Michigan Stadium
Encyclopedia
Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football
stadium for the University of Michigan
in Ann Arbor
, Michigan
. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines
played on Ferry Field
. Michigan Stadium is the largest stadium in the United States
with an official capacity of 109,901. The football game attendance often exceeds 111,000 when band members, stadium staff, and others are added. On September 10, 2011, 114,804 attended a game at Michigan Stadium between Michigan and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
, the largest crowd to see a college football game since 1948 and an NCAA single-game record. The current NCAA single-season average home attendance record was 111,175 per game set in 1999 at the stadium.
Michigan Stadium is the third largest stadium in the world and the 31st largest sports venue including auto racing
and horse racing
tracks, among others. The one "extra seat" in Michigan Stadium is said to be reserved for former athletic director Fritz Crisler
, although its location is not specified. Every home game since November 8, 1975 has drawn a crowd in excess of 100,000, an active streak of more than 200 contests. "Football Saturdays" in Ann Arbor have a profound effect on the city, dramatically increasing traffic and business at local establishments. The size of the crowd in the stadium nearly matches the city's population of 114,000.
Michigan Stadium was designed with footings to allow the stadium's capacity to be expanded beyond 100,000. According to the University of Michigan Library's and Athletics Department's history of the stadium, Fielding Yost envisioned a day where 150,000 seats would be needed. To keep construction costs low at the time, the decision was made to build a smaller stadium than Yost envisioned but to include the footings for future expansion.
Michigan Stadium is the site of the University of Michigan's main graduation
ceremonies; renovations in April 2008 caused that year's ceremony to be moved to the Diag
.
On December 11, 2010, the "Cold War
II", a Michigan versus Michigan State hockey game, took place at Michigan Stadium. The event was officially called "The Big Chill at the Big House", and over 100,000 tickets had been sold by May 6, 2010, when sales to the general public were stopped. The remaining seats were set aside for students. The attendance for the game was 104,073, smashing the previous record for a hockey game by nearly 25,000.
The first night football game in Michigan Stadium history occurred on September 10, 2011, versus Notre Dame.
Michigan Stadium's size is not entirely apparent to outside observers, as it is constructed partially below grade, leaving only the upper 20 rows (in most sections) visible from the outside. The stadium's original capacity was 72,000, but Fielding Yost made certain to install footings that could allow for expansion up to 200,000 seats. Initially, all seating consisted of wooden bleachers. These were replaced with permanent metal seating in 1949 by Crisler, who was athletic director at the time. Longtime radio announcer Bob Ufer
dubbed Michigan Stadium "The hole that Yost dug, Crisler paid for, Canham
carpeted, and Schembechler
fills every cotton-pickin' Saturday afternoon." Since 1975, the stadium has held over 100,000 fans for every home game. The game against Indiana University
on October 25, 1975 was the last sub-100,000 attendance home game for Michigan. Michigan's game versus Ball State University
on November 4, 2006, was the 200th consecutive crowd of over 100,000 fans. Traditionally, when the game's attendance is announced, the public address announcer (historically Howard King) thanks the fans for "being part of the largest crowd watching a football game anywhere in America".
On October 1, 1927, Michigan played Ohio Wesleyan
in the first game at Michigan Stadium, prevailing easily, 33–0. The new stadium was then formally dedicated three weeks later in a contest against Ohio State
on October 22. Michigan had spoiled the formal dedication of Ohio Stadium
in Columbus
five years earlier and was victorious again, besting the Buckeyes 21–0 before a capacity crowd of 84,401. In 1930, electronic scoreboards were installed, making the stadium the first in the United States to use them to keep the official game time.
From 1927 to 1968, the stadium's field was covered in natural grass. This was replaced with TartanTurf in 1969 to give players better traction. However, this surface was thought to be unforgiving on players' joints, and the stadium returned to natural turf in 1991. This too became problematic, as the field's below-surface location near the water table made it difficult for grass to permanently take root. The field was converted to FieldTurf
, an artificial surface designed to give grass-like playing characteristics, in 2003.
Before 1968, the football field had a policy of "No women or children allowed on the field." Sara Krulwich, now a photojournalist for The New York Times
, was the first woman on the field.
On September 9, 2006, attendees of Michigan's football game against the Central Michigan Chippewas
endured the first weather delay in the stadium's history after lightning struck nearby during the first quarter. The game was delayed for approximately one hour.
On March 11, 2008, as part of the settlement terms of a lawsuit filed against the university pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the university announced that the official capacity of the stadium would be reduced to accommodate additional wheelchair-accessible seating beginning with the 2009 season.
and expansion project for Michigan Stadium which was completed in 2010. The project includes replacement of some bleachers, widening of aisles and individual seats, installing hand rails, and the addition of a new press box, 83 luxury box
es, and 3,200 club seats. The renovation plan garnered opposition from students, alumni, and fans around the country, which waned as the renovation neared external completion.
A disabled-veterans group filed a federal lawsuit against the university on April 17, 2007, alleging that the design of the project did not meet federal standards for wheelchair-accessible seating. In March 2008, the case was settled, with the university agreeing to add more accessible seating in place of current seating during the course of the renovation.
Michigan Stadium was rededicated
on September 4, 2010, before Michigan's first home football game of the 2010 season
against the University of Connecticut, with a listed capacity of 109,901.
35–31.
defeat Notre Dame
, 35–31, setting a post-1948 NCAA collegiate football attendance record. (A 1927 Notre Dame – Southern California game at Soldier Field
in Chicago
, prior to NCAA record keeping for attendance, drew an estimated 117,000 – 123,000.)
In 2010, Michigan set an NCAA record for average attendance at home games, with an average of 111,825 fans.
With an attendance of 104,173, "The Big Chill at the Big House" set the record attendance for a hockey game. The previous record of 77,803 was set in the opening game of the 2010 IIHF World Championship
on May 7, 2010 at Veltins-Arena
, a retractable-roof soccer stadium in Gelsenkirchen
, Germany
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
stadium for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $950,000 and had an original capacity of 72,000. Before playing football at the stadium, the Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
played on Ferry Field
Ferry Field
Ferry Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the Michigan Stadium opening in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000....
. Michigan Stadium is the largest stadium in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with an official capacity of 109,901. The football game attendance often exceeds 111,000 when band members, stadium staff, and others are added. On September 10, 2011, 114,804 attended a game at Michigan Stadium between Michigan and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represents the University of Notre Dame in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Fighting Irish are led by second year head coach Brian Kelly and play their home games at Notre Dame Stadium...
, the largest crowd to see a college football game since 1948 and an NCAA single-game record. The current NCAA single-season average home attendance record was 111,175 per game set in 1999 at the stadium.
Michigan Stadium is the third largest stadium in the world and the 31st largest sports venue including auto racing
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
and horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
tracks, among others. The one "extra seat" in Michigan Stadium is said to be reserved for former athletic director Fritz Crisler
Fritz Crisler
Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
, although its location is not specified. Every home game since November 8, 1975 has drawn a crowd in excess of 100,000, an active streak of more than 200 contests. "Football Saturdays" in Ann Arbor have a profound effect on the city, dramatically increasing traffic and business at local establishments. The size of the crowd in the stadium nearly matches the city's population of 114,000.
Michigan Stadium was designed with footings to allow the stadium's capacity to be expanded beyond 100,000. According to the University of Michigan Library's and Athletics Department's history of the stadium, Fielding Yost envisioned a day where 150,000 seats would be needed. To keep construction costs low at the time, the decision was made to build a smaller stadium than Yost envisioned but to include the footings for future expansion.
Michigan Stadium is the site of the University of Michigan's main graduation
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
ceremonies; renovations in April 2008 caused that year's ceremony to be moved to the Diag
The Diag
At the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the Diag is a large open space in the middle of the university's Central Campus. Originally known as the Diagonal Green, the Diag derives its name from the many sidewalks running near or through it in diagonal directions...
.
On December 11, 2010, the "Cold War
Cold War (ice hockey)
The Cold War was a college ice hockey game played between U.S. college rivals Michigan State University and the University of Michigan on Saturday, October 6, 2001...
II", a Michigan versus Michigan State hockey game, took place at Michigan Stadium. The event was officially called "The Big Chill at the Big House", and over 100,000 tickets had been sold by May 6, 2010, when sales to the general public were stopped. The remaining seats were set aside for students. The attendance for the game was 104,073, smashing the previous record for a hockey game by nearly 25,000.
The first night football game in Michigan Stadium history occurred on September 10, 2011, versus Notre Dame.
History
Bob Ufer
Bob Ufer was the lead broadcaster for the Michigan Wolverines football team for 37 years, starting in 1944. He has been inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor.-Early years:...
dubbed Michigan Stadium "The hole that Yost dug, Crisler paid for, Canham
Don Canham
Donald Canham was a track and field athlete and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the athletic director at the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1988. There, he became nationally renowned for his ability to market and sell products bearing the name or logo of the school...
carpeted, and Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
fills every cotton-pickin' Saturday afternoon." Since 1975, the stadium has held over 100,000 fans for every home game. The game against Indiana University
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
on October 25, 1975 was the last sub-100,000 attendance home game for Michigan. Michigan's game versus Ball State University
Ball State Cardinals football
The Ball State Cardinals football team represents Ball State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Mid-American Conference .-Recent history:...
on November 4, 2006, was the 200th consecutive crowd of over 100,000 fans. Traditionally, when the game's attendance is announced, the public address announcer (historically Howard King) thanks the fans for "being part of the largest crowd watching a football game anywhere in America".
On October 1, 1927, Michigan played Ohio Wesleyan
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
in the first game at Michigan Stadium, prevailing easily, 33–0. The new stadium was then formally dedicated three weeks later in a contest against Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
on October 22. Michigan had spoiled the formal dedication of Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium
Ohio Stadium is the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and is located on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The stadium was added to the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on March 22, 1974...
in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
five years earlier and was victorious again, besting the Buckeyes 21–0 before a capacity crowd of 84,401. In 1930, electronic scoreboards were installed, making the stadium the first in the United States to use them to keep the official game time.
From 1927 to 1968, the stadium's field was covered in natural grass. This was replaced with TartanTurf in 1969 to give players better traction. However, this surface was thought to be unforgiving on players' joints, and the stadium returned to natural turf in 1991. This too became problematic, as the field's below-surface location near the water table made it difficult for grass to permanently take root. The field was converted to FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
, an artificial surface designed to give grass-like playing characteristics, in 2003.
Before 1968, the football field had a policy of "No women or children allowed on the field." Sara Krulwich, now a photojournalist for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, was the first woman on the field.
On September 9, 2006, attendees of Michigan's football game against the Central Michigan Chippewas
Central Michigan Chippewas football
The Central Michigan Chippewas football team is a college football program in Division I FBS, representing Central Michigan University. They are a top 25 program in terms of all-time winning percentage and top five amongst all teams from non-BCS automatic qualifying conferences...
endured the first weather delay in the stadium's history after lightning struck nearby during the first quarter. The game was delayed for approximately one hour.
On March 11, 2008, as part of the settlement terms of a lawsuit filed against the university pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the university announced that the official capacity of the stadium would be reduced to accommodate additional wheelchair-accessible seating beginning with the 2009 season.
2010 renovation
On June 21, 2007, the University's Board of Regents approved a $226 million renovationRenovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
and expansion project for Michigan Stadium which was completed in 2010. The project includes replacement of some bleachers, widening of aisles and individual seats, installing hand rails, and the addition of a new press box, 83 luxury box
Luxury box
A Luxury box is a special seating section located within stadiums, arenas and other sporting and entertainment venues. They are typically located in the midsection of a stadium grandstand, usually providing the best views of the event...
es, and 3,200 club seats. The renovation plan garnered opposition from students, alumni, and fans around the country, which waned as the renovation neared external completion.
A disabled-veterans group filed a federal lawsuit against the university on April 17, 2007, alleging that the design of the project did not meet federal standards for wheelchair-accessible seating. In March 2008, the case was settled, with the university agreeing to add more accessible seating in place of current seating during the course of the renovation.
Michigan Stadium was rededicated
Dedication
Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church or other sacred building. It also refers to the inscription of books or other artifacts when these are specifically addressed or presented to a particular person. This practice, which once was used to gain the patronage and support of...
on September 4, 2010, before Michigan's first home football game of the 2010 season
2010 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2010 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Michigan played its home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan and competed in the Big Ten Conference. The season was the first since the renovation of...
against the University of Connecticut, with a listed capacity of 109,901.
Lights and night games
After the renovation, the stadium continued to lack lights, although platforms for temporary lights were included in the design. In September 2010, a few days after the rededication, the University of Michigan's Board of Regents approved a plan to add permanent lights, at a cost of $1.8 million. The lights were first used at the men's hockey game on December 11, 2010. The first night football game in the stadium was on September 10, 2011, when the Wolverines defeated the Notre Dame Fighting IrishNotre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
35–31.
Attendance records
On September 10, 2011, Michigan Stadium drew its largest attendance for a football game to date. A crowd of 114,804 saw Michigan2011 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 2011 Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolverines play in the Legends Division of the Big Ten Conference and play their home games at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which hosted its first...
defeat Notre Dame
2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 2011 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represents the University of Notre Dame in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Fighting Irish are led by second year head coach Brian Kelly and play their home games at Notre Dame Stadium...
, 35–31, setting a post-1948 NCAA collegiate football attendance record. (A 1927 Notre Dame – Southern California game at Soldier Field
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, prior to NCAA record keeping for attendance, drew an estimated 117,000 – 123,000.)
In 2010, Michigan set an NCAA record for average attendance at home games, with an average of 111,825 fans.
With an attendance of 104,173, "The Big Chill at the Big House" set the record attendance for a hockey game. The previous record of 77,803 was set in the opening game of the 2010 IIHF World Championship
2010 IIHF World Championship
The 2010 IIHF World Championship was the 74th IIHF World Championship, an annual international ice hockey tournament. It took place between 7 and 23 May 2010 in Germany. The games were played in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, SAP Arena in Mannheim, and one game at Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen...
on May 7, 2010 at Veltins-Arena
Veltins-Arena
Veltins-Arena is a football stadium in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It opened in 2001, as the new home ground for German Bundesliga club Schalke 04....
, a retractable-roof soccer stadium in Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
| Rank | Attendance | Date | Game result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 114,804 | Sept. 10, 2011 | Michigan 35, Notre Dame 31 |
| 2 | 114,132 | Nov. 26, 2011 | Michigan 40, Ohio State 34 |
| 3 | 113,718 | Nov. 19, 2011 | Michigan 45, Nebraska 17 |
| 4 | 113,090 | Sept. 4, 2010 | Michigan 30, Connecticut 10 |
| 5 | 113,065 | Oct. 9, 2010 | Michigan 17, Michigan State 34 |
| 6 | 112,784 | Oct. 16, 2010 | Michigan 28, Iowa 38 |
| 7 | 112,276 | Nov. 20, 2010 | Michigan 28, Wisconsin 48 |
| 8 | 112,118 | Nov. 22, 2003 | Michigan 35, Ohio State 21 |
| 9 | 112,115 | Oct. 29, 2011 | Michigan 36, Purdue 14 |
| 10 | 111,941 | Nov. 17, 2007 | Michigan 3, Ohio State 14 |