shot in the Ten Year War between Bo and Woody. I was a Junior. I had to have major abdominal surgery and my doctor insisted I be admitted to Sinai Hospital in Detroit for my mid-week surgery. I sat downstairs in the waiting room and watched the game on their TV. Oh, and November 22 just happens to be my birthday.
Bridgette Sass Botten
During the Rose Bowl in 2005, I was 35 weeks pregnant. We had to go to the game. The best part was that due to the flooding, it was difficult to find parking. I had to hike up a very steep hill. People would say “Look, honey, she’s doing it. So can you.”
Jennifer Steben
Our twins were born opening game day of the 2009 season. I went into labor right before kick off and had them at Mott. Go Blue!
Holly Hancock
My Grandmother was slowing fading away in 06 labor day weekend. When I said goodbye to her, she told me not to miss opening day. She passed away on that Sunday when I was driving home. She didn’t want me to miss my maize and blue.
Kelly French
This does not compare at all to births or deaths, but my sister got married the same day as the 2001 Michigan-Penn State game AND the first outdoor hockey game between Michigan and Michigan State. I was unable to see any of the football game, but caught the closing minutes of the hockey game on tv during the reception.
Julianne J. Schmidt
My husband and I were married October 8, 1988. (Michigan vs MSU) He tried to convince me he’d make it home “in plenty of time” for the wedding, but ended up having to settle for watching most of the game pre-wedding and a final score announcement at the end of the ceremony. We’re both Michigan grads and Michigan won—a great day all in all.
Leslie Fair Clay
I gave birth to my first son during the Oklahoma State game in 1992. We won! The Drs were all turning periodically to look at the game. He was born in U of M Hospital.
Barbara Hall Jones
Missed a MI game when my boss died from severe burns caused by a propane gas explosion in his home and his funeral was the day of a game, but on the lighter side, have attended many a wedding receiption in my MI garb/
Toni Ausum
We have two big family events both involving National Championships. First, our youngest, now a Wolverine at the UofM Dental school, was born on Mar 24, 1989. My memory isn’t clear, but I remember watching games in the hospital on those old fashioned little TVs that hung over the bed. I remember being in bed watching basketball all day Saturday. The next day our baby girl came home, we won the NCAA championship a week later. My husband and our oldest attended the rally. I was such a fan and missed celebrating.
Toni Ausum
The second story involves the 1997 football team. My father in law died Nov 20, 1997 and due to family work and travel considerations, his funeral was scheduled for the following Saturday. Whoops, OSU vs M would kickoff at the same time as the service. The family is full of Wolverine grads and fans,and there weren’t smart phones, so during the service people feigned bathroom runs, went out to their cars to listen and would update the score via note. He couldn’t be buried until Monday, so we drove to the cemetery making Rose Bowl reservations on our cell phone. Two/four next generation families attended and had a delightful time!
Nancy Pickus
My husband passed away December 29th—the day before Michigan was to play in the Holiday Bowl and my son was scheduled to appear as drum major with the marching band. My son went on and gave the performance of his life in tribute to his dad who had urged him to go to the bowl game knowing what was in store.
Chris Stevens
going to IRAQ and missing the one between those idiots down south.
Aaron M Quantz
Never a conflict, the game comes first.
Lowell White
Back in the mid ’80s I was big time into Civil War reenacting. One September I had the choice of attending the Michigan vs Notre Dame game, attending the wedding of a good friend or taking part In a big reenactment at Jackson MI. I Sold the tickets to a co-worker (and taped the game and watched it later) I skipped the wedding and went to the reenactment. If I had it to do over I would have attended the wedding.
Valerie Windrow Lattimore
I know an alum who had the game on in the room immediately after his son’s birth.
Chris Gale Booher
My brother in law is getting married on the first night game against Notre Dame. The kicker is he has been dating her for 12 years! Aagh….
Deborah Wardell Noble
I recently posted on FB that any events, weddings, showers, births and deaths had to be scheduled for Sundays because my Saturdays will be spent at MI Football games!
Deborah Wardell Noble
My niece is already mad at me because her baby shower is on the football saturday this year and I declined the shower invite.
Robert Pacheco
My daughter was born in 2003 the weekend of Michigan v notre dame. My friend had come out from New Mexico especially for the game and he ended up going with a friend I introduced him to the night before. I can’t be too upset, she was born ~ hour before kick off so she could watch the game too. Michigan 38 nd 0
Sue Johnston Rayburn
My due date for the birth of my daughter was Nov 22, 1983. She was thoughtful enough to be born on Nov 18, the day before the UM/tOSU game and I was able to watch the game from my hospital bed. My daughter will graduate in 2012 from UM Dental School and also holds BS and MS degrees also from UM. GO BLUE!!!
Janice Adler Traison
My daughters bat mitzvah is this sept 10 first UM ND game at night. The event was booked 6 years ago. We have been season ticket holders since 1978 and very rarely miss a game. Good news I got a great price for my 4 seats!
Judy Moore Emmert
I was in the hospital for abdominal surgery the day before a game in 1972, so I had to miss a game. Tickets didn’t go to waste, as hubby took our son to his first UM game. But I was there the following Saturday, two days after I was released from the hospital, for the next home game. A few stitches weren’t going to keep me away! I just moved very slowly…
Bob Wells
Our daughter born in 1969 during THE FIRST Woody v. Bo game. We were living in Willis intending to take 23 north, abut as far as you could see were cars with those horrendous red flags at a snail’s pace blocking our way. Trying to get to the old St. Joe hospital on Catherine St. was a real challenge as all of A2 was in gridlock that day.
Peggy Totin
My dad was a great UM alum who refused to walk me down the aisle during football season. Last Wednesday, we celebrated our 37th anniversary! One of our girls is a UM alum, and the others are great fans. Our daughters were married in August and March. Dad passed away on September 30, 2006 early enough so he could watch the UM vs Minnesota game from the best place. Go Blue!
Barrett Randolph
Had a good friend, also a UM graduate, get married last year during the MSU game. Obviously since she didn’t plan ahead we weren’t able to attend… her wedding. Seriously, who gets married on a big game like that.
LaVerne McCombs
My daughter got married during the Michigan vs Michigan State football game in 2004 at the Martha Mary Chapel in Greenfield Village. Her older brother was listening to the game through the entire ceremony, and other wedding guests were watching him closely to get a “read” on how Michigan was doing. At the beginning of the reception at the Ritz Carlton in Dearborn, many of the male guests (and a few females) were absent. They were all found in the excercise area watching the overtime game! ( Hotel did not have TV in the bar area.) The ending? Sara and Richard are happily married with 3 wonderful little ones, and MICHIGAN WON on that fall day in 2004. GO BLUE!!!!
Sarah Thompson Soper
In 2006, we were invited to a wedding the day Michigan was playing Ohio State and they were NUMBERS 1 and 2 in the NATION! The game was away but right in the middle of the reception. When the groom kneeled at the altar (big, catholic mass) his shoes had tape on the bottoms that said “Go Blue.” The bride and groom actually had tvs set up at the reception and held dinner to watch the end of the game, so it wasn’t all that bad afterall.
Sarah Price
I was 13. It was nov 22, 1976 (I think) and it was the day of my bat mitzvah. Michigan was playing Ohio State. My dad (a wolverine) and my brother and I (future wolverines) and our family friend, Jack (a buckeye), all present at said bat mitzvah. At the end of my Torah portion I made sure to thank guests for coming, especially those who’d rather be watching the mi-osu game. I closed (of course) with “Go Blue!” I was trained from an early age, possibly one of my dads proudest days. :)
Tyrone Bickerdt
Attended a friends wedding during that same Mich-Mich St. Game where Braylon Edwards brought UofM back. During the reception, the word that UofM was coming back caused many stirs until finally I went to my car to catch some on the radio.
Bill Richardson
basically, nothing interferes with Michigan football…
Zeph Varley
Labor Day weekend 1998, rolling down to Tampa for a buddy’s wedding. Mike Jackson, from Jackson, Michigan…die-hard Maize and Blue fan, marrying a girl from Toledo, OH. No she didn’t go to ‘that school down south of the border’, but she still should have known better being from the Midwest. Tampa hotel crowds don’t usually get excited about college football unless it’s one of those southern schools, but we tried our best to extoll the virtues and excitement of true midwest gridiron action in the sleepy warmth of central Florida.
Both teams were ranked in the top 25, and College Game Day from the ND campus conflicted with the Church ceremony (11 AM). We didn’t get to see Lee Corso don a Wolverine helmet, only to be proved wrong by on-field action. The evening reception conflicted with prime time kickoff, and of course half the groomsmen (including the best man that was going to MSU) were sneaking out to the hotel bar across the way to catch snippets of the game. Later in the evening the bride blew up about the lousy turn out for her ‘dollar dance’, so at the behest of the maid of honor, the lot of us shamefully, and grudgingly rolled back in to spend our dollars dancing with the bride, mumbling that ‘she-who-need-not-be-named’ had single-handedly ruined any shot of a Wolverine comeback. I’ve been to a number of weddings in my time, but that one will always stand out for the memory of conflicting interests.
Jeff Weiner
I graduated LSA ’92 with 6 other guys. We all lived together in Markley in 88 and 89, somewhat separated in 90 and then got back together for the 91-92 school year at 718 Arbor St. We’ve all been to each other’s weddings, no matter when or where, but when Bruce Crookes got married in 1999, we almost had to pass.
His wife was from the Williamsburg, VA area and they decided to get married Labor Day weekend in 1999. Because of the holiday, they sent out a “save the date” postcard in February. The football schedule was released in late Spring and there was a momentary panic — it was the weekend of the Michigan / Notre Dame game.
The father of the bride sent out emails to the Michigan contingency, saying that all accommodations would be made – the time of the ceremony would be moved up, additional TVs would be brought to the site of the reception, seating in the bar area would be made available to watch the game, etc. Changing the time of the ceremony was no small feat, as the wedding was held at the colonial church in Historic Williamsburg.
Needless to say, we all went to the wedding. Hurricane Dennis finally came ashore the night of the wedding, which pounded us in rain before, during and after the ceremony and reception. In the end, it was all worth it. Bruce and Karin were married. The Wolverines won 26-22. We celebrated both with cigars on the veranda, watching the rain pelt the countryside, while singing the Victors.
Richard Lerner
My wife went into labor with our first child shortly before kickoff of the Michigan – Ohio State game in 1989. I managed to hold off the trip to the hospital until halftime.
Steven Jacobson
The rehearsal dinner for my wedding was on Saturday, Oct 15, 2005, the day of the Michigan/Penn State game. My best man, Jim (also a U of M alum) and I were both standing at the railing of the upstairs private room, trying to look down and watch the game on a tv in the restaurant bar.
As well, my best man’s brother, Mike was at the game in Ann Arbor, giving us play-by-play on the phone at times when we were at our table and couldn’t watch. He told us there was just a second left in the game so we left our seats, went back to the railing and saw Henne find Manningham for the game-winning score.
Also that day, USC beat Notre Dame on a last-play TD in South Bend. My father made sure to mention both games in his toast, a good idea since my wife went to grad school at Southern California.
Betsy Andreu
My aunt with whom I was very close had died on October 22, 2008. The funeral was on the day we were playing State at the Big House. The funeral was in the late morning with lunch following. At the mass, I said the prayers of the faithful which is a series of prayers we ask something of God with the response being, “Lord, hear our prayer.” The priest is a huge Notre Dame and college football fan. I took him aside before the mass and asked if I could say a prayer for Michigan as one of the prayers and being a good sport he agreed. During the funeral mass I chickened out; I wasn’t sure it was appropriate. So as I was getting ready to leave the podium on the altar the priest said in his microphone, “Aren’t you going to say a prayer for Michigan? You’re going to need it.” We all had a chuckle. The State fans couldn’t believe it. I ended up getting to the game late. We lost. The loss didn’t sting. Everything in perspective.
