Michigan's future nonconference schedules will take on an American Athletic feel, with the Wolverines announcing a pair of future games in the Big House against new additions to the ex-Big East.
Michigan will host current conference leader UCF Sept. 10, 2016, and first-time conference members SMU Sept. 15 2018. The Wolverines have never faced the Knights, and have played the Mustangs only once, a 27-16 home win in 1963.
Michigan also announced another meeting with Air Force , which will visit the Big House Sept. 16, 2017. The Wolverines defeated the Falcons 31-25 in 2012. Per mlive.com, Air Force has announced it will collect a $1.3 million fee from Michigan for the game.
The Wolverines also confirmed a date for their previously announced home-and-home series against Arkansas, naming the Hogs their opponent for the 2018 season opener on Sept. 1 of that year.
That series makes sense for both teams as they attempt to beef up their future nonconference slates with an intriguing inter-regional matchup. But Wolverine fans can be forgiven for wondering if the UCF game comes with as many positives; with such relatively little high-level success in the program's history, UCF may not help the Wolverines move a lot of tickets, but their win at Louisville shows that they also represent a substantial risk of dealing Michigan a home loss for its troubles.
It's easy, of course, to criticize -- and much harder to say who Michigan should have scheduled instead. But the game nonetheless stands out as one Dave Brandon might regret in the future.