Why does Michigan hold up chairs? Exploring the Wolverines' famous football traditions
College football is so full of iconic, long-lasting, and sometimes even downright strange traditions. But these traditions are the ones that help keep the spirit of school pride and athletic competition alive. Those are only two of the incredible multitude of reasons why they still continue today.
For this article, Michigan football will be the focus: specifically, their tradition involving folding chairs.
Why do they do it? Where, when, and how did it come to be? All these questions will be answered here, so read on and further enhance your knowledge of one of the many iconic college football traditions.
Why does Michigan hold up chairs?
The tradition itself goes back--way back. It began in 1928 when the Wolverines were coached by legendary tactician Fielding H. Yost. Often hailed as the coach who basically "built" Michigan football (via The Detroit News), Yost was said to place folding chairs on the field as hurdles for players to jump over during practice.
Decades later, this tradition is kept alive by Wolverines fans holding up folding chairs during games "like beacons" (via MGOBlog).
What is the meaning of the folding chair?
These makeshift hurdles were reportedly intended to work not just the physical attributes of the players, but also their minds. It was intended to symbolize overcoming obstacles on the field. And overcome numerous obstacles, the Wolverines definitely have.
So far, Michigan football is the winningest college football team in history. They only recently became the first-ever CFB program to reach 1,000 wins--further cementing their title at the top (via NBC Chicago). While they haven't won a national title since 1997, the Wolverines are once again contenders this year.
What are the traditions of Michigan football?
Of course, Michigan football has all sorts of traditions beyond the folding chairs. Some of them will be enumerated here. Here are a few more (via ESPN):
- The Wave: If Michigan is leading a game big, the student section will start doing the Wave. But this isn't just an ordinary wave, as they'll do it in a multitude of ways. Sometimes they'll slow it down, then speed it up, and at times even send two waves in opposite directions.
- Hail to the Victors: Among all other fight songs in college football, Hail to the Victors is perhaps one of the most famous among all CFB fans.
- Seat for Fritz Crisler: Another tradition linked to legendary Wolverines HC Fielding Yost, this tradition occurs at every home game in Ann Arbor. The team always reserves one seat in the stadium for Fritz Crisler, another famed former head coach and athletics director for the school. This is why all capacity numbers for Michigan Stadium always end in the number 1--the one seat reserved for Crisler. The seat's location, however, is never revealed.