Michigan and Michigan State fans have a new reason to hit the tailgate hard on Saturday. Researchers from both schools will be collecting urine outside the Big House, and it is for a real research project. They are calling it “The Piss Off,” and the donations will be turned into fertilizer. Organizers say it is the first stadium-scale pilot of its kind in the U.S.
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Two yurts go up at the Ann Arbor Golf & Outing Club, across from Gates 2 and 4. One represents Michigan, the other Michigan State, and volunteers point fans to the side they are donating to. Stations open at 1 p.m. ET and stay open through the 7:30 p.m. kickoff and the end of the game, and whichever fan base donates more gets bragging rights.
The group behind it is Michigan’s Nutrient-Energy-Water Cycles Group, working with Michigan State researchers. Civil engineering professor Mancy Love says the limit is about 300 gallons, the size of one collection tote. Researchers will pasteurize the urine and concentrate it with a freeze-thaw process. Then they pull out nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium and turn them into fertilizer pellets.
Those pellets go on plants at Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum and at Michigan State’s W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. Participation is currently limited to fans who can use the standing facilities, though organizers hope to introduce seated options. The initiative is part of a tailgate drive and does not involve players.
Michigan has been doing versions of these for years. Since 2023, four beds in the Upjohn Peony Garden at Nichols Arboretum have been treated with urine-derived fertilizer. That project, “Pee for the Peonies,” has so far shown no significant difference from synthetic fertilizer.
The urine comes from a waterless urinal and a urine-diverting toilet on North Campus. Researchers have been working on removing bacteria, viruses, and drug residue since 2014. Love says Michigan buys 18,000 pounds of fertilizer a year and could cover that with the urine of about 4% of people on campus.
Michigan says the rivalry drive was inspired by a competition run by a Vermont nonprofit. In Sweden, Malmö FF’s Eleda Stadium is collecting urine from supporters with Oatly, aiming for 1,000 liters. A Michigan-led study that modeled city-scale urine recycling found environmental reductions of 26% to 64%, depending on the category.
“What comes out of our bodies naturally provides nutrients,” Michigan State associate professor Stephen Gasteyer said, calling education the second goal of the event.
Rivalry week minus the stakes
Michigan is 5-3 and 2-3 in the Big Ten under Kyle Whittingham, coming off a 28-21 win at Rutgers. Michigan State is 2-6 and 0-5 in the conference under Pat Fitzgerald, and the Spartans haven’t won since beating Eastern Michigan on September 12.
Michigan leads the series 75-38-5 and is riding a four-game winning streak, with Michigan State still looking for its first win in Ann Arbor since 2020. This will be the 119th meeting, with the Paul Bunyan Trophy up for grabs. A Michigan win would make it five straight in the series.
Michigan comes in with the better quarterback situation and the better defense. Tommy Carr made his second start against Rutgers and completed 22 of 27 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 54 yards and two scores without throwing an interception.
The defense is the other piece. One betting analysis ranks the Wolverines in the top 10 nationally and fifth in defensive success rate, although advanced analytics tracking shows them in the 17th position. That’s a problem for a Michigan State offense that has trouble moving the ball. Michigan hasn’t covered much this year, though, at 3-5 against the spread, so a win might not look pretty.
The Spartans don’t have much working on offense. They’re 79th in adjusted EPA per play and 68th in success rate, and a trip to Ann Arbor against Michigan’s defense won’t help. Their best argument is that the run defense has held up this year. Their weakness is the secondary.
Michigan State ranks 99th in opponent EPA per pass and 79th in pass defense success rate, which sets up Carr to keep throwing. The Spartans are 0-5 in the Big Ten and 4-4 against the spread this season. At 13.5 points as an underdog, they’re getting plenty of cushion.