Tim Walz to attend Michigan-Minnesota football game as part of campaign stop in Ann Arbor

On Saturday, Donald Trump will be attending No. 4 Alabama’s game against No. 1 Georgia in one of the most highly anticipated matchups of the 2024 college football season.

About 750 miles to the north, Michigan will be hosting a notable politician of its own.

Minnesota governor and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz will be at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor Saturday for the No. 12 Wolverines’ game against Minnesota.

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The matchup between the Wolverines and Golden Gophers will be part of a larger campaign stop, as Walz will meet with students to “speak about the importance of registering to vote and the power of their participation,” according to a report from the Washington Post, which cited an unnamed campaign official.

Walz has previously attended several games at Minnesota, where he is in his second term as governor. He’s a former high school football coach, including at Mankato West High School, which he helped lead to a state championship as a defensive coordinator in 1999. Prior to his hiring, Mankato West had lost 27 consecutive games.

Since Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris selected Walz as her running mate, her campaign has leaned heavily into Walz’s coaching background. At the 2024 Democratic National Convention, several of Walz’s former Mankato West players joined him on stage.

Michigan is expected to be one of the most crucial states in the 2024 presidential election, as it was in the 2016 and 2020 cycles. A USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll released on Tuesday has Harris holding a three-point lead in the state, 48% to 45%, putting it within the 4.4% margin of error.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tim Walz will attend Michigan-Minnesota football game Saturday