What would the stadium look like with the south endzone enclosed?

That's already started, unbeknownst to most people Crisler Arena was originally located on the other side of State St. but was drawn across it by the Big House's gravitational pull

design that wraps back around again while going up to keep everyone close to the action.

Well there's that, and the fact that the stadium would seat about 140,000.... and truthfully, we might not be able to fill that week in and week out like we do now.

Brandon said he would leave that option for a future AD.  He wants to be sure that demand for seats will support the first expansion before taking on a second one.

Agree, but with a cutout for the scoreboards.

I want to marry that picture. So beautiful.

I want to marry that picture. So beautiful.

I would guess that picture would fill 140,000

For one thing, it takes a hell of a lot longer than an off-season to build an underground parking structure. If you're in Ann Arbor, go check out the structure going in at South 5th and Liberty right next to the downtown library. My firm did / is doing part of the design and we have a 2008 project number. Groundbreaking was in October of 2009 and today, it still looks like a gigantic hole in the ground. Also, that one, in particular, costs upwards of 42 million dollars to build, so there's that.

You can check out the "progress webcam" here if you're interested: http://webcams.christmanco.com/underground-deck/

Some good solutions they may come up with (sarcasm):

1. Email everyone and tell them to find a carpool

2. Change the renovations in Crisler to make it into a parking garage. The basketball teams will play at the IM building or CCRB.

3. Send Dave Brandon to 5 cities in 6 days to see how those cities handle parking.

4. Invent teleporter.

The bowl is amazing in and of itself. An upper deck would look just like PSU's, and the Big House Bowl is one of the most intimidating views in sports anyway. 

When Yost designed it it was important that when you went through the gate to your seat you could instantly see the entire stadium and have a "take-your-breath-away" moment at the sheer size of the stadium. I wouldn't want to lose that with an upper deck

/read Soderstrom's book on Yost everyone, it was great

Edited:

PSU's Stadium:

Link to Soderstrom's Book: http://www.amazon.com/Big-House-Fielding-Building-Michigan/dp/1932399119/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1308066577&sr=1-1

Denard could probably still go endzone to endzone in about eleven seconds.

I was working my way down to the comment section to point out that the Big House might join the Great Wall of China as the only man-made structures visible from outer space.  Well, now we know the answer.  It's almost as big as the state of MEECHIGAN!

Is the Big House moving to Kalamazoo???

I don't think that moving the scoreboards is a major undertaking.  And relative to the cost of expanding the Stadium, this is the likely solution.

Maybe we should ask Jerry Jones

Have you seen the columns that have been put up to support the new scoreboards? I just drove past the stadium today. The columns are massive, and there are six on each side. It would not be a trivial undertaking to move the scoreboards.

The way they've been spending money on renovations and upgrades to the facilities, I suppose it's possible they might move them. But my guess is any expansion of the stadium--at least in the next decade or so--will be worked around the scoreboards.

Yost built the stadium with supports in place for a second tier to be put on the bowl. He saw football expanding rapidly and realized they would be needed someday. Foresight, brother.

Info from Bacon's history of college athletics class.

If Yost had wanted upper decks, he would have built them.

Yost wanted the stadium to hold around 140,000. The regents only agreed to finance a 70,000-seat facility (though he did make sure to have footings put in to allow for future expansion).

Brandon mentioned in DC that with the addition of more handrails and wider seating that will reduce the present capacity for the bowl section of the stadium, there may be enough demand to adding additional seats.  As I understand it, they way it's currently envisioned is that approximately 6-7,000 seats would be added, they would go around the new scoreboards and would be as high as the structures on the east and west sides of the stadium.

Brandon also mentioned that those seats at the very high end of the stadium would be set aside for visiting fans.  So when Nebraska plays in Ann Arbor and the Cornhusker fans comes en masse, that's where they will be seated.

I've been watching Michigan football games in the stadium since 1978, and with the exception of those that were limited visibility near the old press box, I really don't think there was a bad seat in the house because of the bowl structure.  Without an upper tier plus the supporting beams, etc., there really are no obstructed view seating.

I've also been up in the luxury boxes and was very surprised by how good the view appeared from up there.  For lack of a better way to describe it, it really is panoramic from up there--especially since those structures are angled toward the playing field.

Brandon mentioned in DC that with the addition of more handrails and wider seating that will reduce the present capacity for the bowl section of the stadium, there may be enough demand to adding additional seats.  As I understand it, they way it's currently envisioned is that approximately 6-7,000 seats would be added, they would go around the new scoreboards and would be as high as the structures on the east and west sides of the stadium.

Brandon also mentioned that those seats at the very high end of the stadium would be set aside for visiting fans.  So when Nebraska plays in Ann Arbor and the Cornhusker fans comes en masse, that's where they will be seated.

I've been watching Michigan football games in the stadium since 1978, and with the exception of those that were limited visibility near the old press box, I really don't think there was a bad seat in the house because of the bowl structure.  Without an upper tier plus the supporting beams, etc., there really are no obstructed view seating.

I've also been up in the luxury boxes and was very surprised by how good the view appeared from up there.  For lack of a better way to describe it, it really is panoramic from up there--especially since those structures are angled toward the playing field.

Seems like the NFL has discovered that the perfect size for a stadium is around 60 - 65K.  This gives them the best chance to fill the seats (avoid home blackouts) and be able to charge a higher than "normal" price for a ticket.  Also most NFL teams are in larger cities and that is a tough draw.

College football is significantly different.  Simply look at the number of schools that can easily draw 100K or more fans every single home game.  The larger the stadium, the harder it is to have that "close" to the field experience.  In a large stadium - unobstructed views are critical and with replay screens now, the viewing in Michigan Stadium is good everywhere (unlike at Penn State where there are seats where you cannot see the corners of the field).

The live atmosphere is why I go ... tailgating, the walk to the stadium, the band, the crowd  - it hits all senses.

Go Blue !