Michigan Stadium (introducing someone else's pictures)

Damn you and your hand's five freakishly faster fingers.

First, thanks for the info. Second, that's an interesting thought (regarding the letters' "reinstallation"). Maybe they'll find a spot for them near the Stadium somewhere. As far as I know, there will be "Michigan Stadium" lettering visible from within the stadium. Perhaps the letters will be remounted onto both new structures. That's what I expected initially. However, when I saw this photo with the letters on the ground, I ignored the potential optical illusion and allowed myself to imagine that newer, larger (bigger, better, roar!) letters had been manufactured in place of the old.

I'm interested in and amused by your comment. Can you be more specific? Meanwhile, I'll address a few of the issues I've read/heard others bring up that are akin to you "not a fan"-ness. (1) The "Couldn't we have left everything the same?" group. My answer: No, some of the facilities (restrooms) and most of the amenities ("Cash only" at concessions: Are you kidding me?) were badly outdated. Additionally, Bill Martins vision for permanent Athletic Department autonomy (of the "in the black" variety) integrally involved the construction of suites/skyboxes for added revenue. (2) The "So, fine, I understand that we HAD to build these things, but why did they have to freaking look like THIS?" group. My answer: Well, before beginning: What did you want them to look like? Did you expect a new, architecturally complex, and asymmetric project to contiguously blend with an old, architecturally simple, and symmetric project? Analyzing that rhetorical question allows us to realize that NO MATTER what the renovations were going to provide a stadium syzygy of new and old. That much was unavoidable. Now, how about the "complexity" and "asymmetry" of it all? Well, in response to that--again, rhetorical--challenge there are at least two reasons explaining why Martin's Athletic Department didn't construct the much needed press boxes, for instance, as one continuous circumferential structure: (A) Cost. This is already a $250 million-ish project, and to build all the way around--even if that meant conceding structure "height"--would have been (in my estimations) cost prohibitive. Just think of all the extra foundations, steel, glass, and brick. (B) To close off the entire structure with a wall of sky boxes would be to close off the possibility of additional capacity increases, which Martin has reiterated several times remains a future focus. As the Stadium currently stands, upper concourses can (reportedly will?) be later added above each endzone for a 10,000+ capacity increase. It's impossible to know (for me, at least, failing to be invited to the pertinent meetings and all) if a later endzone construction project will ever be undertaken; however, the Athletic Department is undeniably thinking about it.