Whittingham Era Opens at Michigan as Wolverines Host Western Michigan in Week 1

Michigan football kicks off a new chapter Saturday night when the Wolverines welcome Western Michigan to Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on NBC, the network whose sports coverage sits within Comcast‘s (CMCSA) broader media portfolio. Comcast shares were trading at $26.49 in recent action, down 0.64% from a prior close of $26.66, with a market capitalization of roughly $94.4 billion.

The game marks the debut of head coach Kyle Whittingham, who arrived in Ann Arbor after 22 seasons at Utah, where he compiled a 177-88 record and closed out his tenure there with a 10-2 campaign last year. He takes over a program coming off a 9-3 regular season in 2025 under Sherrone Moore, who was fired amid a scandal.

Much of the attention will center on sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, the top overall recruit in the 2025 class, who is entering his second season after a underwhelming debut year. oddsmakers have set Michigan’s season-long win total projection at 8½, tilted heavily toward the under.

Western Michigan arrives with credentials of its own. The Broncos won the Mid-American Conference championship game last season and finished 10-4 overall (8-1 in MAC play) in coach Lance Taylor’s third season. They are again projected to contend for the conference title.

Michigan is favored by 27½ points in the opener. Detroit Free Press writers Tony Garcia and Shawn Windsor each picked the Wolverines to win, with Garcia projecting a 41-16 Michigan victory. Garcia pointed to the trenches as the deciding factor: Western Michigan must replace seven players from a defensive front that generated multiple sacks a game last year, while Michigan plans to rotate eight offensive linemen and more than 10 defensive linemen to wear down the Broncos.

What to watch

• How Bryce Underwood performs in his second season under Whittingham and offensive coordinator Jason Beck.
• Whether Michigan’s rotated offensive and defensive lines can control the line of scrimmage against a retooled Broncos front seven.
• Western Michigan’s early-season form as a projected MAC title contender facing a Power Four opponent.
• NBC’s college football broadcast window as part of Big Ten media rights coverage.

Source: original release