LEAD

The Growth of the Big House

By Kat Koehl
March 16, 2010



Every fall, thousands of students trek to our beloved football stadium. Its majestic design and imposing size are a point of pride for every Wolverine. Michigan Stadium has a legacy of being one of the largest college sports facilities. Yet the Big House was not always the behemoth it is today. It is the product of progress, of systematic additions and the desire to push boundaries.

Way back in the early 1900's, the football team played at Regents Field, which was where Schembechler Hall is today. After Fielding Yost became head coach, the football program experienced a dramatic turnaround. The 800-seat grandstand at Regents Field could not accommodate all the spectators who flocked to watch their blossoming team. Ferry Field, now the outdoor track facility, was built in 1906 and housed the football team until 1927. Capacity there was originally 18,000 but expanded to 40,000 seats. When it became clear that the growing demand from spectators was unable to be satisfied, Yost requested that a new stadium be built, one that was worthy of housing his dream team.

Even though other Big Ten teams like Ohio State, Illinois, Northwestern, and Purdue had already built new grandstands, Yost's proposal was met with hesitation and skepticism. Since the current location, Ferry Field, had recently been expanded, the Regents of the University were reserved about funding such a massive project. Public opinion fell all over the wide spectrum between declaring a new stadium a necessity and declaring such a plan to be evil. Many were afraid that building a new stadium would put too much emphasis on athletics. The University's academic achievements would be overshadowed by sports. Yost was persistent, and his plan was finally approved in April 1926. 440 tons of steel and 22 miles of California redwood were used to build the new 84,401 seat facility. The $950,000 bill was not paid for with state-collected taxes, but by the sale of bonds that entitled the holder to season tickets every year from 1927 to 1936. Because the water table was very high, the ground soon became so soggy that it resembled quicksand. It is rumored that a construction crane was swallowed up and remains under the stadium to this day. Yost had to compromise on capacity of the stadium, making it smaller than he had hoped for. Yet with ingenuity he was able to ensure that one day Michigan Stadium would become as enormous as he wanted. The stadium was built with movable footings that allowed for easy expansion. It is shocking to think that if not for this foresight, the Big House could not have grown to its present size.

Michigan Stadium opened on October 1, 1927 with a game against Ohio Wesleyan. Skeptics pondered the effect a new home would have on the Michigan team. But the Wolverines (with some luck from the single four leaf clover planted on the field) emerged victorious. In 1930, new electronic scoreboards were installed and Michigan became the first stadium to use them to keep the official game time. Over the next forty years, two expansions increased capacity to 101,001 seats. The $700,000 press box was built and new fiberglass bleachers were installed. During this time, the tradition of ending capacity with 1 extra seat, in honor of Athletic Director Fritz Crisler, began. The Big House also received new scoreboards that included number of timeouts and the position of ball.

November 8, 1975 began the continuing streak of having over 100,000 fans in attendance. By 1998 capacity had topped at 107,501 and the Big House was the biggest house in the nation. The official attendance record stands at 112,118 (this is including stadium staff and band members.) Renovations began again in 2008, and capacity is currently diminished to 106,201. These changes will add 83 luxury boxes and 3,200 club seats to the stadium, as well as a new press box. When construction finishes, Michigan will regain its glory as the largest college stadium with 108,000 seats. The size of stadium will nearly match the population of Ann Arbor!


Michigan Stadium, "The hole that Yost dug, Crisler paid for, Canham carpeted, and Schembechler fills every cotton-pickin' Saturday afternoon," is an impressive piece of architecture. It stands as a testament to the quest for glory. The Big House has grown with the university, and will undoubtedly remain a main fixture in the lives of all Wolverines.