Michigan Football Documentary Debuts on Fox Before Ohio State

By Marcus Bennett

Fox Sports will premiere the two-part documentary “The Team: Michigan Football” on Friday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m. ET, one day before Michigan plays Ohio State. The second episode will air on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 6:30 p.m. ET on Fox.

Fox Sports has greenlit the series, which centers on Michigan’s college football program and its two championship eras. Shadow Lion produces the documentary, while Tom Brady and Jim Harbaugh serve as executive producers.

What does the documentary cover?

According to Fox Sports, the series combines never-before-seen footage with firsthand accounts from Michigan greats. Tom Brady appears as Fox NFL lead analyst and seven-time Super Bowl champion. Jim Harbaugh appears as a legendary coach. Charles Woodson appears as a Pro Football Hall of Famer and “Fox NFL Kickoff” analyst.

The announced participants also include famed quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Urban Meyer, the three-time national championship-winning head coach and “Fox Big Noon Kickoff” analyst. NFL stars Blake Corum and Brian Griese also feature, alongside other renowned sports figures.

Fox Sports says the documentary takes viewers inside Michigan’s 1997 and 2023 national championship seasons. It examines the tradition, expectations and intense scrutiny that shaped both teams, alongside the tension between individual ambition and the demands of putting the team first.

Part one, “The Eye of the Storm,” focuses on Harbaugh’s relationship with Michigan, first as a player and later as the head coach who led the 2023 national championship. Part two, “Those Who Stay,” follows the 1990s run, its journey to the 1997 title and Brady’s rise as a player.

What do Brady and Harbaugh bring to the project?

Brady said in a statement:

“Thinking about my years at Michigan brings up a lot of emotions because, like many of my teammates, it really shaped who I became as a player and person.

I’m excited to share that story alongside the personal experiences of so many others who were transformed by this historic program, and I couldn’t have asked for better partners to do it with than Fox Sports and Shadow Lion.”

Fox Sports president and executive producer Brad Zager said:

“There’s no better team to partner with than Tom Brady, Coach Harbaugh and Shadow Lion to bring Michigan’s championship history to life.

Tom and Jim’s deep ties to the program bring a unique perspective to this documentary, giving viewers an inside look at two defining championship eras in Ann Arbor.”

For Zager, the program’s connections supply the documentary’s distinct access to two defining championship eras. The premise matches Harbaugh’s account of Michigan’s 2023 title with Brady’s memories of the 1990s.

Who made the series?

Shadow Lion’s Jeff Fine, director and executive producer, said in a statement:

“It’s been an honor to help tell this story and shed new light on one of the most iconic programs in sports,

I’m incredibly grateful to the talented team who brought the ‘Those Who Stay Will Be Champions’ mentality to every step of the filmmaking process.”

The production credits from Fox Sports and Shadow Lion identify the series leadership:

• Director: Jeff Fine.
• Co-director: Dexton Deboree.
• Executive producers: Tom Brady, Jim Harbaugh, Gilad Haas, Jeff Fine, Lior Haas, Philip Byron, Steve Dubin, Dexton Deboree and Jordan Savage.
• Co-executive producers: Michael Lucks, Trevor MacKinnon and Alex Sandman.

What changes for viewers?

The practical change is access to footage Fox Sports says has never been seen and to firsthand accounts from figures tied to both title eras. Part one arrives on Nov. 27 before Michigan plays Ohio State; part two follows on Dec. 12 with the 1990s story.

Fox Sports has also issued a first look at the documentary. On Nov. 27, the network will put that unseen material and those firsthand accounts on air one day before Michigan plays Ohio State.