Michigan announces Zach Bryan to play 'historic show' at Big House

The University of Michigan Athletic Department announced on Wednesday that Zach Bryan will a “first-of-its-kind concert” at Michigan Stadium on Sept. 27.

Joining Bryan will be John Mayer, Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen and Joshua Slone. It’s a groundbreaking announcement, as it’ll represent the first concert at Michigan Stadium, home of the Wolverines, and the largest stadium in the United States.

“We are excited to have award-winning artist Zach Bryan perform the very first concert at Michigan Stadium,” said Warde Manuel, Michigan’s Athletic Director via a press release. “I would like to thank the Board of Regents, President Ono, the Executive Officers of the University and many of our athletic department staff as well as AEG Presents, for all the work that has brought us to this point in the process.

“We have been studying and evaluating what it takes to host a concert at Michigan Stadium for a couple of years and today marks that next step in the venture with great partners.”

While the announcement represents a huge win for Bryan, it could also be said that it’s a sizable L for Barstool Sports founder and Michigan alum Dave Portnoy. He was embroiled in a social media battle, featuring multiple diss-tracks aimed at Bryan following the controversial ending of his relationship with Brianna “Chickenfry” LaPaglia.

LaPaglia, who is part of the BFFs Podcast with Josh Richards and the aforementioned Portnoy, has been outspoken regarding her experience with Bryan, and it’s led to intense social media backlash for the music superstar. Many fans of Portnoy and LaPaglia’s have pushed back on Bryan’s image, but he’s continued to release music and tour in spite of the drama.

Of course, Portnoy is more than simply a Wolverines alum, and he’s a super-fan of the team and is as loud as anyone when it comes to cheering them on. He was even involved in helping Belleville (Mich.) Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Bryce Underwood flipping his commitment from LSU to Michigan during his recruiting process, aiding the team’s NIL fund.

Perhaps he won’t be too happy to hear Bryan is performing on his home turf. Regardless, Bryan’s had no shortage of gigs over the past couple of months, as he’s set to headline Stagecoach Festival 2025 in Indio, California, and was recently announced as a headliner at BST Hyde Park Festival 2025 in London, England, for two nights, the press release noted.

All told, it’ll be a historic night inside Michigan Stadium on Sept. 27, and if Zach Bryan’s show is a success, it could lead to more concerts at one of football’s more historic venues. That would certainly be a plus.