Michigan football is weeks away from the kickoff to its 2026 season, but it's already planning games down the line.
The Wolverines will play Central Michigan twice in the next five years, first on Sept. 2, 2028 and then again on Aug. 30, 2031 − both of which will be season openers in Ann Arbor at Michigan Stadium − the program announced.
This is the first non-conference game on U-M's schedule in both seasons, and now the Wolverines are scheduled to play one of the in-state MAC schools for each of the next five seasons: Western (2026, 2029), Eastern (2027, 2030) and Central (2028, 2031).
Michigan is 5-0 against Central Michigan all-time, which includes its most recent meeting in 2025, when the Wolverines pounded the Chippewas 63-3, the largest victory in any of the matchups that date back to Oct. 1931. Bryce Underwood threw for 235 yards, ran for a career-high 114 and had three combined touchdowns, his most in any game in his true freshman season.
Overall, the games haven't been close, as U-M has won every contest by at least 24 points with an average margin of victory of 39.8 points per game.
While Michigan's entire non-conference schedule is set for 2027 (Buffalo, Texas and EMU), there's just one game scheduled in each season beyond that (except 2032, which has nothing on the docket) going through the 2034 season.
That includes the 2033 and 2034 campaigns, when the Wolverines renew their rivalry with Notre Dame.
🗓️ Future Schedule Announcement pic.twitter.com/bkHhQ1HmsQ
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) August 13, 2026
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football to face Central Michigan twice in next 5 years