Last Updated on April 17, 2022 by
Yes! The term Wolverines is the official mascot of all the sports teams in the university. The University of Michigan is a reputable university with a strong team across all its sporting departments hence the adoption of a fierce name as its official mascot which has become a popular term in the city of Michigan for several years. On the flip side, the term ‘Go blue’ is derived as a common chant of encouragement and motivation for the University of Michigan sports teams during games.
The University of Michigan is renowned for its strong reputation in academics and sports which has seen them consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the united states many. They are assigned with enormous prestige and interestingly, its football team holds the record for most wins in the history of college football nationwide.
The reason behind the adoption of Wolverines as the official mascot of the university and why the chant ‘go blue’ is common during its sports games. In this article, we will be having a detailed look into the above queries. Let’s dive in!
Why do the University of Michigan students call themselves Wolverines?
In simple terms, Wolverines is an adopted term used as the mascot of the University of Michigan sports teams and this has become a symbolic representation of the university’s sports department for several years. Intriguingly, there has been a reported association between the state of Michigan and the wolverine nickname long before the university adopted it. However, the Wolverines have been the official mascot since the earliest days in the history of the university, and it’s a popular term used by alumni, students, staff as well as fans of the school sports teams.
What’s the history behind the adoption of Wolverines as a mascot?
Historically, the origin of Wolverines as a mascot has been a subject of debate for many years. there are several theories propounded to unravel the mystery behind how the wolverine mascot was adopted. There was a widespread report that the ferocious animal called wolves was abundant in the state of Michigan in the time past. However, there was no clear evidence to support this was never a verified sighting of a wolf or skeletal relics within the borders and city of Michigan.
One of the propounded theories was presented by Albert Marckwardt in the Michigan quarterly review of 1952. He reasoned that the wolverine nickname was adopted due to the gluttonous or wolverine-like tag given to Michigan when they settled in France in the late 1700s. Another theory pointed at a long-term border dispute between Michigan and Ohio back in 1803. Although there was no sight of Wolverines in Michigan during this period, the name was adopted to exert superiority and fear factor over the Ohioans.
However, the most acceptable of the theories is was proposed by Fielding Yost, who was a great coach in Michigan football. In the Michigan quarterly in 1944, Yost wrote that the adoption of the wolverine nickname was borne out of the Wolverine pelts trading in Sault St Marie for several years. It was believed that the fur traders are referred to as ‘Michigan Wolverines’ which lead to the state nickname and eventually adopted as the official mascot of the University.
When did the University of Michigan embrace Wolverines as its mascot?
As inspired by legendary Michigan football coach named Fielding Yost in 1923, the university adopted wolverines as its mascot close to a hundred years ago.
What does the term ‘go blue’ mean?
In simple terms, ‘Go blue’ is a popular used as an expression to motivate the University of Michigan sports teams during games. This common chant of encouragement is unique to students and fans of the sports teams and it literally means to ‘get going’ or ‘get started’. The University of Michigan is renowned for being strong in collegiate sports and building rivalries through the years. These chants have become an expression of identity and it is used as a weapon to rattle their opposition during games.
How did the university come about the term ‘Go blue’?
The term ‘go blue’ is a reference to the official color of the University of Michigan. The school is popularly known for its maize (yellow) and blue is the uniform color which is worn by all the university sporting units. The term is a special sports cheer among the university students, staff, alumni, and fans.
What is the nickname of the University of Michigan stadium?
Sporting activities at the University of Michigan are top-notch with a well-built stadium with a massive capacity. The Michigan Stadium is nicknamed ‘the big house’ with an impressive 100,000 capacity. The big house is arguably one of the largest stadiums I’m college football and it’s the hosting place for the university’s annual ceremony for undergraduates.
FAQs
Below is a compiled list of frequently asked questions about why the University of Michigan students are called the Wolverines and why the chants ‘Go blue’ during sports games. Let’s check them out!
What color does the University of Michigan sports teams wear?
The official color of the University is maize and blue. However, the maize alternatively means yellow which makes it officially blue and yellow.
What is the University of Michigan known for?
The prestigious university is known for its excellence in academics and sporting activities. They are consistently ranked among the top 10 universities and the football team holds the record for most wins in college football.
Why is the university of Michigan mascot a wolverine?
Although the origin of the term Wolverine is debated, it was adopted by the university because it has been in existence in Michigan state before the university was established.
Why are Michigan colors maize and blue?
The two colors are officially adopted as the school color and are ably represented on the university flag. In finer detail, the blue part was described as the ‘blue of the summer sky’ while the yellow part as the ‘yellow of the ripe corn’.
Closing the thoughts
The University of Michigan is called the Wolverines because that is the term they officially adopted as their mascot. On the other hand, ‘Go blue’ is a unique chant coined from the official color of the University to encourage and motivate players during sports games.
We have come to the end of this informative article and we hope the resources provided in this write-up are enough to answer all your queries regarding the article topic. Kindly reach us through the comment section if you have more questions.
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