From JuJu with Love

The best birthday present I received this year wasn’t something I could unwrap.

It was something I could look forward to for nearly two months.

On my birthday, the University of Michigan gave me a present. Technically, it was an email.

At first, I thought it was spam. I didn’t recognize the sender, and I almost deleted it.

Good thing I didn’t.

That email turned out to be one of the greatest birthday gifts I’ve ever received: an invitation to experience Michigan’s home opener from the Provost’s suite.

For a little context, I’ve seen hundreds of games in the Big House. I’ve sat through sunshine, rain, snow, heartbreaking losses, unbelievable comebacks, and more Michigan victories than I could possibly count.

But I have never watched a game from inside a suite.

To say I was excited is an understatement.

I’ve been thinking about it since July. Planning my maize-and-blue outfit. Wondering who else will be there. Debating how early I should arrive. And wondering just how badly I’m going to embarrass myself taking pictures from every possible corner of that suite.

Last season, my friends Mark and Jim were invited to sit in the President’s box for the Ohio State game. Naturally, afterward I wanted a full report.

Mark warned me not to expect Tom Brady or Charles Woodson.

Apparently, the suites are mostly filled with regular donors.

Which is when it occurred to me:

I’m the regular donor.

That still makes me laugh.

And maybe that’s part of what makes this feel so surreal.

I’ve been going to Michigan games for more than five decades. I’ve cheered until I lost my voice. I’ve frozen in those stands, roasted in those stands, hugged strangers in those stands, and walked out of the stadium absolutely convinced that college football is the greatest sport on earth.

And now, for one Saturday night, I get to see my Big House from an entirely different seat.

I keep pinching myself.

It feels a little like a dream.

And this is one I’m definitely not ready to wake up from.

I spent nearly two months looking forward to my night in the suite.

It turned out to be even better than I imagined.

The moment we walked into the suite and I saw the field, I was gobsmacked.

There was the Big House spread out beneath us, filled with more than 110,000 people in maize and blue.

It was another one of those moments when I had to stop and think:

How is this my life?

An older couple was already seated in the suite when we arrived, but the rest of it was empty. We sat in the front row beside them—and that’s where we stayed for the entire night.

We had a perfect view of the field.

And I had an actual chair.

A comfortable, fancy chair with legroom.

There was no one’s knee in my back. I wasn’t perched on a metal bleacher. Best of all, I hadn’t carried my butt cushion all over Ann Arbor just so I could sit comfortably during the game.

This was living.

There were only about 15 people in the suite, including our wonderful hosts: Provost Laurie McCauley; Alicia Marting, senior director of development; and Dr. Feranmi Okanlami—better known as Dr. O—director of Student Accessibility and Accommodation Services.

They could not have been nicer or made us feel more welcome.

Before the game, we got up to investigate the food. As I was walking through the suite, I heard someone say, “Is that Julie?”

I turned around and discovered that one of the other guests was Emilia, a woman who had traveled with me on my synagogue’s trip to Spain last October.

In a stadium holding more than 110,000 people, someone from my Spain trip was one of the handful of guests in the same suite.

What a small world.

Then we dove into dinner.

I ate a giant soft pretzel shaped like the Block M, several pieces of fruit, and a ginormous slice of red velvet cake.

It may not have been the healthiest dinner I’ve ever eaten, but when you’re sitting in the Provost’s suite, there are no rules.

The fruit made it balanced.

As game time approached, we watched the Michigan Marching Band form an enormous block M across the field. Then the band created the tunnel and the team charged through the “GO BLUE — M CLUB SUPPORTS YOU” banner.

I’ve watched those traditions for decades, but from our high, centered view, I could see the entire formation exactly as it was designed to be seen.

It was breathtaking.

I wore the vintage Michigan sweater my mother bought for me in 1987, along with the heart necklace that always reminds me of her.

Dr. O asked where I had gotten my sweater and told me how much he loved it. When I explained that my mom had bought it for me nearly 40 years ago, he was genuinely impressed.

I loved knowing that a little piece of her had come to the game with me.

My mother took me to Michigan games when I was a little girl. All these years later, I was wearing the sweater she gave me while watching Michigan football from the Provost’s suite.

Somehow, it felt like the perfect sweater had been waiting for the perfect night.

Even the bathroom was fancy.

In fact, it may have been the nicest bathroom I have ever seen in any stadium, anywhere.

A comfortable chair. Legroom. No butt cushion. No knees in my back. Wonderful hosts. An M-shaped pretzel. Red velvet cake. A beautiful bathroom.

I felt very fancy.

After more than five decades of attending Michigan football games—and more than 20 years as a season-ticket holder—I saw the Big House from an entirely different seat.

As spectacular as the suite was, the game itself apparently decided it needed to compete for my attention.

Michigan entered the night favored by more than 27 points.

And yet, with four minutes remaining, they were still losing.

We decided to leave and listened to the ending in the car.

Michigan won 13–12 on a Hail Mary touchdown pass as the clock expired.

Of course they did.

After more than five decades of Michigan football, I finally experienced the comfort and luxury of watching a game from a suite—and then missed the most exciting play of the night because I left four minutes early.

Apparently, even the suite life cannot protect me from the emotional chaos of Michigan football.

And now I may have a problem.

The suite life has made me reconsider my season tickets.

Perhaps it’s finally time for my fancy butt to graduate from the metal bleachers to the club seats.

Once you’ve watched Michigan football from a real chair with legroom, it may be impossible to go back.

The problem with being invited into a suite is that eventually they make you leave. 

Go Blue — Turns out, some suite dreams really do come true. 💙💛

From Juju with love