ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The 2021 Michigan vs. Ohio State game provided one of the best atmospheres in the Big House’s recent history as some 111,156 fans packed the stadium to watch the surprise. The noisy environment was a product of opposition and the result, and an on-pitch DJ added to the boisterous afternoon with a performance that began well before kick-off.
This fall, Michigan Athletics hopes to rekindle some of that energy. An on-field DJ will perform at all eight home games to encourage fans open their eager eyes and “pump up” while the Wolverines defend their Big Ten title.
DJ Skee (Scott Keeney), who appeared during The Game last November, will return for the October 15, 2022 Penn State game. This game is also a designated Maize Out – when all fans are told to wear corn – and will feature a flyover of Air Force F-16s from the 112th Fighter Squadron of the 180th Fighter Squadron.
DJ Array will perform at the Colorado State, UConn, Maryland, Nebraska and Illinois games; DJ Myint at the Hawaii game; and DJ Truth at the Michigan State Game.
Other aviation-themed promotional events for the 2022 season include a pre-game flyover of A-10 Warthogs from the 107th Fighter Squadron of the 112th Fighter Squadron in Michigan State and a pre-game parachute jump in Nebraska.
And nine-time Grammy winner at halftime of the Penn State game Wynton Marsalis will perform with the Michigan Marching Band.
Michigan not only plays to the largest crowds in college football, but it also typically enjoys high television ratings.
In 2021, Michigan vs. Ohio State delivered “the top college football regular season audience in more than two years with an 8.0 rating and 15 million viewers on FOX,” per watch sports media. Fox Sports said at the time that the 15.893 million viewers was the network’s “most-watched college football game of all time.”
“The Wolverines’ win is the highest-rated and most-watched game in the Ohio State-Michigan series since 2016 (9.4, 16.84M) and trails that game as the best matchup since a #1 vs. #2 clash 2006 (13.0, 21.0m),” Sports Media Watch reported after the game.
The Wolverines also topped the 2021 TV viewership charts in Week 11 (5.9 million viewers for a road win over Penn State) and Week 9 (9.3 million viewers for a road loss against Michigan State).
The 2021 Big Ten Championship Game against the Iowa Hawkeyes drew 11.7 million viewers, surpassed only by the SEC Championship Game this weekend.
Michigan begins its 2022 season on September 3 against Colorado State. Kick-off is at 12 p.m.
***
Not a VIP subscriber to The Michigan Insider? Join Now and get access to all things Michigan TMI has to offer and access to the #1 site covering the Wolverines.
Want to get the latest Michigan news straight to your email? Subscribe to The Michigan Insider newsletter here. It’s free and a great way to get daily updates on Michigan football, basketball, baseball, recruitment and more straight to your inbox.