Michigan
NCAA lawsuit demands NIL for famed moments. ‘Miracle at Michigan’ up next on docket?
When describing the current state of college athletics, the words of University of Colorado athletic director Rick George continue to ring in the head of your scribe. “It’s the wild, wild West.”
Yes it is.
The latest? Members of the 1983 North Carolina State Wolfpack national basketball champions are suing the NCAA. Led by former Utah Jazz forward Thurl Bailey, ten players from the team are asking a North Carolina superior court for compensation over what they contend is the unlawful and continued use of their NIL and publicity rights from their famed tournament run.
Remember the images of coach Jim Valvano running around the court looking for people to hug after NC State’s upset of the heavily-favored University of Houston Cougars led by future NBA superstars Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler? Four decades later, the players insist the continued display of the game on the NCAA’s YouTube channel and other outlets from the storied run has continued to generate advertising revenue for others.
Which takes this musing to the 1994 University of Colorado Buffaloes and the “Miracle at Michigan.” Buff fans will never forget quarterback Kordell Stewart launching a missile toward the Michigan end zone that was tipped by wide receiver Blake Anderson into the waiting arms of Detroit native, Michael Westbrook?
How many times have we seen that astonishing play replayed on television to promote the pageantry and excitement of college football? Keith Jackson’s infamous call on the late afternoon from the Big House in Ann Arbor? It has been shown thousands of times in the three decades since. It will forever remain one of the most cherished moments of covering Colorado for 20 years as the “Buff Guy” for Denver’s KCNC-TV, then the home of University of Colorado athletics.
You could not have asked for a more gorgeous Fall day for football in front of 105,000 fans. The lead up to the game was titillating. CU’s head coach Bill McCartney, a former Michigan assistant to Bo Schembechler, bringing a talented band of Buffaloes back to his home state and pulling off what many still consider the greatest ending ever. A gridiron classic.
Your scribe was standing only about five yards away when the miraculous happened. Ever heard a massive crowd go deafly silent in an instant? Positioned just off the field at the goal line it was surreal to experience such a large throng thwarted from celebrating what looked like a certain Wolverine victory.
Right before the improbably execution of a play the Buffs practiced often, I’ll never forget a brief but noteworthy interaction with a Colorado fan during the television timeout preceding the play “McIntosh,” screamed an intoxicated Buff fan decked head to toe in black and gold. “I drove all the way from Denver to watch this crap!”
It had been a frustrating day for the Buffs. Too many turnovers and poor execution had laid the groundwork for a disappointing defeat. The woman yelling was distraught as she leaned over the railing of the famed cathedral of college football. All I could do was shrug my shoulders with a, “I don’t know what to say” kinda look before turning around to watch the play unfold.
Once the improbably occurred, I took a quick glance back in the direction of the woman. She had fallen from the stands and was flopping around on the field like a fish out of water. Delirious with joy. The thrill of victory. How sweet it is.
Earlier this year, at a celebration of Coach Prime being named SI’s “Sportsperson of the Year,” your correspondent caught up with Stewart. I asked him, “What do you think your NIL amount would have been the day after that play?” The future NFL star, with his usual wide-eye grin didn’t hesitate a bit, “About ten million.”
Who knows. This much I do know, if the 1983 basketball squad from NC State has success against the NCAA in its lawsuit? I’m not a lawyer and never played one on television but would suggest the 1994 Buffs look into compensation for their incredible moment that has generated revenue ever since for college athletic’s beleaguered governing body.
Also, the courts haven’t favored the NCAA when it comes to its past injustices. Who’s to say student-athletes won’t seek backpay as well?
After all, it’s the wild, wild west.
DETROIT – A major banking merger is reshaping the financial landscape in Michigan — and customers need to take action before the changes take effect.
Fifth Third Bank completed its acquisition of Comerica, and beginning Sept. 8, Comerica customers will transition onto Fifth Third’s systems. The switch affects everything from mobile banking to direct deposits.
What Comerica customers need to do
Steve Davis, regional market president for Michigan, said the transition is designed to be straightforward for most customers.
“For the most part, what our customers are going to need to do is on September 8th, they’re going to log in to the Fifth Third app or their website, create a new user ID, a new password, and they’re good to go,” Davis said. “Their debit card, their ATM, their direct deposit information, all their ACHs — that’s all going to transfer over for them.”
To help customers prepare, welcome packets will be mailed in August walking through every step of the process. The bank says it is also staffing up to handle an expected surge in questions.
“It’s an all hands on deck to make sure that we can exceed customer expectations,” Davis said.
Customers looking for additional information can visit Fifth Third’s Better Together page.
Branch closures, but more options overall
The $10.9 billion all-stock deal — finalized in October — comes with significant changes to the branch network. More than 70 locations are slated to close as part of the merger.
The bank says it is working to relocate affected employees or help them find other opportunities. And while the closures mark a loss for some communities, Davis says the combined network ultimately gives customers more options.
“If you’re in the tri-county of Southeast Michigan — like Livingston, Macomb, Wayne, etc., we’re going to be number one in terms of branches there,” Davis said. “In the City of Detroit, we’re going to be number one in terms of branches there, so for our customers on average it’s a much better thing than a worse thing.”
Will Comerica Park be renamed?
Perhaps no question has captured more public attention than the fate of Comerica Park — the downtown Detroit ballpark that is home to the Detroit Tigers.
Could it become Fifth Third Park? That answer isn’t ready yet.
“We’re evaluating everything — we’ll decide something in the offseason,” Davis said. “It’s really cool that people care so much about Comerica Park and what it’s meant to them.”
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Lansing — Republican candidates for governor and Democratic contenders for the U.S. Senate will square off in a series of televised debates this week, giving voters across Michigan their best chances yet to compare the political hopefuls.
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, the Grand Rapids NBC affiliate WOOD-TV will host a televised statewide debate featuring the three Democrats running for the U.S. Senate: former Wayne County health official Abdul El-Sayed of Ann Arbor, state Sen. Mallory McMorrow of Royal Oak and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham.
Then, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, WJBK-TV (Fox 2 Detroit) will host a debate for the three Republican candidates for governor: former Attorney General Mike Cox of Livonia, U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township and businessman Perry Johnson of Bloomfield Hills. The next night, WOOD-TV, which has been using the phrase “debate week” to promote the upcoming events, will host another debate with the three GOP gubernatorial hopefuls at 7 p.m. Thursday.
The string of forums will provide voters a chance to hear from people who want to be the state’s future leaders, said David Dulio, a political science professor at Oakland University.
“Any opportunity that voters have to hear directly from candidates in an unfiltered, uncontrolled, uncurated environment is good,” Dulio said.
The debates will come about four weeks before the Aug. 4 primary election, and many Michigan residents have absentee ballots available to them.
Michigan’s governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, can’t run again because of term limits. Meanwhile, the state has an open U.S. Senate seat because Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, decided against seeking reelection.
Many Democrats said they believe the race for their party’s nomination to replace Peters could be tight. If that’s the case, the televised debate on Tuesday could be important, said Adrian Hemond, CEO of the Lansing-based political consulting firm Grassroots Midwest.
“A marginal difference is a big difference in a close race,” Hemond said of the potential impact of the debate.
Who’s running to be Michigan’s governor?
The three remaining GOP candidates for governor, Cox, James and Johnson, are all expected to participate in the debates this week.
James has avoided most of the primary forums that have been organized. James ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020 before winning in 2022 his U.S. House seat that represents a portion of Macomb County as well as Rochester and Rochester Hills.
President Donald Trump endorsed James to be Michigan’s next governor on June 22.
Johnson has dominated the TV airwaves this year, shelling out millions of dollars of his own money to promote his bid. He made his fortune developing quality controls for the auto industry. He is running on eliminating the state’s 4.25% personal income tax, which currently generates more than $13 billion in revenue annually.
Cox, who was Michigan’s attorney general from 2003 through 2010, has worked as a lawyer with The Mike Cox Law Firm.
The Democratic side has two candidates for governor: Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson of Detroit, and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson of Fenton.
Benson is viewed as the favorite to be the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in part because of her slew of endorsements, including that of the United Auto Workers union. She didn’t participate in a June 4 primary debate organized by Fox 2.
Who’s running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan?
Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary has gained the national spotlight as a test of how the party’s voters might be leaning after the 2024 presidential election.
El-Sayed, a progressive candidate who ran unsuccessfully for governor eight years ago, has said he wants to build an economy that works for working people, provide guaranteed health care coverage and protect clean air and water.
He’s often clashed with Stevens, who’s been a member of the U.S. House since 2018. Stevens has said she wants to focus on combating rising costs and protecting personal freedoms and entitlement programs like Social Security.
McMorrow was first elected to the state Senate in 2018. Her campaign website vows that she will root out corruption, protect rights and keep tax dollars working at home instead of funding wars.
The Republican nominee will be former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers of White Lake, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2024.
How to watch the debates
The WOOD-TV debates on Tuesday and Thursday will be carried by CBS Detroit in the Detroit area, WBSF in the Flint area, WLAJ in the Lansing television market, WWTV in the Traverse City area, WJMN in the Marquette area and WBKB in the Alpena area.
The Wednesday night Fox 2 Detroit debate will be streamed on its website. The first 30 minutes of it will be televised on Fox 2 during The Pulse’s regular time slot, hosted by anchor Roop Raj, who is moderating the debate.
cmauger@detroitnews.com
Michigan
3 dead after vehicle collides with semitruck on Interstate 94 in Wayne County, Michigan State Police say
Three people are dead after a vehicle hit the back of a semitruck on Interstate 94 in Southeast Michigan late Friday, state officials said.
The Michigan State Police responded to the crash on eastbound I-94 near Michigan Avenue in Wayne County around 11:44 p.m. Investigators said the semitruck was stopped in traffic due to flooding when it was struck by the vehicle.
Three passengers in the vehicle that crashed into the semi died at the scene, according to the state law enforcement agency, and the driver was taken into custody.
The ages of the individuals involved in the collision have not yet been disclosed by officials.
As of Saturday afternoon, the investigation into the incident is ongoing.
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