" Varsity " was written in 1911 as a replacement for " The Victors " , which includes the line " Champions of the West " that no longer applied to Michigan athletics after the university departed the Western Conference . Michigan football coach Fielding H. Yost pulled Michigan out of the conference in 1907 due to changes made to its recruiting and eligibility rules , and the football team played as an independent for the next decade before rejoining what ultimately became the Big Ten Conference . According to University of Michigan music historian Joseph Dobos , " The Victors " had all but disappeared from campus in the 1900s , and the most popular songs at football games and pep rallies were the alma mater , " The Yellow and Blue " , and a modified version of " Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight " that included Michigan-specific lyrics
independent
NCAA Division I FBS independent schools
Varsity (fight song)