One word describes Michigan Stadium: huge. Since opening in 1927, Michigan Stadium has maintained its reputation as one of the largest stadiums in college football. Known as “The Big House,” the stadium has become one of the most recognizable venues in all of sports. Before Michigan Stadium was built, the Wolverines played at Ferry Field beginning in 1906. As interest in the football program grew, the university repeatedly expanded Ferry Field to accommodate larger crowds. Eventually, it became clear that a much larger stadium was needed. Michigan head coach Fielding Yost designed plans for a new facility, and the University of Michigan approved construction in April 1926. Built at a cost of $950,000, Michigan Stadium was modeled after the Yale Bowl and constructed primarily of steel and concrete.
When construction began, Yost envisioned a stadium that could eventually accommodate as many as 200,000 fans. The original design called for nearly 72,000 seats, but before the stadium opened, Yost successfully convinced the university to add another 10,000 seats. Michigan Stadium was completed in October 1927, with an official seating capacity of 84,401, making it the largest stadium in the nation at the time. The Wolverines played their first game at Michigan Stadium on October 1, 1927, against Ohio Wesleyan. A single tier of seating completely surrounded the playing field. As the popularity of Michigan football continued to grow, the stadium was expanded several times. By 1928, the capacity had increased to 85,753, and in 1930, electronic scoreboards were installed in both end zones. Another major expansion was completed before the 1949 season, increasing the capacity to 97,239. In 1956, a new press box was constructed, bringing the seating capacity to 101,001.
Michigan Stadium continued to evolve throughout the second half of the 20th century. The stadium’s famous blue bleachers and yellow Block M were completed before the 1965 season. Prior to the 1969 season, the natural grass playing field was replaced with Tartan, a type of artificial turf. Before the 1973 season, box seats in the first three rows were removed and replaced with bleacher seating, slightly increasing the capacity.
Another significant renovation took place before the 1991 season. The playing field was lowered, natural grass was installed and two additional rows of seats were added, increasing the capacity to 102,501. Additional renovations were completed in 1997, including new seating and video scoreboards. The following year, another 5,000 seats were added, bringing the capacity to 107,501. The natural grass field was eventually replaced with FieldTurf.
In May 2006, the University of Michigan Board of Regents approved a $226 million renovation of Michigan Stadium. Completed before the 2010 season, the project added 83 luxury suites, 3,200 club seats, wider seats and additional aisles. The renovation increased the official seating capacity to 109,901. Before the 2011 season, a new 47 foot high by 85 foot wide HD video scoreboard was installed. Before the 2015 season, the seating capacity was reduced by approximately 2,300 seats to 107,601 as part of a reconfiguration that accommodated non-football events and added handrails throughout the stadium.
Today, Michigan Stadium remains the largest college football stadium in the nation. Its enormous size has earned it the nickname “The Big House,” and the stadium has become synonymous with Michigan football. The Wolverines have attracted more than 100,000 fans for more than 200 games, including a record crowd of 111,238 for the game against Michigan State on November 20, 1999. Few stadiums in college football can match the history, size and tradition of Michigan Stadium.
