Saturday's marquee matchup between No. 10 Michigan and No. 3 Texas features teams with two of the largest fanbases in the country.
Celebrities are no exception. The Longhorns are famously supported by actor Matthew McConaughey , both on the sidelines and off the field. And Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps is well known for cheering on the Wolverines.
The 23-time gold medalist was announced as a guest picker for ESPN's CollegeGameday and will join Rece Davis & Co. in Ann Arbor ahead of the mid-day matchup. Phelps' eventual decisions for other games going on Saturday might not be so obvious, but his history supporting the maize and blue indicates who he will favor in the top-10 clash.
Here's everything to know about Phelps' Michigan connection, including his hometown, college and more.
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Why is Michael Phelps a Michigan fan?
After the 2004 Athens Games — where he won six gold medals for Team USA — Phelps spent significant time training in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan. Since then, he's remained an avid follower of the Wolverines.
In the summer of 2022, Phelps spoke to the team about conditioning and recovery, among other things that elite athletes discuss. Later that year, then-head coach Jim Harbaugh invited the Olympic icon to serve as honorary captain for Michigan's top-10 matchup against Penn State.
He has attended several other games at the Big House over the years and even stated back in 2016 that his newborn son, Boomer, was destined to be a Wolverine.
In his College GameDay announcement, Phelps ended the video with, "I got one thing to say: Let's go Blue!"
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Did Michael Phelps go to the University of Michigan?
After Phelps' second Olympic appearance, his longtime coach Bob Bowman was hired as the head coach for the Michigan swimming program. The then-19-year-old followed Bowman to Ann Arbor to continue his training.
While there over the span of four years, Phelps attended classes but did not pursue a degree. He also served as a voluntary assistant coach at the university while not being able to join the team because of his Speedo endorsement, which violated NCAA rules at the time.
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Where is Michael Phelps from?
Now 39 years old, Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood near Towson. The youngest of three children and raised by a single mother, he began swimming at the age of seven, eventually joining the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and training under Bowman.
Naturally, Phelps grew up a Ravens fan. Throughout his career, wherein he became the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 total medals, the swimmer developed a relationship with John Harbaugh in addition to Jim. Phelps even recently delivered the game ball at Baltimore's AFC Championship matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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