For an athletic department that consistently charts in the top 10 of the NACDA’s Directors’ Cup, an award recognizing the nation’s top overall athletic department, Michigan boasts a wealth of teams that showcase its athletic prowess. National championships, Big Ten Tournament and regular season titles alike, the Wolverines’ 29 Division I sports teams continued to be one of the nation’s best in the 2024-25 school year.
From every first-year head coach, transfer championship and record set, The Michigan Daily has you covered on the athletics on campus.
November 2024
- Football upsets No. 2 Ohio State, beating the Buckeyes for the fourth time in a row
- Squaring off against its arch rival, Michigan entered the game as a heavy underdog. An up-and-down season mired in a quarterback battle culminated in the Wolverines facing up against the eventual national champions, which was not a game that they were predicted to win. But as the defensive line stifled the Buckeyes’ offensive attack and junior kicker Dominic Zvada chipped in key field goals, Michigan escaped Columbus with a 13-10 victory.
- Field hockey upsets No. 1 Northwestern to capture Big Ten Tournament title
- In a matchup of two of the Big Ten’s best field hockey programs, the Wolverines toppled the eventual national champions, the Wildcats, in a 1-0 shutout victory. Senior forward Alana Richardson’s goal in the second half put Michigan ahead for good as it closed out its ninth Big Ten Championship. Against a Northwestern team that beat up on teams with its high-powered offense, the Wolverines’ staunch defensive strategy was their key to victory.
December 2024
- Football defeats Alabama in ReliaQuest Bowl to end turbulent season on a high note
- In another matchup against a college football powerhouse, Michigan outlasted the 11th-ranked Crimson Tide in a 19-13 victory. Again powered by their defensive line, Michigan defeated Alabama in the postseason for the second consecutive season. The team also included seven future 2025 NFL Draft picks, three of which were taken in the first round.
February 2025
- Swimmers Lindsay Flynn and Hannah Bellard wins individual Big Ten titles, while Michigan’s 4×400 freestyle relay broke the Big Ten Championship meet record en route to winning the event title
March 2025
- Men’s basketball wins the Big Ten Tournament title
- Despite entering the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 3 seed, Michigan defeated No. 2 seed Maryland and No. 6 seed Purdue before they secured a win over No. 5 seed Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament Championship. A team led by its frontcourt received key performances from its guards as it battled its way to its first Big Ten Tournament Championship since 2018.
- Men’s basketball advances to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament in Dusty May’s first year
- First-year head coach Dusty May showed his ability to perform in March during his NCAA Tournament run with Florida Atlantic. And in his first year with the Wolverines, he parlayed his previous Tournament success into wins over No. 12 seed UC San Diego and No. 4 seed Texas A&M. While Michigan fell to No. 1 seed Auburn in the Elite Eight, its performance in the first two rounds points to a program on the upswing.
- Women’s basketball falls to Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament after season defined by its young stars
- Men’s ice hockey gets eliminated from first round of Big Ten Tournament by Penn State, ending a tumultuous season abruptly
- Trent McFarland wins the Big Ten Indoor Championship title for the mile run
- Wrestler Jacob Cardenas wins 197-pound Big Ten title
April 2025
- Men’s gymnastics wins fifth consecutive Big Ten title
- Men’s gymnastics wins the national championship
- For the first time in 11 years, Michigan won the NCAA Championship. Among the stellar performances at Crisler Center, junior Fred Richard took home the all-around title while graduate Paul Juda won the parallel bars title.
- Men’s lacrosse suffers defeat to Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament, ending a season full of ups and downs
May 2025
- Softball wins second consecutive Big Ten Championship after upsetting No. 9 UCLA
- After a tumultuous season landed them the eighth seed in the Big Ten Tournament, the Wolverines leaned on stellar pitching to push through the tournament. They upset No. 1 seed Oregon in the quarterfinals and No. 2 seed UCLA in the finals, claiming their second consecutive conference tournament title.
- Baseball drops games against Illinois and UCLA in pool play, gets eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament
- Women’s lacrosse makes it to NCAA second round, loses to No. 3 Northwestern to conclude its season
- Golfer Hunter Thomson advances to the NCAA Finals
- Women’s tennis advances to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, marking the furthest they’ve advanced in program history before losing to No. 2 Texas A&M
- Savannah Sutherland wins third straight Big Ten title in the 400-meter hurdles
In a year of shocking upsets on the big stage and redemptive success, the Wolverines showcased their array of elite teams this past 2024-2025 season. Michigan is a school full of top-tier teams and athletes, and you’ll quickly realize the vibrant sports scene deeply embedded into its culture as soon as you step onto campus.
Related articles
