Next Stadium Expansion - The Latest News

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August 19th, 2011 at 11:49 AM
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MichiganPhotoRod
Joined: 08/04/2009
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Next Stadium Expansion - The Latest News

Michigan Athletic Director David Brandon confirmed with me in a one-on-one interview on media day that a working design is ready for the next stadium expansion, which would start on the south end zone.

The specs include all-bleacher seating, which will rise up to enclose the spaces between the sideline structures to the scoreboard at a height that the scoreboard will appear as if it is "set into" the new seating area.

The design would also make the seating appear like a second deck, as a concourse will be included in the new construction below the new seating.  Brandon said the waiting list for season tickets supports the expansion.

He offered no thoughts on a how soon he would take this project to the Regents for approval.  He said the south end zone expansion would increase the stadium's capacity by 6,000.

This can only mean that a similar NORTH expansion would follow at another time in the future to balance the stadium's appearance from within the bowl.

With this updated information, one can reasonably conclude that including a north expansion of an additional 6,000 seats, we can project the capacity of Michigan Stadium will eventually increase to at or near 122,000 (and 1).

 

A proud first member of the Hoke Pointed at Me Club since 1/12/11.

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August 19th, 2011 at 11:52 AM | Excellent.  [steeples (Score:5 Normal)
BlueDragon
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Joined: 11/14/2010
MGoPoints: 16707

Excellent.  [steeples fingers]

Abort, Retry, Fail?

August 19th, 2011 at 11:55 AM | disappointing that we will (Score:1)
UMfan21
Joined: 09/28/2009
MGoPoints: 1769

disappointing that we will never crack 200,000 but having an "upper deck"/concourse seating would make me smile.

August 19th, 2011 at 12:16 PM | i hope it's not a true (Score:5 Normal)
andrewG
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i hope it's not a true upper-deck; i really want them to preserve the historic bowl shape of the stadium if possible. all for packing 120k+ into the stadium though.

August 19th, 2011 at 12:43 PM | While I appreciate the bowl shape... (Score:5 Normal)
The Barwis Effect
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...an upper deck with a slight overhang would help hold crowd noise in even better than the two existing structures.

"[T]here were a lot of people predicting glorious heights for Rich; mostly the same people who are predicting doom and gloom [for Hoke]. Excuse me if I doubt their prognostication skills." -- M-Wolverine

August 19th, 2011 at 7:03 PM |   ya, a true upper deck (Score:2)
andrewG
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ya, a true upper deck would definitely help with noise level, but so would you know... being louder. i'm not for sacrificing the iconic bowl so we can artificially gain a few decibels on the field. one of the great things about the big house is that it's so easily recognizable with its classic look.

August 19th, 2011 at 2:22 PM | Ha! (Score:2 Normal)
IronDMK
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You just said what I was thinking!

"Bend over and I'll show you."  Perfect answer to nearly any question.

August 19th, 2011 at 7:04 PM | i hope it wasn't your own (Score:2)
andrewG
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i hope it wasn't your own bathroom

August 19th, 2011 at 1:38 PM | Well, we may eventually get (Score:1)
RONick
Joined: 02/04/2009
MGoPoints: 656

Well, we may eventually get to 200,000... it'll just never happen in our lifetimes!

August 20th, 2011 at 7:34 AM | HD (Score:1)
jshclhn
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MGoPoints: 495

Now that there's HD in our collective living rooms, I don't know that there will ever be a 200k+ stadium anywhere in the world.

Glad to see that Brandon has something up his sleeve to ensure that we're always the largest crowd watching a football game in America.

Crunch. Zip. Live to fight another day.

August 20th, 2011 at 8:35 AM | Agreed (Score:2)
RowoneEndzone
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Especially in 5 years when we all hace 3D.  That will make going to games harder to justify for a lot of people.

"Wasn't that Michigan drive just great.  That's like Patton riding into Berlin." ~Bob Ufer

August 20th, 2011 at 8:37 PM | can (Score:2 Underrated)
jaggs
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you tailgate the golf course in 3D? Crush a 12 pack before the game in 3D while playing ladder golf?

Being an out-of-towner (Hamilton, ON) going to the actual game is only a part of the fan experience. The tailgate, the hotel the night before, and spending Saturday night in Ann Arbor all make it an experience that I could never get at home even if in 3D.

August 22nd, 2011 at 7:48 AM | Preaching to the wrong man, I (Score:2)
RowoneEndzone
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Preaching to the wrong man, I drive in from Rochester, NY. I was addressing the trend that is going on nationally. More and more people like sitting on their ass and watching games on TV b/c it is easier.

"Wasn't that Michigan drive just great.  That's like Patton riding into Berlin." ~Bob Ufer

August 19th, 2011 at 11:56 AM | Little brother (Score:-1 Flamebait)
August 19th, 2011 at 11:57 AM | Awww yeee (Score:5 Normal)
goblueram
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Seems like it could be more than 6,000 extra seats 

August 19th, 2011 at 11:58 AM | That is what (Score:1)
MichiganPhotoRod
Joined: 08/04/2009
MGoPoints: 390

That is what I was thinking too when he stated it.

A proud first member of the Hoke Pointed at Me Club since 1/12/11.

August 19th, 2011 at 3:09 PM | It's the right thought... (Score:3 Normal)
Section 1
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You are just over-estimating the number of rows.  By virtue of there being a concourse, the rows will start higher.  And the height of the scoreboard is not all that great.  I am not sure how many rows will be added; it won't be all that many.

One other thing.  In the hypothetical photoshop job (nice work, incidentally) it appears that the back of the new rows will be just scaffold-like.  And in fact, it is my vague undrstanding that it would be a grand, bricked-in concourse, just like the two new concourses.  With interior room for yet more infrastructure.  (Yay! More bathrooms.  Yay!  A gigantic M-Den.  Yay!  More party space.)

And one more thing:  I don't think this is about filling the overflow demand for Michigan football.  I'm not sure how much of that there is.

Rest assured; this is all about saying "Ours is bigger."  It is about bragging rights.  Being the biggest stadium of all.

 

 

August 19th, 2011 at 3:24 PM | Brick would be cool. (Score:2)
goblueram
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This is really sloppy and done quickly, but looks nice from afar

August 19th, 2011 at 3:31 PM | More like it... (Score:1)
Section 1
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...would be to photoshop a 'cut' image of the East concourse into the North endzone, nad bent around the corners.  (And that is of course Phase II in any event.)  It would have that sort of volume to it.  At least, that is how the South Concourse (The Dave and Jan Brandon Family Concourse, naturally) will appear.  Anyway, nice effort once again.

 

 

August 19th, 2011 at 3:42 PM | hopefully it means more room (Score:1)
Blue in Seattle
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for each seat.  I would be nice to have true adult hip room for each section of bench.

I'm going to check the Bentley archive, but I think one of the expansions in the Bo era was just repainting the numbers on the benches to make each "seat" an inch narrower.

afterall, 5% more room would be 5000 less seats.  Plus keeping the wheel chair access portion in alignment costs space.

Do you think they'll put in a Daycare with Ballroom for people bringing their younger children who can't sit still for 3 hours +?

Hey maybe that's where the new wolverine mascot will be?!?  hey kids, stay here in the ballroom with Willie the Wolverine!  Now he's not a ferocious animal who is willing to fight bear and moose, he's cute and cuddly, just like Sparty.  See Sparty, sure he has a sword, but that's fake, just like the foam skin and muscles aren't real,

Whee!  yay for game day experience for toddlers!  glad we didn't leave them behind by keeping with tradition.

"That's all there is...there isn't anymore"

August 19th, 2011 at 12:05 PM | I'm wondering that as well. (Score:1)
BlueVoix
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I'm wondering that as well.  Maybe Brandon meant that it would only include two sections (four total), enclosing the scoreboards on both sides?  That would look kind of goofy though.

August 19th, 2011 at 12:06 PM | Is it just me? (Score:3 Normal)
woodfeld
Joined: 07/31/2008
MGoPoints: 60

Is it just me or does this expansion kill any further expansion opportunities?  If they just continue to extend the bleacher seats out and engulf the new scoreboards w/o it being a 2nd deck, I can't foresee where/how they could expand further.

August 19th, 2011 at 12:22 PM | now you're just getting (Score:2)
andrewG
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now you're just getting greedy!

August 19th, 2011 at 12:49 PM | I don't see that at all (Score:3 Normal)
MichiganPhotoRod
Joined: 08/04/2009
MGoPoints: 390

While Brandon stated the new expansion will appear as a second deck, I don't believe it will be as how we think of a traditional second deck.  I believe a true second deck could be placed above these new additions some day.  That we will leave for the next generation.  Today, a 122,000-seat stadium sounds rather nice.

A proud first member of the Hoke Pointed at Me Club since 1/12/11.

August 19th, 2011 at 12:56 PM | Not necessarily (Score:3 Normal)
maizenblueCW2
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we'd just start building straight up, like the Quidditch World Cup in the Goblet of Fire movie:

[I remember better shots of this stadium in the movie, but alas, I refuse to go more than 2 pages back in Google images.]

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.

-RIP Mitch

August 19th, 2011 at 1:12 PM | Yep (Score:5 Normal)
Bronco648
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It'll eventually look like the Imperial Senate (w/o Yoda).

Nobody home...

August 21st, 2011 at 1:19 AM | By the time we have another (Score:1)
GoBluefromOkemos
Joined: 08/05/2011
MGoPoints: 83

By the time we have another expansion the suites and the scoreboard will be outdated so we will probably replace them.

August 19th, 2011 at 1:30 PM | I love that we're expanding (Score:2 Normal)
WolvinLA2
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I love that we're expanding because of our wait list for tickets and my brother-in-law has 8 tickets to USC's opener against Minnesota that he can't hardly give away.  It will only be harder next fall when they're competing for ticket sales with the LA Chargers.

August 19th, 2011 at 2:42 PM | Maybe not (Score:2)
Gary_B
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You would think that the seats would not extend past line of sight areas near the new video boards as well as the suites. There will probably be some sort of facade to make it aesthetically pleasing. Also, the "upper deck" will probably be shallow and steeper to keep it closer to the field.

August 19th, 2011 at 3:26 PM | But they'll almost certainly (Score:1)
jmblue
Joined: 11/07/2008
MGoPoints: 28961

But they'll almost certainly widen the seats in the bowl down the road, which will reduce the number of seats per row. 

August 19th, 2011 at 4:02 PM | Your rendering, while cool, (Score:2 Normal)
oriental andrew
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Your rendering, while cool, is a bit off.  Most glaring thing is that the seats are set back from the scoreboard in the south endzone, but even with the scoreboard in the north endzone.  North endzone bleachers should be similarly set back.  Ditto the seats wrapping around to the concourses. 

And a minor note is that I'd guess the seats would angle away from the scoreboards to improve sightlines. 

All in all though nice job on the quick photoshop.  Definitely looks all the more imposing!

For my privacy, my new username is "non-Oriental non-Andrew"
 

August 19th, 2011 at 11:59 AM | Projected expansion (Score:0)
August 19th, 2011 at 12:04 PM | That is crazy huge (Score:0 Overrated)
August 19th, 2011 at 12:08 PM | I don't think I like this (Score:0 Normal)
August 19th, 2011 at 12:09 PM | As a side note, (Score:5 Normal)
goblueram
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the lighted-up "MICHIGAN STADIUM" lettering on the scoreboard looks absolutely glorious at night.  

August 19th, 2011 at 3:53 PM | On a related note (Score:1)
BlueDragon
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Did they fix the broken "T" in STADIUM on the south endzone yet?

Abort, Retry, Fail?

August 19th, 2011 at 12:18 PM | How many seats did Fielding (Score:1)
althegreat23
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How many seats did Fielding Yost predict the Big House would hold? 150,000 or something like that. It sounds like he's getting closer to being correct.

"A Michigan Man will coach a Michigan Team"

August 19th, 2011 at 3:30 PM | He wanted 150,000 seats, but (Score:1)
jmblue
Joined: 11/07/2008
MGoPoints: 28961

He wanted 150,000 seats, but didn't get it.  Stadium lore holds that he had footings put in to allow for 140-150K seats  - but keep in mind that people in the 1920s were smaller than they are now.   I personally think it's doubtful the stadium's capacity will exceed 120K.  Individual seats will be widened (they actually just were, but it's still a snug fit), and I wouldn't be surprised if the bleachers were eventually replaced with actual chairs someday.  There is also an incentive for the AD not to have too many available seats, to drive up demand.

August 20th, 2011 at 7:36 PM | Footings (Score:2 Normal)
hillhaus
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Robert M. Soderstrom mentions in BIG HOUSE that Yost had strong enough footings put in to support a second deck.

Somewhat pointless to consider now that the luxury boxes are on the sides.

August 19th, 2011 at 12:30 PM | They better make sure they (Score:3 Normal)
Croatian_Blue
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They better make sure they don't have too many obstructed view seats like they did with the old press box.

...or they could just stick the visiting fans there so they can't see squat.

August 19th, 2011 at 12:53 PM | I was thinking the same (Score:1)
ArrogantYellow
Joined: 10/02/2010
MGoPoints: 162

I was thinking the same thing.   But here's my question.  They keep throwing out the 6,000 additional seats, but how many rows does that equate to?  Anyone know how many seats are in the last row of each section in the end zone?

August 19th, 2011 at 1:01 PM | Rows (Score:1)
MichiganPhotoRod
Joined: 08/04/2009
MGoPoints: 390

At one point a couple of years ago media relations director Bruce Madej said in an interview they had plans for expanding in the end zones another approx. 29 rows.  This equates to approx. 3 or 4 rows down in the bowl from the upper entry in the end zone all the way up to the current top.

A proud first member of the Hoke Pointed at Me Club since 1/12/11.

August 19th, 2011 at 1:14 PM | ...or they could just stick (Score:2 Normal)
Bronco648
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...or they could just stick the visiting fans there so they can't see squat.

+1 =D

Nobody home...

August 19th, 2011 at 2:18 PM | Dave Brandon already said (Score:3 Normal)
DIABEETUS
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Dave Brandon already said that the visiting fan tickets will be up in the new seating by the scoreboards. He said this at the annual event staff meeting last month.

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August 19th, 2011 at 12:30 PM | I just don't want it to look like the horseshoe... (Score:2 Normal)
Michigan Stadiu...
Joined: 07/28/2010
MGoPoints: 232

Think about it.  One end is enclosed.  The other isn't.  High on the sides.  Don't want to copy that monstrosity.

August 19th, 2011 at 1:14 PM | that was my first concern (Score:3 Normal)
corncobb
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I had the pleasure of working on the stadium expansion for a couple years. while i was there i was told that the footings were put in place for expanded bleacher seating while the scoreboards were being prepped before last season. it was my understanding that both sides were ready for bleachers. it did not take long to replace the bleachers where the old press box stood, so i think they could expand north and south endzones simultaneously to avoid looking like the toilet bowl.

"And all I ever wanted was a good job and some bus fare, a rocket and a bomb."- Michael Knott
August 19th, 2011 at 3:35 PM | You notice it in Ohio Stadium (Score:1)
jmblue
Joined: 11/07/2008
MGoPoints: 28961

You notice it in Ohio Stadium not so much because one end is taller than the other, but because of the shape of the stadium - three-fourths of the stadium is curved and the other fourth is a straight line.  That's not what we're talking about here.

Don't forget that for a full decade (1998-2008), we had an asymmetric stadium, in which the east side had a "notch" because its rows didn't go up as high as in the rest of the stadium.  Fans hardly noticed.

August 20th, 2011 at 2:51 PM | ohio stadium is probably the (Score:0 Normal)
August 20th, 2011 at 5:19 PM | As much as I hate to say it, (Score:0 Trolling)
August 19th, 2011 at 12:36 PM | There is a limit both in (Score:1)
bluebyyou
Joined: 09/07/2009
MGoPoints: 2682

There is a limit both in terms of the number of fans who will make the pilgramage as well as the capacity of the roads.  I think, compared to many other schools, Ann Arbor does a good job of clearing the town after a game.   I haven't been at State College for a couple of years, but the last time I went there, it was awful.  Ditto for Purdue....takes hours to be able to drive around without traffic., In most cases, two hours or even less after a game, Ann Arbor is easily navigable by car.  

Sitting in Row 120 or whatever the number will be, will be pretty far from the field.

August 19th, 2011 at 1:02 PM | What is this Purdue you speak (Score:3 Normal)
BlueVoix
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What is this Purdue you speak of?

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