Portal:Michigan/Selected article/6

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (called Michigan or U of M) is a public university. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan which also includes campuses in Flint and Dearborn. Founded in 1817 as the Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania, about 20 years before the Michigan Territory became a state, the university moved to Ann Arbor in 1837 onto 40 acres (16 ha), now Central Campus. The university has expanded to include more than 584 major buildings and transformed its academic program from a classical curriculum to one that includes science and research. U of M has one of the world's largest living alumni groups at 460,000. It owns the U of M Health System and has one of the largest research expenditures of any American university, surpassing $1 billion dollars a year. Its athletic teams, called the Wolverines, are members of the Big Ten Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. The football team plays in Michigan Stadium, also known as "The Big House," the largest football stadium in the world.