At Michigan, the first semester of college is about to look very different for some freshmen. A new academic experiment at the Wolverines’ largest undergraduate division is set to change what their grades look like on paper, while keeping the actual grades intact.

For incoming LSA freshmen, the change begins in fall 2027. During their first semester, traditional letter grades will appear as “P” for Pass or “NC” for No Credit on official external transcripts and will not count toward their GPA. Professors will still assign the actual letter grades, which the university will keep internally.

That idea did not sit well with Michigan alum and Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. “This is disgusting,” Portnoy said during Wake Up Barstool. He later added, “I was disgusted and threw up when I saw it.”

Portnoy graduated from Michigan in 1999 with a degree in History Education after attending the School of Education. He has also remained a prominent Michigan supporter, including pledging up to $3 million annually in NIL funding to help the Wolverines land elite quarterbacks.

Portnoy’s criticism centers on what he sees as a lowering of academic standards. He believes covering grades weakens the competitive pressure that comes with being a Michigan student, while the university says the move is meant to give freshmen a smoother transition into a demanding college environment.

Michigan, however, has framed the pilot as a response to the mental-health pressures facing college students. LSA says covering grades during the first semester is meant to give freshmen time to adjust to a rigorous college environment without worrying that one difficult term will permanently damage their GPA. The university also says the policy is intended to encourage students to explore unfamiliar subjects, take academic risks and build intrinsic motivation.

But Michigan is not actually eliminating grades. Professors will continue assigning standard letter grades and giving students feedback as they normally would. The difference is that those grades will be kept internally by the Registrar instead of appearing on the student’s external transcript during the first semester. Standard letter grading and GPA calculations return in the second semester.

The change also does not give Michigan athletes a separate academic standard. Student-athletes in LSA will be covered by the same transcript policy as other freshmen, while NCAA eligibility, Big Ten academic compliance and progress toward a degree will continue to rely on the internal letter grades maintained by the university.

Derek Peterson, Ali Mazrui Collegiate Professor of History and African Studies and former chair of the U-M Faculty Senate, has supported the initiative. Peterson backed the change as LSA looks to ease the transition into college and give freshmen more room to explore academics without the immediate pressure of their first-semester GPA.

Michigan is also not the first university to experiment with covering freshman grades. MIT introduced its first-year “Pass/No Record” system in 1968, while Caltech, Wellesley and Swarthmore have also used versions of grade covering. The major difference is that Michigan’s pilot will apply only to first-year students in LSA and only during their first semester.

Portnoy is not the only Michigan-connected figure questioning the move. Former Michigan associate head coach Biff Poggi also criticized the policy, taking aim at the idea of removing an immediate measure of academic performance.

“Who decides this stuff? Get your act together. I’d be pissed as a parent, and I’d want to compete as a student. Like having no depth chart or no starters and no scoreboard. Time to get some new leadership,” Poggi said.

Still, Michigan’s plan is not an optional pass/fail route for students who want to avoid a bad GPA. The policy will automatically cover the first semester for all incoming LSA freshmen, with no opt-out option. The university says making it mandatory prevents students who choose grade covering from being viewed as academically weaker than those who do not.

Michigan has experimented with different grading rules before. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the university used emergency grading systems that allowed certain grades to be converted into Pass or No Record designations. The upcoming LSA pilot is different: it is a planned first-semester program focused on student transition and well-being rather than an emergency response to disrupted classes.

Michigan’s grade-covering pilot is not scheduled to begin until fall 2027, so the debate is only getting started. The university sees the first semester as a chance for freshmen to adjust without the immediate weight of a GPA, while Portnoy and Poggi see the move as a step away from the competition and accountability they associate with Michigan.