TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Even though Southern Arizona is Wildcat country, a strong base of University of Michigan fans in Tucson is hoping for a basketball championship win on Saturday.
The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan has about a thousand people in their Tucson group.
They are hosting a watch party at Wilbur's Grill, inside the Ramada by Wyndham Viscount Suite Hotel located near Broadway and Swan. The event begins at 5:30pm. Organizers ask attendees to pre-register, but anyone is welcome.
The last time the University of Michigan won a basketball championship was 1989.
Debbie Coyle is a University of Michigan alumni who also attended the University of Arizona for graduate school.
"I’m torn in the fact that I’m a huge U of A fan. Being a graduate from here, I volunteer with some of the athletic teams still. My family went here... I am a Wolverine through and through," Coyle said.
Despite the venue being named Wilbur's Grill, after the University of Arizona mascot, the alumni group has a long-standing relationship with the location.
"They’ve been fabulous to our club for many years because the gal who runs Wilbur’s, who’s recently retired, is from Michigan and so we’ve always had that connection," Coyle said.
"We were thrilled. It’s been a very exciting year for Michigan. We had the number one transfer portal recruit Yaxel Lendeborg coming in to Michigan this year, new coach," Coyle said.
Andrea Swies is also a University of Michigan alumni.
"It is just truly exciting and it was like yessss," Swies said.
Swies said she often gets positive reactions when wearing Michigan gear in Tucson.
"Most of the time, there’s a lot of snowbirds from Michigan, so I get a lot of ‘hey go blues'. The only hate I ever get are actually from the Ohio State people," Swies said.
Beyond watch parties, the alumni association hosts other activities.
"We do a lot of educational events. We’ve gone to see the biosphere. We’ve gone to see the mirror lab. We have a book club," Coyle said.
"Just go Blue! Always!" Swies said.
This story was reported onair by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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