vers , ▁and ▁ 4 0 ▁bron zes . ▁ ▁Trad itions ▁ ▁School ▁colors ▁The ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan ▁school ▁colors ▁are ▁ma ize ▁and ▁blue . ▁ ▁Fight ▁songs ▁and ▁ch ants ▁The ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan ' s ▁fight ▁song , ▁" The ▁Vict ors ," ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁student ▁Louis ▁El bel ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁following ▁the ▁last - min ute ▁football ▁victory ▁over ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Chicago ▁that ▁won ▁a ▁league ▁championship . ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁declared ▁by ▁John ▁Philip ▁S ous a ▁as ▁" the ▁greatest ▁college ▁fight ▁song ▁ever ▁written ." ▁The ▁song ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁university ▁as ▁being ▁" the ▁Champions ▁of ▁the ▁West ." ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁U - M ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Western ▁Conference , ▁which ▁would ▁later ▁become ▁the ▁Big ▁Ten ▁Conference . ▁Michigan ▁was ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁on ▁the ▁Western ▁Front ier ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁the ▁old ▁North west ▁Territ ory . ▁ ▁Although ▁mainly ▁used ▁at ▁sport ing ▁events , ▁the ▁Michigan ▁fight ▁song ▁is ▁often ▁heard ▁at ▁other ▁events ▁as ▁well . ▁President ▁Ger ald ▁Ford ▁had ▁it ▁played ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Marine ▁Band ▁as ▁his ▁entrance ▁anth em ▁during ▁his ▁term ▁as ▁president ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁in ▁preference ▁over ▁the ▁more ▁traditional ▁" H ail ▁to ▁the ▁Chief ", ▁and ▁the ▁Michigan ▁March ing ▁Band ▁performed ▁a ▁slow - tem po ▁variation ▁of ▁the ▁fight ▁song ▁at ▁his ▁fun eral . ▁The