It’s an unmistakable landmark on one of Ann Arbor’s busiest streets. With windows decked out in maize and blue, anyone walking past The M Den on State Street knows right away that this is a college town.

Opened in 1976, The M Den began as a sporting goods store and slowly began focusing more on University of Michigan merchandise before becoming the institution’s official retailer in 1992. Since then, the store has become a staple for students, families, sporting fans and anyone even remotely interested in the University to stop by for some Michigan gear. 

The M Den manager Dearron Haygood says the sense of being a part of the sports community is very crucial to the store’s mission. 

“When the team is doing great, like they are now, people are just pumped and they’re excited,” Haygood said. “We’ve come to realize that this is really part of the experience, you know, people coming here to shop at (The) M Den and shop at any of The M Den stores … It’s just really part of the experience and we strive to really give that experience to all the fans, all of our customers.” 

Daily Staff Reporter Caroline Wang can be reached at wangca@umich.edu.

Daily Staff Reporter Riley Hodder contributed reporting.