U-M Indoor Track Building hosts final event ever Saturday

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

The final lap for the U-M Indoor Track Building will happen this Saturday when both Men's and Women's Track teams host the Silverston Invitational.

After 40 years, the building will shut down and prepare for a summer demolition. 

Built in 1974-75 as the U-M Indoor Track and Tennis Building, the then-shiny new building was created on the site of the long forgotten Ferry Field Tennis Courts that were installed back in early 20s-

The Building eventually changed it's name to the U-M Indoor Track Building once that Varsity Tennis Center was completed in 1997, allowing Michigan to host all of their tennis matches on University property as opposed to when they used Liberty Sports Complex as their outdoor home for matches.

Michigan's track teams combined for 12 B1G Indoor Championships while at the Indoor Track Building. It hosted the B1G Championships in 1977, 1984, 1994 and 2004 with BOTH the Men and Women capturing the B1G Championship in 1994 in arguably the 'Building's finest hour. 

Probably the most recent famous video that was shot at the Indoor Track Building was when a freshman Denard Robinson won the 60M dash against Ohio State.

 

As mentioned, the Indoor Track Building will be demolished this summer along with.....sigh....Ferry Field. Unlike the indoor facility, Ferry Field does not get a final event. It has been deemed no longer in shape to host competitions and will sadly be turned into a parking lot. 

Here is the map of what the athletic campus will look like once all renovations are completed. Keep in mind, this map won't be a complete reality for another 3-4 years.

1- Site of the new unnamed outdoor and indoor track stadiums

2- Site of the current U-M Indoor Track Building. The building you see at the #2 slot is the future unnamed sports arena that will replace Cliff Keen Arena which will be built in 2017.

3- Ferry Field after it becomes a parking lot. Very, very sad.

Here are photos of the unnamed indoor track stadium that will open next winter-