Michigan Stadium seating: what is Row B?

Submitted by Wendyk5 on

After reading all the posts I could find on the subject, I'm still unclear about what Row B is. I'm looking at tickets in Section 21 for the Michigan State game. Does anyone have any ideas? thanks! 

wiper

September 6th, 2012 at 2:14 PM ^

they're recruit tickets.

head basketball coach at the HS i teach at has steered multiple kids (prescott burgess, mario, carl diggs i think) to michigan and his brother played in the early 80's so he gets 4 tickets to every home game 2 rows from the UM sideline. normally he takes kids up, sometimes he doesn't.

central michigan maybe 5 or 6 years ago he gave the tickets to me, another teacher and 2 friends. had sideline passes but they wouldn't give them to us when we tried to redeem them because they're only for recruits. tried to pass my short buddy off as a kicker, no dice. haha

of course, when you're 80ish rows below where you walk in, it takes a while to get out.

of course part 2: that game was the first game in michigan stadium history to have a weather delay. lighting and pouring (POURING) rain for about an hour. we turn around as the teams are ducking into the locker rooms and there are about 108,000 people above us with the same intentions of going back to their cars.

by the time we got to the golf course they were announcing 15 minutes to stretch and resume.

but yeah, pretty sure rows A and B behind the bench are for recruits and coaches.

justingoblue

September 6th, 2012 at 11:21 AM ^

I don't like it as well. I've done it once as a kid at the United Center (on the glass) and once at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati (second row), which was extra ridiculous because the first row is actually at field level; I had to be standing to regularly see over their OL when they were on defense.

Seems like it would work out better in the corners when seeing over the team isn't a concern, or for a sport like basketball where the court isn't huge and there isn't anything in your line of sight.

unWavering

September 6th, 2012 at 11:12 AM ^

My freshman year I had tickets in row B.  They were in the Southwest corner of the stadium, 2 rows up from the action.  Actually kind of crappy seats for how close they were to the field.

True Blue Grit

September 6th, 2012 at 11:27 AM ^

Another issue is how freakin hot it is down there if it's a high temperature day.  We sat in the 2nd row for that 1995 (I believe that was the year) game against Virginia.  That was probably the hottest weather game I can remember going to  and down by the field it was even worse.  Many people left, but fortunately we didn't and were there to see the exciting finish with Mercury Hayes hauling in the game winner.

Princetonwolverine

September 6th, 2012 at 11:23 AM ^

I had row 5, 40 yard line seats for the 1973 Ohio State 10-10 tie. Couldn't see a damn thing except the total let down of the endzone fans with the missed field goal at the end. The players were standing the entire game.

inthebluelot

September 6th, 2012 at 11:27 AM ^

years ago, along with Row A when there were issues with the way the field drained.  As a result, they dug down lower and installed pumps under the field to help with this, thus creating the space to add two additional rows.  It is a great spot if the play is right in front of you, but it's a bit tough to see if you are in one corner and the play is opposite you.  Section 21 should be pretty solid.  I sit in 24, and it is a glorious palce to be, but I'm not in Row B.

*One other negative is the seat height is much lower down there, so if you have long legs, you may be uncomfortable.

Wave83

September 6th, 2012 at 11:45 AM ^

I am not sure you are right.  The lowered field (in the 1990s, I think) did make the views from the lower rows better (because the seats became higher relative to the field), but I think the origin of Rows A and B was the elimination of old box seats.  I have read that there used to be boxes low down (I think until the mid-60s -- no later).  When they got rid of the boxes, they had room for a couple more rows and didn't want to renumber the entire stadium.

I am putting this together from different sources I've read.  I would be interested if someone has the definitive story.

jmblue

September 6th, 2012 at 12:06 PM ^

I thought Rows A and B were the additional 800 seats added in the 1992 expansion (which accompanied the lowering of the field and raised capacity from 101,701 to 102,501) - although now that I think about it, there must be more than 800 total seats in those two rows.  If so, I wonder if we removed seats elsewhere.

Wave83

September 6th, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^

You may be right.  Apparently boxes were removed and replaced by bleachers (as I said), but in 1973, a little later than I thought.  However, in 1991, they did add "two rows to the lower seating area of the stadium that raised capacity to 102,501" at the time they lowered the field.  So, I guess you are right that rows A and B were part of the 1991 expansion.

Here is a link to the official history of the Stadium:  http://www.umich.edu/stadium/history/ 

MH20

September 6th, 2012 at 11:26 AM ^

I once sat in row 1 of section 3, for the '07 PSU game.  I had to stand almost the entire game just to see over the players on the sideline.  Kind of a cool perspective (feel really close to the action) but a little too "zoomed in" for me.  I like my seats in row 21.

oldblue

September 6th, 2012 at 11:27 AM ^

I have no idea when young folks changed the definition of what is a good seat.  Historically, the closer one got to the 50 yard line, the better the seat.  Student seats always used to be given out that way, with one moving towards the 50 as you became a senior. Now, as students get older, their seats get lower, and they think that is better.  This can only be because they want to be on TV more than they want to actually watch the game.  I have sat in Row B (These rows exist because there used to be "box seats" in front of Row 1, and one of the renovations a couple of decades ago removed the boxes and put in Rows A and B), and you cannot see the game AT ALL.  Plan to watch it on the scoreboard.

Perkis-Size Me

September 6th, 2012 at 11:34 AM ^

There are a couple lettered rows at the bottom. They are the true first rows. Managed to get down there during the '08 Wisconsin game. Personally, I don't want to be down that low. They're amazing for those goal line situations in the game, but I like to be a little higher up so I can see the whole field and have a good vantage point. I was in row 27 this past year, right behind the band, and I loved our seats.

Wendyk5

September 6th, 2012 at 11:35 AM ^

Thanks all for the info. I usually sit in the teens and 20's, but I can't seem to find enough tickets in those rows, so it's either up or down. I'm thinking up is better.

Gitback

September 6th, 2012 at 11:49 AM ^

Which is right where the pole for the field goal net is, south endzone "ROW A".  For my money, these are the best Non-PSL seats in the house.  You're 6 feet above the playing field, so people standing around the perimeter of the field don't block your view, you get a better perspective of the game from behind the lines (as opposed to the side-on TV view) and plays in that end zone are "right there."  When the action heads to the other side it gets a little less compelling, but the nice new score boards alleviate that somewhat.  

What makes up for it is the fact that we we're front and center for Tate's TD run against ND, Roundtree's catch last year, Denard's fumble pick up and run in (which my wife got a GREAT shot of with just her iPhone), Manningham's catch against Penn State, Chris Perry's TD in OT... AWESOME.  OTOH, Braylonfest basically took place on the entire opposite end from us.

robbyt003

September 6th, 2012 at 11:54 AM ^

Last year I was all excited because I had row 1 seats and they were seats 1-4.  Well come to find out, row 1 is actually the 3rd row (stupid A and B) AND seats 1-4 were not aisle seats, they were in the middle of the section.  FAIL

emozilla

September 6th, 2012 at 12:49 PM ^

When I got my first season tickets last year I was also super pumped to have received seats 1 and 2. Little did I know. But actually the tickets are great all things considering (Section 5, Row 17). I only had to make one $500 PSD to get them. I think the key was the deadline for PSDs that year was in the middle of the Rich Rod firing saga. Buy low, sell high :D

BubbaT33

September 6th, 2012 at 11:58 AM ^

The guy who has those seats must put them out there on a regular basis . . . they are in the second row near the Defensive Bench seating.  We sat there for the Ohio game last year.  The only issue is the camera people can block your view sometimes!  Great seats -- Great Atmosphere (the guys were giving away stuff to the fans)!

Greg McMurtry

September 6th, 2012 at 12:26 PM ^

the video cameraman with the glass shield blocking things from being thrown at him from the late '90s early '00s?  I recall giant spit wads, marshmallows and combos being thrown at this guy.  During one game, the plastic shield fell off, accompanied by a chorus of "uh ooooh" from the fans as we all knew that cameran was in deep trouble.

rtsannes62992

September 6th, 2012 at 12:57 PM ^

Used to have season tickets in row b. It is overall a fun experience, but I much rather have row 76 where my tickets are now. Row b is too close to really see any parts of the game and be able to see how things develop. I love sitting up higher.

BOGEY

September 6th, 2012 at 1:19 PM ^

The rows go...
A,B,1,2,3,4 and so on.. So row A is row 1 and row 1 is actually row 3..

This reminds me of the scene in white men can't jump when she wants the glass of water

mGrowOld

September 6th, 2012 at 1:39 PM ^

Absolutely nothing to do with Row B but the location of the seat did remind of my most embarrassing national TV moment.  When I was a senior I had seats on the floor for BBall back in the day (81) when the seats were actually on the floor.  Mine were adjacent to the visitors's bench (students were all over the place back then) and we had a really big game against Indiana (Bobby Knight, Isiah Thomas, future National Champs) that day.

Well on a play where the ball went out of bounds it rolled right up to me and with the cameras all rolling and lights all focused  I stood up, picked it up the ball and handed to the ref.  Unfortunately for me the seat folded back up when I stood and in my excitement for having the ball and being on national TV I forgot this little fact and sat right back down - on my ass on the floor.  Which the TV cameras caught and replayed several times i've been told;

Thank God this was before the interwebs & you tube.

BradfordHChase

September 6th, 2012 at 2:56 PM ^

I had Row A tickets in the Student Section for the 2007 season (yes, that means I was that close to The Horror, which should forgive me for the below).  Given the inauspicious start to that season, I'd already started to bond a bit through mutual commiseration with the press camera people that took up shop on the sidelines in that endzone corner.

To this day, I still have no idea why he was in attendance, but Drew Bledsoe (Washington State) was at the Notre Dame game in Week 3 and naturally had field passes.  I suppose as also expected, Erin Andrews managed to corral him for an interview more or less right in front of me.  During the course of the interview my fellow Wolverines were yelling the standard, "hey Drew" or "give me high five Drew" dribble.  Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you I wasn't drinking at all that day, but let's just say it was enough that my brain said, "just go with it man" when the first thought popped into my head.

And so I yelled, "Hey Drew, thanks for getting injured so that Tom Brady could be awesome!!!"

Needless to say, he finished the interview and did not make his way over to the student section for obligatory high fives.  The coolest field camera guy was clearly trying not to laugh, but also turned and mouthed something like "that was SO mean."  I was reminded recently, when ESPN did an article on the 10 year anniversary of the injury that allowed Tom Brady to "be awesome," of how horrific Drew's injury really was; so, yeah, it was kind of mean.  But whatever, he had no business being at that game other than to remind the general public that "hey, remember me, I was a real QB once."

Moral of the story - Row A and Row B - you have some power.  Use it wisely.

MGoBrewMom

September 6th, 2012 at 4:46 PM ^

Which is Row A. A is a beautiful place to be. No one in front of you except camera people, cheerleaders and general sideline folk (recruits, Erin Andrews, famous football alum, etc). I've had these seats since1991... got to see Desmond pose from them..Charles pick off OSU as a Freshman (??! I think freshman year).

Row B does not suck.