When was Michigan's last team national championship?

Submitted by ak47 on

Growing up in Maryland as a baltimore sports fan I still occasionally check some maryland forums to see what people are saying about the teams.  There was a topic looking at big ten and national titles since Maryland joined the big ten.  Maryland is tied for second with Michigan for most big ten titles (its a little wonky since they only include regular season, not tournament titles) behind osu, which is pretty impressive since they only sponsor 20 sports coimpared to Michigan and OSU's 28.

But what stood out to me was the number of team national championships. Since MD joined the big ten, in 2014 for sports Michigan hasn't won a single team national title.  The schools that have according to them:

OSU: 5, wrestling, womens rowing, mens voleyball x2, and football

PSU: 4 Wrestling x2, women's soccer, women's voleyball

MD: 3, women's lacorsse x2, men's lacrosse

Minnesota: 2, women's hockey x2

Nebraska: 1 women's voleyball

MSU: 1, women's cross country 

So what was our last team national championship? I'm thinking it was men's gymnastics? Also does this dissapoint anyone?  It seems like we have a lot of sports where we are good but pretty few were we are the top program in the country conversation.

lhglrkwg

May 31st, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^

or if Michigan fans have an inflated view of the importance of softball because we've been so good recently. I could see softball maybe being over lax since it's such a niche sport still, but no way is it above baseball nationally

I think it's safe to say softball is definitely the highest prestige women's title, with volleyball probably coming in 2nd

Human Torpedo

May 31st, 2017 at 12:34 PM ^

Most schools generate revenue in it seems are football, men's and women's basketball, and baseball. A few others do matter on a regional scale such as hockey and lacrosse. I personally never get into softball much. It can be so easy to build a program into an elite one as long as you find some power hitters 

TrueBlue2003

May 31st, 2017 at 6:16 PM ^

The deciding factor here has to be sport revenue because it's a reflection of the nationwide popularity. W basketball has to be up there, possibly #3 (after Football and M bball) in terms of revenue, popularity, etc.  The TV deal for their tournament is probably (?) better than anything hockey, baseball or softball have.

M fans have a very inflated view of the importance of hockey because it matters to us, but very few other schools. Hockey is possibly more niche than LAX at this point, but neither sport is supported by even half of the FBS schools.

My best guess, with the obvious massive dropoff from 2 to 3:

1) Football, obviously

2) Men's bball, obviously

3) W basketball

4) Men's baseball

5) Hockey

6) Softball

7) Men's LAX

TrueBlue2003

June 1st, 2017 at 3:19 PM ^

basing this on your own personal / Michigan / male centric bias.  Here are some numbers for you:

TV Ratings for 2017 Women's Basketball National Champtionship on ESPN: 2.4 overnight rating with an average of 3.89 million fans. http://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2017-04-10/2017-womens-final-four-thrives-dallas

TV Ratings for 2017 Frozen Four Hockey National Champtionship, also on ESPN (so this is about as apples to apples as it gets): drumroll please....467,000 viewers. This wasn't a fluke either, both of these events are right around that range most years:  http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2017/4/11/15264960/2017-frozen-four-tv-ratings-denver-minnesota-duluth-final

That is 8 times as many viewers for women's basketball.  Not even close.  That's an absolute bloodbath.

And if you think national championship veiwership isn't the right metric, the women win for home attendance as well. 17 women's bball teams averaged more than 5k fans per game, only 11 college hockey teams averaged that many.  The 50th most attended women's bball games (Auburn) averaged 2,562 fans.  Only 30 college hockey teams averaged more than that.  The tail of the distribution is much fatter and longer for women's bball attendance.

Hockey:http://www.uscho.com/stats/attendance/division-i-men/2016-2017/

W bball: http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/reports/Attend/2016.pdf

Very, very, very few people care enough about college hockey to watch its champtionship game or to attend games in as large of numbers as women's college basketball and that is a fact.

canzior

May 31st, 2017 at 1:21 PM ^

I'm a fan, because I grew up in Michigan, and my uncles were all Michigan fans. I root for Michigan the same way I root for a pro team. I'm not particularly interested in the university, the world rankings, how great of a place Ann Arbor is, or any of the other sports teams. I assume partly because I'm not an alum..but partly because...why should I..as a fan have to root for all things Michigan in order to be a fan. Honestly, I would take 80% football, 20 % basketball...and the rest is of extremely little interest to me(..however unpopular that may be)

DrMantisToboggan

May 31st, 2017 at 2:58 PM ^

Maybe it's my personal preferences/bias, but I think it's ridiculous to leave Softball out of that list. Until Hockey turns things around, Softball is the #3 sport at Michigan in my eyes, and we are damn good at it. Softball is a top 4 sport at many SEC schools. Football and Basketball will always be top 2 here, and deservedly so, but I think Michigan, like many schools in the South and on the West Coast, loves their Softball team dearly.

JonnyHintz

May 31st, 2017 at 4:57 PM ^

Oh i completely agree. It was good ole fashioned ribbing and it was funny. If he can't handle that and if people want to classify it as "bullying," I would hate to see them come up against a real bully.

jdon

May 31st, 2017 at 2:39 PM ^

on the other hand, fuck that guy;  you can't share emails from your aunt or whatever to 'bring down' Brandon, become an internet meme, and then be soft-skinned about some good old fashioined ribbing...

just my opinion.

 

mgoblue0970

May 31st, 2017 at 3:37 PM ^

This all day long.

Eff WD.  He's not mature enough to understand that if you live by the sword you die by it too. 

He's basically saying I brought down Dave Brandon so everyone here needs respect me more.

But when things don't go his way, he takes his ball and runs home.

JamesBondHerpesMeds

June 1st, 2017 at 1:47 PM ^

I suppose I'd dig into the reasons why he was being ribbed. I mean, what's the point? Is it intended to build a brotherly relationship with WD, just like how we got picked on by our siblings?

I don't think that's the case, frankly. I see it as someone with the means and desire to tear someone else down. 

That's not snowflakey or "wussification". It's giving someone with low self-esteem free agency to bully someone else with no consequence.

JonnyHintz

May 31st, 2017 at 4:56 PM ^

That's the weakest example of bullying I have ever seen. Exhibit A to the wussificaton of America. Some good ole fashioned ribbing is bullying? Give me a break.

*sniff sniff* he made fun of me :,(

Grow a pair.

JonnyHintz

May 31st, 2017 at 5:24 PM ^

No. A parody account poking at WD's obsession with apparel threads isn't bullying. It wasn't mean. It was making light of his obsession. That's the weakest example of "bullying" you could possibly come up with.

Now don't call me an "internet tough guy." That's bullying. I'm upset that the mods haven't stepped in and taken action and will take a leave of absence now.

CarlosSpicyweiner21

May 31st, 2017 at 7:34 PM ^

Everyone is bullied. I got called names early and often. Know what I did...didn't give 2 shits. I learned early that if someone wants to call me names he isn't worth my time. That's were today's parents fail kids. They make kids think everyone has to like them. 75% or more of the world won't like me or give a shit about me....and I am all good with that. Their loss. I will teach my kids the same. Only person they NEED to love them is themselves, their mom and me and they will be just fine.



WD thought he was a local celebrity and he got knocked down a peg. Sorry you can't love the ego stroke and run off when people swing at the pedestal you put yourself on.

BobGarage

May 31st, 2017 at 12:06 PM ^

Ain't you a ray of sunshine. I bet you wake up in the morning look at yourself and the mirror and yell DONT LOOK AT ME LIkE THAT!!! I think you need a hug.