Michigan Stadium seating capacity reduced by 2k
Following several seating adjustments, Michigan Stadium's ticketed seating capacity has been slightly reduced.
The iconic 88-year-old Michigan Stadium remains college football's largest venue, but increasing its accessibility and configuration adjustments for major non-football events led to a decrease in the total number of seats by just over 2,000 to create the new official capacity of 107,601.
http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/080715aaa.html
August 7th, 2015 at 10:10 AM ^
Looks like 2011/13 ND games will hold the record for a while.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:36 AM ^
Maybe for this year, but it is widely speculated that the Tennessee/Virginia Tech game in 2016 will break the record for most attended college football game. It is being held in Bristol Motor Speedway, so we will keep the record for most attended game in a legitimate college football stadium for the time being
August 7th, 2015 at 10:47 AM ^
They are going to be so far away from the field. What is this a football game for ants?!
Has had similar problems.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:49 AM ^
And the sight lines will be awful. There's a ton of extra empty space between the sidelines/endzones and the front row of seats. Anyone going will not be there to watch a football game, but for the novelty of being able to say they were part of the largest crowd to ever "watch" a football game.
If you really want to watch a game, watch it at home with multiple replays and angles. Sitting 100 rows up in the corner of an end zone is really about the atmosphere, not the view.
August 7th, 2015 at 12:35 PM ^
That is going to be one of those weird records they need to put an asterisk next to. I mean, it's at a race course; to say it is a "stadium" in the usual sense is kind of a stretch. And blah, is that going to be a boring game.
As all of the plays must be run to the left.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:12 AM ^
Lame.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^
Man. Can Coca-Cola sustain a loss of 4,000 sales per home game?
August 7th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
As I understand it, Dave Brandon got 2000 seats in the divorce.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:32 AM ^
Well at least he didn't take the kids too. It's all about the kids.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:15 AM ^
Who would have thought that weddings required so many configuration adjustments?
August 7th, 2015 at 10:16 AM ^
I liked the 109,901 so much. This sucks.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:24 AM ^
It does. I hope we realize Yost's dream of 150,000. With Harbaugh as our coach and a certain 5 Nat'l Championships coming in the next 10 years I think it will need to be done.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:27 AM ^
Raise the bowl up to be level with the luxury boxes. That should add another 10k seats.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:30 AM ^
Strap card table chairs to the outside of the stadium with duct tape and charge a nickel for people to sit there. Let's get this sucker to 150k ASAP. We CAN do it. #theMichiganDifference
August 7th, 2015 at 11:50 AM ^
Seems like the Super Bowl sells a ticket to hang around outside of the stadium - or they did a year or two ago. This sounds Brandonian, but I could easily see the department sell tickets exclusive to a "Victors Experience" or somesuch that allows fans to mill around inflatable bounce houses, food trucks, shitty live Americana bands and a large game screen.
August 7th, 2015 at 12:53 PM ^
Wimbledon does this with Henman Hill. It's how I watched the 2005 Men's Final and I didn't really feel like I was missing that much in terms of atmosphere. Not bad for what I recall was a $15 ticket.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:16 AM ^
Probably due to Harbaugh's testing and input.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:17 AM ^
Poop
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August 7th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
The most noticeable changes to Stadium seating relate to ADA accessibility, as seats had to be eliminated in order to widen aisles and install hand railings around the entire bowl with the exception of the student seating section.
I'm thinking that if most of the seat reductions were in relation with the ADA then there should be no complaining.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:23 AM ^
Should. But there shall. WIth modern technology I thought they would let those with disabilites use rocket boosters to get around. The future is boring. I'm starting a kickstarter for the development of rocketbooster contraptions for those with disabilities.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
How come they can put a man on the moon but they can't make my shoes smell good?
August 7th, 2015 at 11:06 AM ^
Buy new shoes. Cut off your feet. Plenty of Options. You could cauterize all your sweat glands shut.
August 7th, 2015 at 12:10 PM ^
I volunteer.
Figures you would approve the ADA changes MeanJoe since you now have your own parking outside the Football Offices
August 7th, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^
This is 'Murica. I can damn well complain about the disabled if I please. Especially if it it's about things as meaningless as stadium seats. If we don't complain, the terrorists/liberals/conservatives have won.
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August 7th, 2015 at 10:28 AM ^
A million imaginary upvotes to you sir.
August 7th, 2015 at 12:28 PM ^
IIRC, there was some controversy during the expansion regarding grandfathering out of some of the current ADA requirements.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
The last digit in seating capacity has been "1" since requested by director of athletics Fritz Crisler in 1956. The final seat was later said to be reserved in honor of the Hall of Fame football coach.
You know, I knew about the seat supposedly reserved for Crisler, but not the tie to "1" being the final digit in the capacity. Interesting actually.
To be fair though, making the bowl easier and safer to navigate for as many people as possible was something that needed to happen, so while it is a shame it takes out 2,000 seats, I have a feeling that it could have been more if the improvements weren't as seamless as possible too.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:19 AM ^
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its gonna look so much smaller now.
/s
but really No!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 7th, 2015 at 10:23 AM ^
I thought everything looked BIGGER when you are tiny!?!?
August 7th, 2015 at 10:26 AM ^
Damn that little guy is cute. How can you not like our kind when you stare into those pure and innocent eyes. Sure he will turn into a horrible monster in 3 years, but awwww. Look at him!
August 7th, 2015 at 10:22 AM ^
If my estimation is correct, that works out to about a 4.5 seats per row. There are around 450 total rows in the stadium. That's might actually be noticeable. They need to tack those 2,000 onto the back of an endzone along with another 10,000 and use that as the cheap seats and the visitors section.
EDIT - Nevermind. If they're widening the aisles, then maybe there won't be any more butt room.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:20 AM ^
Glad to see they're still saving a seat for Fritz
August 7th, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^
Sit Fritz... good boy!
August 7th, 2015 at 10:27 AM ^
I'm stunned that they would reduce the capacity because you know they could sell the 2000 tickets in less than 24 hours.
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August 7th, 2015 at 10:27 AM ^
now I have to buy another shirt.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:27 AM ^
A while back, I heard that the 109901 was temporary before they widened the seats or something. I didn't think we'd be back near the original capacity though.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:31 AM ^
The handrails are a welcome addition, in my opinion. I saw someone catch an elderly man who got dizzy climbing the stairs and nearly take a nasty tumble down the steps during halftime of the Utah game. The averted disaster is the only fond memory of the Utah game I have.
Anyone who would (sincerely and not /s) complain about accessibility improvements because they reduce able bodied capacity is a jackass.
Bottom line is that we are all going to get older and most disabled in some form or another. As one who has attended multiple events with disabled colleagues (basically enabling them to now enjoy Michigan Stadium when before they could not) these improvements make a ton of sense.
Dignity is worth 2000 seats.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:32 AM ^
I think this was announced a long time ago, that they would be doing this and that it would reduce capacity by a small percentaqge. I believe this has been in the works for a while.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:32 AM ^
Well it is because they knew they couldn't sell that many tickets with Harbaugh as the coach.
/s
August 7th, 2015 at 10:35 AM ^
You can add around 10K seats in an upper deck in one of the endzones. 117500 would be filled. Any more than that and I don't even think one of the biggest fanbases in football could fill it.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:38 AM ^
The Stadium must remain symmetrical.
August 7th, 2015 at 10:56 AM ^
Nice work Joe.
Would those upper deck seats just face backward to facilitate watching the jumbo-trons?