The Legend of My Allegiances: How Can One Person Love PSU and U of M?!

Having developed an allegiance to Penn State over four years (while not abandoning U of M—I still rooted for Michigan in the games against PSU), I applied to Michigan for grad school simply for the acceptance letter: the one thing missing from my substantial U of M paraphernalia collection.

I had really wanted to go to grad school in California, but once I visited both UC Irvine (where people seemed to be robots) and U of M on recruitment trips, I knew I belonged in Ann Arbor.

Just as my Michigan allegiance (or, more accurately, my PSU hatred) waned over four years in Happy Valley, I thought that I might start abandoning PSU the moment I stepped on campus in Ann Arbor.

Quite the contrary.

My time spent at Penn State remains the best years of my life, and there is an unavoidable bond one has with their alma mater that strengthens over time. I love Ann Arbor; it feels like home and Michigan Stadium is one of my favorite places in the world; but the life of a graduate student is much different than that of an undergrad. 

Being a very nostalgic person, I have always loved reliving the best parts of my past, and that now includes cheering for the Nittany Lions. I invited my best PSU friends to Ann Arbor for the PSU vs. Michigan game last year. I wore a Penn State jersey to the game and sat in the student section of the Big House.

My friend Jake asked me, as we were setting up the tailgate, if I would be wearing a U of M jersey if Michigan had the better record. I said yes. Jake wasn't happy to hear the truth but begrudgingly gave me props for the honesty.

I never thought coming to Michigan would involve me going to a game in the big house wearing a Penn State jersey. I would not hesitate to wear the maize and blue into Beaver Stadium—the temporary big house. Some, or perhaps most, would call me a front-runner for cheering for the team with the better shot at a conference or national championship every year when these two teams meet head-to-head.

I can't argue with such an assessment, but I've reached the point where I have no other way of choosing whom to root for in such a scenario. I've been a Wolverine for 15 years and a Nittany Lion for nine.

I earned a degree from both schools. I love them both and won't apologize for it. But no matter whether you're a PSU or U of M fan, you can't argue the fact that I have twice the reason to hate Ohio State and Notre Dame, so it can't be all bad, right?

Coming soon: Redskins to Bengals? and The Team vs. Conference Quandary.

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