Michigan, Michigan State Plan Urine Collection Rivalry Contest

The universities are staging a “Piss Off” during their football rivalry game at Michigan’s Big House, turning game-day donations into a research project. The organizers describe it as the first stadium-scale pilot of its kind in the United States.

Fans and other visitors can donate at two yurts set up at the Ann Arbor Golf Club. Volunteers will guide participants, and collection is scheduled to run from noon until 8 p.m. For now, the setup can collect donations only from people who urinate while standing.

Researchers with the University of Michigan’s Nutrient Energy Water Cycles Group are organizing the effort with wastewater research scientists from both schools. They will compare how much urine supporters of each university contribute.

The collected material will be processed into fertilizer through a method organizers call “peecycling.” The resulting product is intended for agricultural use at both universities, including Michigan State’s Kellogg Biological Center and the University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens.