Another Potential Night Game For Michigan Football In 2024

It’s already going to be a tough road matchup for Michigan, but adding in the possibility of it being a primetime matchup only adds to that challenge.

Michigan running back Donovan Edwards runs against Washington during the second half of U-M's 34-13 win in the College Football Playoff national championship game in Houston on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Michigan Wolverines are set to open the season in primetime on August 31 against the Fresno State Bulldogs in Ann Arbor on NBC, and it’s currently the only primetime game on Michigan’s 2024 schedule. That could change in the near future if the NBC network gets its wish, according to a report back in June from Action Network’s Brett McMurphy.

Jan 8, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; Michigan Wolverines defensive back Will Johnson (2) celebrates with defensive back Keon Sabb (3) after a turnover against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter in the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The report details a list of games that NBC prefers to be played in primetime, and it includes the Oct. 5 matchup between Michigan and Washington.

- Sept 21: Iowa at Minnesota
- Sept 28: Illinois at Penn St
- Oct 5: Michigan at Washington
- Oct 12: Ohio St at Oregon
- Oct 19: Iowa at Michigan St
- Oct 26: Penn St at Wisconsin
- Nov 2: USC at Washington
- Nov 9: FSU at Notre Dame
- Nov 16: Oregon at Wisconsin
- Nov 23: USC at UCLA
- Nov 30: Oregon at Washington

If NBC does get its wish, it would certainly increase an already tough challenge for the Wolverines out west. For starters, Michigan’s road matchup with Washington is the first road game for the Wolverines all season. Husky stadium is also known for being one of the toughest (and loudest) environments in all of college football, and there’s no doubt that the Husky crowd will be at its best when the Wolverines come to town for a rematch of the 2024 National Championship game. The added element of playing that game at night would take the energy – and the challenge – to a new level.

Many have written off the Huskies as a team that has too much to replace from the 2023 season, but that seems a little shortsighted. Sure, Washington lost a lot of key contributors to the NFL this off-season – including QB Michael Penix Jr. and WR Rome Odunze. The Huskies also lost head coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama. But new head coach Jedd Fisch was extremely active in supplementing those loses via the transfer portal, snagging a total of 29 players – good for fifth most among all FBS programs.

One of those 29 transfers is QB Will Rogers from Mississippi State, a guy who made 40 starts with the Bulldogs and owns 30 program records. He’s also the SEC’s record holder for single-season completions (505 in 2021), the record holder in career completions with 1,301, and he’s the only quarterback in SEC history with over 1,000 career completions.

Obviously Rogers will have his hands full with a Michigan defense that is loaded with future NFL talent, and it’s highly likely that the Wolverines will enter the Week 6 matchup as the betting favorite regardless of when it’s played. But if this game does become a primetime matchup with Washington out in Seattle, it will certainly make an already tough environment that much more difficult to deal with.

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