When Toe Met Leather—Traditional Michigan Football Kick-off Times

A couple of readers reacted to my recent post featuring the 1969 pocket schedule, here’s one:

Interesting that the home games started at 1:30 p.m. in 1969 and not at noon.
I remember Carr (I think it was him) at Bo’s eulogy/celebration saying that Bo wanted all games to start at Noon. (Something about toe meeting leather at noon . . . .)

This prompted an email from Michigan football memorabilia collector Jack Briegel, the man who owns a ticket stub to each game played at Michigan Stadium.

Jack walked through his collection, some pre-dating the Big House, and picked off the start time listed on the ticket and relayed it below. I added a few additions via the stubs on display at ticketmuseum.com. These are just home games:

Ferry Field era:

1908 OCT. 31 VANDERBUILT KICK OFF WAS 2:30. NOV.13 PENNSYLVANIA WAS AT 2:00.
1909 OCT. 30 SYRACUSE GAME WAS 2:00. (Michigan scored 44 points, <wink>)*
1910 NOV. 19 MINNESOTA GAME WAS 2:00.
1911 NOV. 18 PENN GAME WAS 2:00
1917 NOV. 10 CORNELL WAS AT 2:00.
1919 OCT.25 OSU WAS AT 2:30.
1923 OCT. 20 OSU WAS AT 2:00
1924 NOV. 8 NORTHWESTERN WAS AT 1:30
1925 AND 1926 KICKED OFF AT 2:00

Michigan Stadium era:

1927 OHIO WESLEYAN 1:00, MSC 2:00, OSU 2:00, NAVY 1:30, MINNESOTA 1:30.
1928 AND 1929 ALL AT 2:30
1930 AND 1931 OPENED WITH A DOUBLE HEADER AT 1:30 THE REST AT 2:00
1932 THRU 1941 2:00
1942 AND 1943 3:00
1944 THRU 1952 2:00
1953 2:00 EXCEPT NOV. 21 OSU AT 1:30
1954 2:00 EXCEPT 2 NOV. GAMES AT 1:30
1955 THRU 1958 NO TIME ON THE STUB. IT MAY HAVE BEEN ON TEAR OFF PART. (Confirmed – There are a few whole tickets on ticketmuseum.com during this span with 1:30 start times).
1959 UNTIL 1975 1:30
1976 1:30 EXCEPT LAST GAME NOV. 13 AT 1:00
1977 1:30 EXCEPT LAST 2 NOV. GAMES AT 1:00
1978 1:30 EXCEPT LAST NOV. GAME 1:00
1979 1:00 EXCEPT NOTRE DAME AT 3:00
1980 THRU 1984 1:00
THEN THE FUN STARTS AS TELEVISION STARTS TO RULE. TBA , 1:00, 3:30 AND EVEN A 12:15 AND MORE TBA’S THROUGH MID 90’S. AFTER THAT, NO TIME IS LISTED ON THE TICKETS.
I REMEMBER THE KICK OFF TIME FOR THE LAST DECADE OR TWO BEING ANYWHERE FROM NOON TO 8:00. I THINK FROM HERE FORWARD, TELEVISION NETWORKS WILL SET KICK OFF TIMES.