SLIPPERY ROCK — The University of Michigan’s “Big House” is nothing new to the Steele family.

Annessa Schnur Steele is a Butler graduate and 2004 Michigan grad, where she participated on the Wolverines’ Big Ten championship track and field team. She has been going back to Ann Arbor for Michigan home football games for years.

“Being a former athlete there, I get two free tickets to every home football game each year,” Mrs.Steele said. “It’s a nice perk to have.”

It’s a perk her husband, Jeff Steele, appreciates.

He grew up almost across the street from Slippery Rock University and was a Michigan football fan since he was a little boy.

“The ABC affiliate we got on TV was Channel 33 out of Youngstown and the Michigan game was on at noon every Saturday,” Steele said. “I loved that team for as long as I could remember.”

When the couple began dating in 2003 — when Schnur was still attending Michigan — “it was an early item of conversation, for sure,” she said.

This week, it’s a big item of conversation.

The Steele family has all kinds of connections to Saturday’s 1 p.m. SRU-Mercyhurst football game at the Big House.

Steele’s father, Ron Steele, has been an equipment manager for Rock football for years. Steele himself has worked with the chain gang on the sidelines at Rock football games and runs the scoreboard clock at SRU home basketball games.

Jeff and Annessa’s son, 3-year-old Isaac, takes in SRU football practices quite often.

“Coach (George) Mihalik is nice enough to give him access that way. He’s been in the locker room with the guys. ... He loves that team,” Mrs. Steele said.

The entire family will be on the sidelines come Saturday, sporting all-access passes.

“I still have connections in the athletic office,” Mrs. Steele said, laughing. “We’re excited about this. It’s going to be a fun day.”

Steele, 42, has been attending SRU football games since he was a child.

“I go back to the Rickey Porter days,” he said, referencing the former SRU and NFL running back. “I’ve seen a lot of history there.”

The Steeles attended Michigan’s season opener with Appalachian State this year and usually go to at least four Wolverine home games each year.

The Slippery Rock score is announced over the public address system at Michigan home games, a tradition that’s lasted for decades.

“When I was a freshman there attending my first Michigan home game, I was dumbfounded when I heard them say the Slippery Rock score and how the crowd went nuts over it,” Mrs. Steele said. “I was like, ‘what is this? Why are they doing this?’

“Then I found out Michigan has practically adopted Slippery Rock. Hearing 100,000 fans cheer as loudly for a Slippery Rock winning score as they do for an Ohio State losing score is incredible.”

At Michigan home games this year, the scoreboard has run an advertisement encouraging Wolverine fans to attend the Rock-Mercyhurst game. They will be admitted free.

Bus loads of people will be making the trip from Slippery Rock as well.

The Rock and Mercyhurst are trying to break the Division II single-game attendance record of 61,243 set by the SRU-Shippensburg game played there 35 years ago.

“I think the Michigan fans will come,” Mrs. Steele predicted. “They’re marketing it hard up there and people are curious to see Slippery Rock play.”

Michigan plays rival Michigan State on the road at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

“It’s a neat thing,” Steele said of SRU playing in the Big House. “I wear a Slippery Rock shirt every time I go to a game up there and someone sitting by us is always asking me about Slippery Rock, if I’m from there, where’s it at, etc.”

Among athletic garb available at the Big House are Slippery Rock shirts — in Michigan blue.

The University of Michigan band will be performing at the game, as will area high school bands.

“It’s become an exciting event — one I know we’ll never forget,” Mrs. Steele said.