Ann Arbor Times

The Big Ten Conference has expanded, adding four new members from the West Coast, and this change is leading to a significant increase in carbon emissions for the University of Michigan's (U-M) football team. A report from the U-M Center for Sustainable Systems indicates that the expansion will more than double the average game emissions for U-M compared to figures from 2010 to 2023.

The study also found similar increases in emissions for opponents traveling to Ann Arbor. Paige Greenberg, one of the authors, stated, “I’m a big football fan, so I don’t want to see less football happening. But I think this is an important conversation to start having.” Greenberg and co-author Molly Russell focused their research on U-M after being inspired by sustainability discussions surrounding the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Their findings revealed that Big Ten expansions would multiply U-M’s average per-game emissions by a factor of 2.3 and their opponents’ by 2.6. Combined emissions for U-M and its opponents during the 2024 season are expected to exceed 350,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide. This amount equates to driving a small SUV around Earth's equator over 33 times.

Geoff Lewis, study adviser and CSS research specialist, noted that while these numbers represent a small portion of total university or college sports emissions—especially considering unestimated fan travel—reducing them would still be significant as U-M pursues carbon neutrality goals.

Katrina Folsom from U-M's Office of Campus Sustainability said recommendations on reducing indirect sources such as travel are expected in early 2025. "We are fortunate to have an internal resource like the Center for Sustainable Systems," she said.

Greenberg highlighted fluctuations in out-of-conference opponent emissions depending on their location. In past seasons, games against distant teams like Hawaii resulted in high combined season emissions.

Lewis suggested responsibility should be shared between schools involved in such games: “We should have a discussion about how we apportion these emissions.”

Shoshannah Lenski from CSS emphasized starting conversations about emission impacts is crucial: “Michigan football is a cherished institution,” she said. “My expectation is [that] the university... will be looking at every decision we make and asking ‘What is its impact on emissions and is it worth it?’”