In the mid-1800s, more than 70 years before the University of Michigan broke ground on the Big House, sports on the Ann Arbor campus consisted primarily of running, weightlifting, hiking, fishing and casual team games like “old cat,” a precursor to baseball, and “wicket,” an off-shoot of cricket.
There were no practice fields and virtually no gyms — the one exception being an old military barracks that had been outfitted with basic equipment, like bars, poles and ropes. In 1860, however, students on campus mobilized to form the school’s first official club sport, and it wasn’t football or baseball. It was cricket.
The Pioneer Cricket Club, consisting of 25 male members led by U-M student Frank Todd, set up their wickets for the old English sport right in the middle of State Street. As the sport (and club) became more popular and street traffic in Ann Arbor increased, the State Street setup became impractical.
As a result, in 1865, the Board of Regents designated $50 to maintain a nearby field for the cricket club’s use. Records indicate the Pioneer Cricket Club changed its name to the University Cricket Club in 1864, and that they played the sport for more than a decade, with members either squaring off against one another or versus other clubs, including Lodi and the Peninsular Club of Detroit.
By the mid-1870s, however, membership of the University Cricket Club had begun to decline, amid the growing popularity of new athletic organizations, including baseball, which was established in 1864. Other sports to become officially organized at U-M during this period: boxing and football (played like rugby) in 1872, boating in 1873 and track in 1874. Football, played by the American rules, was officially established at U-M in 1879.
Today, U-M boasts 30 official sports club teams and 27 men’s and women’s varsity sports — though, currently, no cricket.
Editor’s Note: The photo caption of State Street has been updated to reflect a broader date range.
Joshua Rabinowitz
The streetscape is an astounding photo. But what is the cross street? Are we looking at south at the intersection of State and William? Or State and Madison?
The University Record
Thank you for your comment. From what we can gather, it appears this photo was taken from the corner of S. University and State Street, looking north. The First United Methodist Church in the background was built in 1867, so this was taken sometime after that year.
Muhammad Aslam
Cricket has deep roots at U-M, predating even the Big House. Reviving it would honor our history and embrace a growing global sport by our diverse student body. Let’s bring cricket back to campus!
Let’s revive the pioneer cricket club at UofM. With the USA’s national team and Cricket coming to the LA2028 Summer Olympics, it’s time to bring back this historic sport at Michigan.