Hypothetical Question: If A Team Celebrates 1,000* Program Wins And Then Has To Vacate 20+ Wins Due To A Cheating Scandal, Do They Celebrate Again In Three Years?

Congratulations to Michigan on being the first college football team to 1,000* wins. 

Hey, here's a hypothetical question: what would happen if the first team to 1,000* wins was under investigation by the NCAA for an egregious cheating scandal that unequivocally impacted the outcome of games, and when the pending investigation finishes, they have to vacate some of those wins. For the purpose of this hypothetical, let's call it, I don't know, 21 wins?

Okay hold on let me do some Math real quick. So 1,000* wins minus the hypothetical 21 would be 979 wins, and then since their Navy Seal that led/cheated them to a 95% winning percentage is no longer there, they will revert back to their true 74% win rate under Jim Harbaugh. Meaning that it will take 29 more games for them to get back to 1,000* . 29 games…..12 games a season (can't be 13 because of Bowl Ban, hypothetically)…..meaning they will be come the 2nd 1st program ever to 1,000* wins in approximately Week 5 of the 2026 season.

So I guess my question is, do they celebrate again? And if you do, do you put the 1,000* signs in storage, or do you purchase them again new in 2026? 

And obviously this Math doesn't factor in the obvious challenges that lay ahead such as:

- The scholarship reduction and other sanctions incoming this off-season. It will be hard to keep up a 74% win rate with less scholarship players and the inability to recruit players that want to play in Bowl Games. 

- Jim Harbaugh will not be here next year once the NCAA suspends him for at least 2 years. One could argue it will take much longer than 29 games to win 21 when the previous two coaches spent their entire careers trying to get there. It took Brady Hoke 4 seasons to get his 21st win. And Rich Rodriguez never got his! We could be waiting on this second 1,000 celebration for another decade.

- The Big 10 adding USC, Oregon, UCLA, and Washington. Michigan can run and hide all they want in the non-conference, but starting next year they'll have to play more than one competitive team per year.

…..I guess the question must be asked, when it's all said and done, will Michigan really be the first to get to 1,000*? Alabama is at 963, and Michigan is at 1,000 * minus 21. Does Alabama get 37 before a bowl-banned, head coachless, scholarship reduced Michigan program gets 21? The more I think about it, this is going to be a good race!