Michael Phelps, one of the most celebrated Olympians ever, is making waves this week for a surprising reason—his connection to the University of Michigan. Though he’s famously linked to swimming from his early days in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was born, and trained under Bob Bowman from age 11, Phelps’s ties to the sport go beyond mere nostalgia. Even in retirement, his bond with swimming remains strong.

As a proud Baltimore native, Michael Phelps might be expected to support his local team, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in NCAA competitions. However, Phelps’s allegiance takes an unexpected turn. He supports the University of Michigan with enthusiasm instead of cheering for the local team as most people do, i.e., the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. So, the answer is “NO.”  Phelps doesn’t support his hometown team. This unexpected decision goes against the norm of supporting hometown teams. Shows Phelps’s unique bond with the Wolverines.

After the 2004 Athens Olympics and winning six gold medals for Team USA there, Michael Phelps spent enough amount of time training at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, which strengthened his connection with the Wolverines team; he has continuously shown his enthusiastic support since then. In the summer of 2022, Phelps generously offered his insights on training and recuperation to the Michigan squad.

In that year, he received recognition as an honorary captain for Michigan’s top-10 showdown with Penn State. He has made visits to the Big House, and in 2016, he playfully mentioned that his newborn son Boomer was meant to be a Wolverine. His excitement was evident during his announcement on “College GameDay,” where he joyfully exclaimed, “I got one thing to say: Let’s go Blue!”

Phelps didn’t end up getting a degree from the University of Michigan, but he has a bond with the school nonetheless. After his second time at the Olympics, when his coach Bob Bowman became head coach of Michigan’s swimming program, 19-year-old Phelps decided to join him in Ann Arbor to keep training.

Although Phelps attended classes and served as a voluntary assistant coach at the University of Michigan, he was unable to officially join the team due to NCAA regulations concerning his Speedo endorsement. This week, Phelps is back in the spotlight for his Michigan connection. He made waves by appearing on ESPN’s “College GameDay,” where he shared his pick for Saturday’s game between the No. 3 Texas Longhorns and the No. 10 Michigan Wolverines.

Michael Phelps’s pick and Kentucky vs. South Carolina—The battle of the big cats

College GameDay was buzzing in Ann Arbor on Saturday morning, setting the stage for the high-noon clash between No. 4 Texas and No. 9 Michigan. Pat McAfee, ever the provocateur, was in his usual spot on the GameDay panel, delivering his signature blend of humor and irreverence while making his pick for the South Carolina-Kentucky game. “Love Kentucky, love everything about Big Blue Nation, but I’ll take the cock,” McAfee quipped, referring to South Carolina’s Gamecocks.

Michael Phelps, the guest picker for the day, was excited to see McAfee align with his own pick. “Let’s go! Let’s go USC. I’m sorry, South Carolina,” Phelps cheered. Kirk Herbstreit couldn’t resist a playful comment, “You’re both taking the cock,” to which Phelps replied, “Yeah, we’re taking the cocks.” While the exchange might have been juvenile, it was par for the course with McAfee’s unabashed style.

Meanwhile, four of ESPN’s six panelists favored Kentucky for their afternoon matchup against South Carolina, airing at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The Gamecocks narrowly edged out the Wildcats with a 17-14 victory last season and also won their previous meeting in Lexington two years ago. Since 2010, the series has been tightly contested, with Kentucky holding a slight edge. With that being said, it seems Phelps is being loyal to Michigan.