On fall Saturdays in recent On fall Saturdays in recent memory, Claiborne Green memory, Claiborne Green always follows the same routine. always follows the same routine. About an hour and a half before About an hour and a half before kickoff at Michigan Stadium, he kickoff at Michigan Stadium, he goes next door to Crisler Center goes next door to Crisler Center and meets some of the facilities and meets some of the facilities workers. They know why he’s workers. They know why he’s there. He doesn’t walk with there. He doesn’t walk with them. them. Somewhere in the hallways Somewhere in the hallways that run along the edge of the that run along the edge of the arena and underneath the arena and underneath the seats, a banner reading “Go seats, a banner reading “Go Blue, M Club supports you,” Blue, M Club supports you,” sits in storage, under lock and sits in storage, under lock and key. Green, the director of key. Green, the director of academic services for Michigan academic services for Michigan football, is the person in charge football, is the person in charge of getting it from that room to of getting it from that room to the 50-yard line in time for the the 50-yard line in time for the Michigan football team to run Michigan football team to run out of the tunnel and touch it. out of the tunnel and touch it. He doesn’t know where it’s kept. He doesn’t know where it’s kept. Not exactly. He thinks it moves Not exactly. He thinks it moves around within Crisler, an added around within Crisler, an added touch of security. touch of security. “They kinda keep it,” Green “They kinda keep it,” Green said. “Either way, they lock it up said. “Either way, they lock it up in Crisler and they go get it.” in Crisler and they go get it.” This Saturday, the banner will This Saturday, the banner will keep gathering dust. Instead of keep gathering dust. Instead of opening the season with a trip opening the season with a trip to Washington, a parent protest to Washington, a parent protest on the season’s postponement on the season’s postponement is the only event scheduled is the only event scheduled at Michigan Stadium for the at Michigan Stadium for the foreseeable future. foreseeable future. If there is a football season, If there is a football season, be it in January, April or be it in January, April or sometime in between, it’s an sometime in between, it’s an open question whether the open question whether the banner, a landmark ubiquitous banner, a landmark ubiquitous to the football program since to the football program since 1962, will be used. The tradition 1962, will be used. The tradition has survived multiple attempts has survived multiple attempts from Ohio State coach Woody from Ohio State coach Woody Hayes to tear the banner down Hayes to tear the banner down in the mid-1970’s and a group of in the mid-1970’s and a group of Syracuse fans stealing it before a Syracuse fans stealing it before a 1998 game at Michigan Stadium. 1998 game at Michigan Stadium. In a normal world, this would In a normal world, this would be Green’s routine starting with be Green’s routine starting with Michigan’s first home game. Michigan’s first home game. After getting the banner from After getting the banner from Crisler, he and about 10 other Crisler, he and about 10 other banner crew members go down banner crew members go down on the field to set up. Pregame on the field to set up. Pregame festivities go by a minute-by- festivities go by a minute-by- minute script that’s distributed minute script that’s distributed to everyone involved in pre- to everyone involved in pre- game operations. It’s a way of game operations. It’s a way of setting things up to be perfect setting things up to be perfect for TV, and it means everyone for TV, and it means everyone involved has to be just that: involved has to be just that: perfect. If the team is supposed perfect. If the team is supposed to take the field at 11:54:30, it to take the field at 11:54:30, it will take the field at 11:54:30, or will take the field at 11:54:30, or throw off that careful schedule. throw off that careful schedule. Green and his team usually Green and his team usually get about 90 seconds to get the get about 90 seconds to get the 30-by-4 foot banner up in the 30-by-4 foot banner up in the air, though it’s been as tight as air, though it’s been as tight as 30 seconds before. Thanks to 30 seconds before. Thanks to meticulous practice, they’ve meticulous practice, they’ve never failed, though there have never failed, though there have been some close calls. been some close calls. When Michigan installed When Michigan installed new astroturf prior to the 2018 new astroturf prior to the 2018 season, it nearly doubled the season, it nearly doubled the size of the block ‘M’ at midfield. size of the block ‘M’ at midfield. The markings Green’s crew The markings Green’s crew had grown accustomed to were had grown accustomed to were all wrong. They didn’t realize all wrong. They didn’t realize until moments before the game, until moments before the game, and the crew had to improvise. and the crew had to improvise. There was also an incident There was also an incident against Ohio State during the against Ohio State during the Denard Robinson era in which Denard Robinson era in which one of the fiberglass poles one of the fiberglass poles holding the banner up broke holding the banner up broke during the entrance. during the entrance. Both cases helped the banner Both cases helped the banner crew adapt. They started crew adapt. They started practicing on the new field, practicing on the new field, changing the designated spots changing the designated spots where people stood. The poles where people stood. The poles were changed back to wood were changed back to wood from fiberglass. from fiberglass. “We’re the ones that are “We’re the ones that are nervous before the game,” nervous before the game,” Green said, “because we don’t Green said, “because we don’t enjoy the game until the enjoy the game until the banner’s up and the banner’s banner’s up and the banner’s down successfully.” down successfully.” The gameday protocol has The gameday protocol has changed immensely over the changed immensely over the years. years. When Amy Stevens, the When Amy Stevens, the current president of the M Club current president of the M Club (an organization for former (an organization for former Michigan athletes), attended Michigan athletes), attended Michigan as a track athlete, Michigan as a track athlete, getting to hold up the banner getting to hold up the banner was as simple as being one of the was as simple as being one of the first 20 or so student-athletes first 20 or so student-athletes who showed up. who showed up. “There was always more than “There was always more than enough,” Stevens said. “And enough,” Stevens said. “And then we would go out, hold then we would go out, hold the banner, the team would the banner, the team would run through and we’d go over run through and we’d go over and join the cheerleaders for and join the cheerleaders for the Let’s Go Blue chant. And the Let’s Go Blue chant. And then the cheerleaders would then the cheerleaders would like, boost us into the student like, boost us into the student section.” section.” When Green joined the When Green joined the athletic department as an intern athletic department as an intern about a decade ago, the Student about a decade ago, the Student Athlete Advisory Committee Athlete Advisory Committee was in charge of the banner. was in charge of the banner. That changed because having That changed because having student athletes who might student athletes who might rather be tailgating in charge of rather be tailgating in charge of something so important was a something so important was a little too scary for Green. little too scary for Green. Now, Stevens is one of the Now, Stevens is one of the people governing the banner. people governing the banner. In addition to the one at Crisler, In addition to the one at Crisler, the M Club has a duplicate kept the M Club has a duplicate kept in a storage facility off campus. in a storage facility off campus. They’ve also got banners of They’ve also got banners of varying sizes with the same varying sizes with the same message, a way of trying to message, a way of trying to incorporate a football tradition incorporate a football tradition into different sports. Stevens into different sports. Stevens says they’ve gotten a banner says they’ve gotten a banner out to golf, baseball, softball, out to golf, baseball, softball, volleyball and track and field, volleyball and track and field, among other sports. They’d like among other sports. They’d like to find a way to use it in Crisler to find a way to use it in Crisler for basketball games and Yost for basketball games and Yost Ice Arena for hockey games. Ice Arena for hockey games. When Michigan’s color When Michigan’s color scheme changes slightly, like scheme changes slightly, like with the move from Adidas with the move from Adidas to Nike or with the new turf, to Nike or with the new turf, Stevens calls New England Flag Stevens calls New England Flag and Banner and starts working and Banner and starts working on commissioning a new one. on commissioning a new one. She looked at samples for the She looked at samples for the latest recently. latest recently. Matt Strommer, the art Matt Strommer, the art manager for the company, manager for the company, says the turnaround time for a says the turnaround time for a project like that can be as short project like that can be as short as a week or longer than two as a week or longer than two months, depending on demand, months, depending on demand, and the cost is north of $2,000. and the cost is north of $2,000. “In this particular case, we “In this particular case, we started with the blue field and started with the blue field and then we created a life-size then we created a life-size stencil of the letters, transferred stencil of the letters, transferred that stencil onto the nylon by that stencil onto the nylon by rubbing this, it’s a combination rubbing this, it’s a combination of mineral spirits and Taylor’s of mineral spirits and Taylor’s chalk,” Strommer said. chalk,” Strommer said. The image from the stencil The image from the stencil goes into the nylon. From there, goes into the nylon. From there, it’s an easy job for seamstresses, it’s an easy job for seamstresses, who sew the letters on, and who sew the letters on, and all that’s left is to cut excess all that’s left is to cut excess material away. material away. New England Flag and Banner New England Flag and Banner does all of the banners for does all of the banners for Michigan athletics, including Michigan athletics, including those at Crisler. (For the record, those at Crisler. (For the record, Strommer said no 1992 or 1993 Strommer said no 1992 or 1993 Final Four banners have been Final Four banners have been commissioned since Juwan commissioned since Juwan Howard’s hiring as men’s Howard’s hiring as men’s basketball coach.) basketball coach.) There are usually 20-30 There are usually 20-30 people who help hold it up each people who help hold it up each week, a combination of Green’s week, a combination of Green’s banner crew, members of the banner crew, members of the M Club and donors or Make-a- M Club and donors or Make-a- Wish kids who are able to get Wish kids who are able to get on-field. Only about eight or so on-field. Only about eight or so are needed to keep it upright, are needed to keep it upright, Green says, so perhaps it’s Green says, so perhaps it’s possible to find eight people possible to find eight people who are already needed in the who are already needed in the stadium even if it’s limited to stadium even if it’s limited to essential personnel. essential personnel. “I imagine the banner in some “I imagine the banner in some form or fashion would be up form or fashion would be up there, even if there wasn’t fans there, even if there wasn’t fans in the stadium,” Green said. “I in the stadium,” Green said. “I just think the banner’s such an just think the banner’s such an icon and such a fixture in what icon and such a fixture in what the team does that at least the the team does that at least the facility workers — and it wasn’t facility workers — and it wasn’t my crew that typically does my crew that typically does it — somebody would’ve been it — somebody would’ve been out there to make sure that the out there to make sure that the banner was going up for the banner was going up for the team to run through.” team to run through.” 16 — Wednesday, September 2, 2020 Sports The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com THERE’S NO FOOTBALL SEASON, SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BANNER? ETHAN SEARS Managing Sports Editor FILE PHOTO/Daily The banner’s such an icon and such a fixture in what the team does