All I'll have that day is a mega-lecture so I'm not too worried. Email the professor and tell them to deal with it?

I would imagine if students are proactive about the situation they should be fine. I'd def. shoot   the professor or whomever an e-mail before classes were to start explaining the situation and dropping some hints that the syllabus has been read (just to show that you're a serious student).  I'd like to think that the professors would understand, but of course I could be wrong.

I haven't finalized my schedule yet, but I am a bit worried about this. I've been to five of the last six bowl games (no Alamo), and I wouldn't miss this one unless I really had to. Plus, I would love to go to New Orleans since I've never been. I would hope the university is willing to make exception for students intending on going.

N'awlins sounds like an awesome way to spend New Years Eve. Jacksonville was fun last year, but I don't think you can top the Big Easy. Fortunately for me grad school classes don't start til the 11th. But it is an intersting situation with "New Years Day Bowl Games" being on the 2nd this year.... makes it tough for a lot of poeple who work.

The University won't issue any official loophole statement, but I'm sure if you talk to your professor about it ahead of time, they'll be understanding.

Nope. I'm guessing UofM drops every one of those players from their classes.

, I  advise an early, courteous email explaining your absence, and your willingness to go the extra mile to get caught up.  For most profs that should do the trick.  Of course some profs might not give a damn about football, or might even be hostile to the idea of accommodating a football game.  There is very little recourse in that unfortunate situation--it is highly unlikely that the institution steps in.  Again, an early courteous email will uncover that situation too.

Also consider that any hint of entitlement might turn off even sympathetic profs.  The "email the professor and tell them to deal with it" comment above, while maybe in jest, is terrible prof-management advice.  Let them know you value the academics first. 

And as a last straw, you could always try bribing them. Everyone bribes people ;)

I knew plenty of people who came back late from winter break and I don't think any of them had any issues with getting dropped from classes.  Because of how short Michigan's winter break is, I knew people who wouldn't come back til the first weekend.  You don't have to tell them you are going to the bowl game, just let them know that your flight back into AA after break doesn't get in til late Wednesday or whatever.  Nothing that important happens on the first day of class anyway so just giving your professor a heads up lets them know that you would be there if you could and are actually interested in the class.

The point of dropping people isn't to punish them for missing the first class, it's to make it easier for professors to know how many spots there are in their class in order to let in those on the waitlist.  If you let them know that you will be there for every class after the first I don't think they would really care.

And if you have a teacher who is such a stickler for the rules that they still drop you, you probably don't want that professor anyway.

Since when are classes mandatory?  

That only happens if we jump Sparty, who's currently at 9 AND there's a rematch of Alabama and LSU, which if OSU is 11-1 I think will be unlikely.

why the BCS sucks, Jan 1st games should be played on Jan 1st.

Does anyone have any historical perspective on this?  Has UM/Professors made exceptions in years past when this has happened?