Why did Michigan withdraw from the Big Ten? (circa 1907)

You might have a look at John Kryk's book about the Notre Dame rivalry; he looks at conference politics quite a bit. I'm not in the United States right now, so I can't check my own copy to see, but I think this receives several pages of analysis in there.

More specifically -- from what I remember, it had to do with scholarship and eligibility reforms which would have taken players off of the early 20th century rosters that Yost used to annihilate all comers by changing eligibility from four years to three, it would have restricted training table privileges, and also would have mandated that football corches be RESIDENT members of their respective school's faculties in good standing.

Stagg, I think Kryk argues, was behind a lot of the reform language, and Yost and Michigan were furious because it seemed primarily aimed at them and their success.

Maybe because Baird realized California was actually "west" for the US and he felt being in the Western Conference set a bad example for Geography students?

Interesting question, hopefully we can get some good responses. It had something to do with eligibility rules, but I don't know the specifics.

One of the things stated was that they didn't want professional coaches and the conference changed the rules so that there was no summer practices etc...stuff that they considered too professional. Baird wanted to make money and wanted to play more games than the conference would let them. So they left, when the conference rescinded those rules, they rejoined. One reference had Michigan listed as inactive for the years 1907-1916.
Probably didn't fill out his practice logs well enough for the Freep.

Professor Soderstrom who wrote "The Big House" book gave a presentation on the history of the stadium that included this topic during a tour of the stadium and locker room last year. I can't remember the specifics but it did have to do with the other schools trying to dampen our success. It also was the reason we started playing Ohio State because WC schools were banned from playing us.

That's not a lot of help, but I'm sure the answer is in that book.

New York Times, April 14, 1907 (pdf)

CHICAGO, April 13 -- Michigan University was to-day ruled out of the Western Conference athletics because of its refusal to observe conference rules, and all athletic relations between the university and the other colleges composing the conference were severed. It was insisted by the other members of the intercollegiate conference that the rules adopted at the close of the football season of 1905, limiting the time of all athletes to three years, and the number of football games to not more than five, should be observed by Michigan, or that university should be left out of the conference. The representatives of Michigan declined to promise that the university would observe these rules, and itwas then announced that all athletic relations had been terminated.

The meeting was attended by [list of college representatives including Michigan's H.M. Bates, and that a game of baseball Michigan was supposed to play against Northeastern was canceled].

The committee also decided that no members of the conference shall hold athletic relations with schools competing for State championships which do not observe conference rules.

Michigan's position was set forth by Prof. Victor S. Lane at the alumni dinner last night. He said that the university has not intended to defy the "Big Nine" in any way, but that it considers that there is nothing improper in playing outside colleges under other rules.

MVictors has a pretty good analysis of leaving the Western conference

http://mvictors.com/?p=493

Michigan has long history of rules violations.

covered this pretty well in his history of college athletics class. As I recall, the rules changes were led by Yost rival and UChicago coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. They were meant to undermine Yost and limit Michigan's success and growth. The break was the reason we took on Michigan State and Ohio State as yearly rivalries I believe. I'll check my old notes when I get back from work.

I think it had something to do with us not being able to play teams on the east coast but I could be wrong.

Great Grand-daddy Rosenberg said we weren't in compliance and needed a suspension.

together with the MVictor article on Harry Kipke, it occurs to me that UM football actually had a sort of bad-boy image in the years 1901-37. (Kipke was only fired after a few losing seasons in a row.)

When did UM acquire its affirmatively "clean" image? Was that because of Bo, or does it go further back?

We disagreed with a proposal to equally share revenues from the Big Ten Telegraph Network.