Appalachian State University’s football program was featured with a long cover story and superlative pictures in arguably the most famous sports magazine of all-time, Sports Illustrated, after pulling off perhaps the biggest upset in college history on September 1, 2007.
The Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Mountaineers shocked the college football world then by beating traditional major college power Michigan 34-32 in Ann Arbor to warrant such big-time publicity. The Wolverines entered that game ranked Number 5 in both major Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) polls and media outlets considered them to be preseason favorites to win the Big Ten Conference championship as well as possibly the national championship.