UM has finished in the top ten of the Directors' Cup standings in twenty-two of the award's twenty-eight seasons (through 2022); tied for 4th best nationally.

The University of Michigan Athletic Department sponsors teams in 14 men's and 15 women's NCAA sanctioned sports.

Other notable players who played for Michigan include Roy Tarpley, Loy Vaught, Gary Grant, Terry Mills, Glen Rice, Jalen Rose, Rumeal Robinson, Rickey Green, Phil Hubbard, Jamal Crawford, Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Jimmy King, Ray Jackson, Cazzie Russell, Daniel Horton, Campy Russell, and Mark Hughes.

[8] On the final day of the tournament, they played Marquette, and won 71–51, to win the 2011 Paradise Jam (Reef Division) Championship.

The women's team has qualified for the NCAA championships every year but two since 1988, finishing 2nd in 1994, and winning five consecutive Big Ten titles from 2002 to 2006.

The Wolverines won back-to-back titles under Harry Kipke in 1932 and 1933 and two more consecutive championships under Fritz Crisler and Bennie Oosterbaan in 1947 and 1948.

Following the national title season, Harbaugh left for the Los Angeles Chargers and was soon replaced by offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore.

In a pair of ESPN fan polls, in 2000 and 2003, the Michigan–Ohio State series was voted the greatest rivalry in sports in America.

[14] Michigan's meeting with Ohio State is almost always the last game of the two schools' regular seasons and has provided many memorable contests, such as the "Snow Bowl" of 1950.

Three Michigan golfers have won the individual intercollegiate golf championships: Johnny Fischer (1932), Chuck Kocsis (1936), and Dave Barclay (1947).

[23][24] Since 1999, head coach Kurt Golder has led Michigan to national championships in 1999, 2010, 2013, 2014 and the Super Six at the NCAA tournament in 13 of the last 14 seasons.

Vic Heyliger led Michigan to a record six NCAA titles, including the first one in college hockey history in 1948.

The Vic Heyliger Trophy has been given out at the end of each season by the Michigan hockey team to recognize its most outstanding defenseman.

The feat was repeated in 2009 with another 20–0 season and earned their second national championship with a 12–11 victory over Chapman University at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado.

The women's soccer team has played at the varsity level since 1994 and has twice won the Big Ten conference tournament, in 1997 and 1999.

[32] It has also reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship twice, in 2002 and 2013 during the tenure of Debbie Rademacher, who coached the team from its inception until 2007.

Michigan won the decisive game, 4-1, with Samantha Findlay slamming a three-run homer in the top of the tenth inning.

[34] The men's and women's swimming and diving teams, which had been coached separately, were combined in August 2012 by the University of Michigan Athletic Department.

[38] Three head coaches have led the squad for a combined 77 years: Matt Mann (1925–54), Gus Stager (1954–82) and Jon Urbanchek (1982–2004).

[42] The team has produced several national individual champions, including Julie Bachman (one-meter and three-meter diving, 1978), Emily Brunemann (1,650-yard freestyle, 2008), Ann Colloton (200-yard backstroke, 1989), Mary Fischbach (one-meter and three-meter diving, 1988), Mindy Gehrs (400-yard individual medley, 1993), Lara Hooiveld (100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke, 1993), Alecia Humphrey (100-yard backstroke, 1994; 200-yard backstroke 1994 and 1995), Sue Cahill (400-yard individual medley, 1982), and Chris Seufert (one-meter and three-meter diving, 1977).

The current head coach is Ronni Bernstein who has led the team to NCAA tournament berths in her first two years with the program.

[51] Notable alumna include Lisa Larsen Weidenbach Rainsberger, who won the Boston and Chicago Marathons.

[58][59] In April 2016, the University announced the signing of an 11-year $127.12 million contract for 31 Michigan sports teams, going into effect on August 1.

[63] In 2000, athletic director Bill Martin announced the creation of a special level for sports at Michigan called Varsity Club status.

[69] Michigan played in the 2014 Collegiate Rugby Championship, notching some upset wins to reach the quarterfinals in a tournament broadcast live on NBC from PPL Park in Philadelphia.

Michigan returned to the 2015 Collegiate Rugby Championship, where they notched wins against UCLA and Texas to again reach the quarterfinals.

Only UCLA and Stanford, each with titles in 16 varying sports, USC in 15, and Texas in 12, have more diverse championship histories than the Wolverines.

Through the year 2020, UM students/student-coaches (e.g., notably, Michael Phelps) have won a total of 185 Olympic medals: 85 Golds, 48 Silvers, and 52 Bronzes.

[86] The Michigan Wolverines is one of the few college sports teams that does not have a live or costumed mascot, largely for reasons of tradition.

The second Biff was a live wolverine, who had a companion named Bennie, but the two mustelids grew to become too ferocious to be taken to games, which ended their career as mascots.