Michigan Daily: "Slippery Rock officials say they are exploring a football game at Michigan Stadium"

Submitted by BlueBarron on

https://www.michigandaily.com/sports/10-slippery-rock-exploring-footbal…

Edit: Just to clarify, NOT against Michigan, but against another D-II team.

Slippery Rock is looking to play a game in the Big House next year. I was the photographer who went with the Daily on this trip last Saturday (wife day) and everyone there was so excited about the possibility to play at the Big House.

I would also like to say that the hospitality that they gave us at Slippery Rock was fantastic. They treated me and our reporter incredibly well (we were basically John U. Bacon when he followed Rodriguez). We met the coach, the president, and they were all so excited to talk to us. Slippery Rock is definitely my 2nd favorite team after last weekend.

By the way, Slippery Rock lost to Kutztown 56-49 after a controversial last minute fumble near the Kutztown endzone. Slippery Rock trailed Kutztown 42-21 at the half, but rallied to gain a lead of 49-42 at one point in the 4th. Regardless of the outcome, the game was a lot of fun, and I encourage every Michigan fan to make the trip to a Slippery Rock game at least once in their lifetime.

Lionsfan

October 4th, 2012 at 6:14 PM ^

That would be pretty cool. Maybe have it the bye week? Include it in student season tickets, and open up an option for season ticket holders. See if we can break the FCS attendance record and treat it like another football saturday

FrankMurphy

October 4th, 2012 at 6:17 PM ^

This would be an awesome thing to do during a bye week.  When they played a game at the Big House in '79, it drew over 60,000 people. 

People will come, Ray. They'll come to the Big House and root for Slippery Rock for reasons they can't even fathom.

An Angelo's Addict

October 4th, 2012 at 6:20 PM ^

I'm a litle younger than most mgobloggers so could someone tell me when the slippery rock/michigan love connection started? My dad says they have showed slippery rock scores on the stadium since like the '60s but why did that start? Does slippery rock know about all this? I love me some slippery rock

WolvinLA2

October 4th, 2012 at 6:26 PM ^

From Wikipedia:

The announcement of Slippery Rock's football scores is a tradition at University of Michigan Football games, begun in 1959 by Michigan Stadium's public address announcer Steve Filipiak.[7] Slippery Rock was so popular with U of M fans that on Sept. 29, 1979, they played in-state rival Shippensburg at Michigan Stadium, in front of 61,143 fans, a record for a Division II football game (Shippensburg won, 45-14). Slippery Rock played a second game at "The Big House" in 1981, attracting 36,719 fans in a 14-13 loss to Wayne State University.

LSAClassOf2000

October 4th, 2012 at 7:55 PM ^

That's closer to the truth than you may think. A few statistics...

Slippery Rock averages 39.4 points per game this year. The Big XII conference average is 40.9

Slippery Rock averages 198 yards rushing per game.  The Big XII conference averages 200.2 yards per game rushing.

Slippery rock is significantly below the Big XII in average passing yards per game, but not terribly far behind the Big Ten and SEC, and they are in the neighborhood of the Big Ten when it comes to average total offense. 

I was only three the last time Slippery Rock came to Ann Arbor, but I would definitely go if this game came to be reality. Cool story, OP, and thanks for sharing it. 

 

chris1709

October 4th, 2012 at 6:39 PM ^

If they included the game in season tickets and students, then made the tickets $5, I could see  50,000 +.

MGoVictory

October 4th, 2012 at 7:25 PM ^

I was in attendance at the "Bash at the Big House", a 2004 matchup between Grand Valley and Michigan Tech played at the Big House in front of 50,123. I think a Grand Valley - Slippery Rock matchup would set a new Division II attendance record.

M-Wolverine

October 4th, 2012 at 7:32 PM ^

Sounds like the perfect bye week football fix, all the fun, none of the stress. Here's some marketing that should make no one complain about Brandon.

M-Dog

October 4th, 2012 at 9:38 PM ^

The team I want to see play during the bye week is Delaware.  

If you drink enough at your pre-game tailgate, you won't even realize it's not Michigan by the time the game starts.