Michigan terminates agreement to play UCLA in 2022 and '23

Michigan terminates agreement to play UCLA in football in 2022 and ’23

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh speaks with a line judge during a loss to Penn State on Oct. 19.

Staff Writer

Oct. 25, 2019 4:46 PM PT

Michigan has backed out of a home-and-home football series with UCLA in 2022 and 2023 in favor of playing home games against Hawaii and East Carolina.

The move was ostensibly made to give the Wolverines an extra home game while playing two lesser opponents, though it’s worth noting that the Bruins are 0-6 in nonconference games under coach Chip Kelly, including 0-4 against Group of Five opponents.

By terminating its agreement to play UCLA, Michigan must pay the Bruins $1.5 million by Sept. 12, 2023. UCLA is seeking replacements on its schedule after being informed in June that Michigan was backing out of the games scheduled for Sept. 10, 2022, at Michigan Stadium and Sept. 2, 2023, at the Rose Bowl.

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Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

Michigan terminates agreement to play UCLA in football in 2022 and ’23

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