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Michigan Stadium - how big is too big?

  • With the Big House already being the biggest stadium in the country, I was curious if people still want it to continue getting bigger, or if they're fine with the current size. For example, if it could be safely done and would still look basically the same structurally, would you be in favor of another 15,000 seats being added? 20,000? Is there a point where you'd draw the line?

    Recruiting Analyst for Voice of the Hawkeyes. Email: tworly@yahoo.com; Twitter: @ToddWorly247

    Todd Worly

  • Frankly, I wouldn't draw the line anywhere. The Big House is a cultural icon, and our status as the biggest college football stadium in America is a huge selling point to recruits and a huge point of pride for the university. As long as the seats can be added safely (which they can, the structural supports are already embedded in the ground for up to ~150,000 total seats) then I see no reason not to continue to expand.

    The only caveat is that I wouldn't want to expand if attendance started dropping, for some reason. A 110,000-person stadium looks amazing filled, but horrible empty. Of course, given that Hoke has us on the right track, I don't anticipate any problems with that.

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    CMXI

  • CMXI said...

    Frankly, I wouldn't draw the line anywhere. The Big House is a cultural icon, and our status as the biggest college football stadium in America is a huge selling point to recruits and a huge point of pride for the university. As long as the seats can be added safely (which they can, the structural supports are already embedded in the ground for up to ~150,000 total seats) then I see no reason not to continue to expand.

    The only caveat is that I wouldn't want to expand if attendance started dropping, for some reason. A 110,000-person stadium looks amazing filled, but horrible empty. Of course, given that Hoke has us on the right track, I don't anticipate any problems with that.

    I believe the 150,000 capacity thing is just a myth. The supports may have been there at one time but i think i remember reading they were torn out during one of the renovations.

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    MKatUmich

  • MKatUmich said...

    I believe the 150,000 capacity thing is just a myth. The supports may have been there at one time but i think i remember reading they were torn out during one of the renovations.

    They would have to add supports for new seating....the current stadium is already supported, so the expansion outward/upward would need new supports. Also, I talked to a guy at work this weekend who worked for a company that did the renovations to the bowl a few years back...and he said that the foundation was in terrible shape under the seating sections...if anything, the stadium is more structurally sound then if has ever been.

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    Awink2

  • CMXI said...

    Frankly, I wouldn't draw the line anywhere. The Big House is a cultural icon, and our status as the biggest college football stadium in America is a huge selling point to recruits and a huge point of pride for the university. As long as the seats can be added safely (which they can, the structural supports are already embedded in the ground for up to ~150,000 total seats) then I see no reason not to continue to expand.

    The only caveat is that I wouldn't want to expand if attendance started dropping, for some reason. A 110,000-person stadium looks amazing filled, but horrible empty. Of course, given that Hoke has us on the right track, I don't anticipate any problems with that.

    I agree, you increase seating gradually over time to adequately keep the demand on pace with population growth. When the stadium was build 80 years ago, they didnt put 110,000 seats in, but today the fan base and demand can fill that and probably more. We will probably see a solid 10,000+ seat expansion within this decade (take a look at picture rendering). Buy the end of this century, the capacity could very well be near 150,000. Who knows, in 100 years from now they might decide they need to drastically increase seating capacity, thus they might even knock down the suites and club areas on each sideline to expand the bowl to create those 150,000 seats, and then add new suites/club areas above the new seating areas....money can easily make that a reality

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    Awink2

  • Honestly, I think it's a bad idea. I have been saying for a while that there's a breaking point for fans, no matter how loyal they appear to be. It's already a traffic nightmare getting in and out of the stadium. Now add another 15-25% if you expand. Also, the price of tickets is already pretty expensive (mine average out to about $125 per ticket/per game when you factor in PSD). A pair of club level seats is $10,000 a year. And a hot dog is $4.50. If the stadium expanded to say, 125,000 capacity, the price of tickets is definitely going up. We already see the top rows of the student section empty, and there's pockets of empty seats throughout the stadium for non-marquis games. If we add on another 12,500+ seats, I honestly believe it will push some fans over the edge.

    At what point is enough enough?

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    MSU isn't a very good football program.. takes year of consistent winning to get to that level. - copemoney 1/22/13

    Due51

  • I think you will see Brandon push to add a deck on the south end to fill the gap between the luxury suites, provided ticket demand is there. It will probably boost capacity to 120,000 or so.

    This post was edited by MrWoodson on 11/13/2012 at 10:15 AM

    MrWoodson

  • I've unfortunately never been to the Big House, but has there been any talk of some type of renovation to keep the sound in, if no expansion for extra seating? I know prior to this last renovation one of the negatives was the volume wouldn't bounce around, just go straight up and out. While the new structures are angled in a way the sound projects back onto the field, could this be done at both endzone sections? Hell, I don't know, maybe like a Ring of Fame or something. One big advantage of playing at home with stadium structure is to create that true home field advantage. Of course not ever being there live, I don't truly know what it sounds like prior to renovation, let alone now. YouTube and videos only do so much, the live version would be much better!

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    BlueSCMonkey

  • I don't care how big our stadium gets but I would like to see us make some improvements in the structure to make it louder inside the stadium.

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    "Those Who Stay...Will be Champions"

    Moon

  • Moon said...

    I don't care how big our stadium gets but I would like to see us make some improvements in the structure to make it louder inside the stadium.

    Retractable roof, JerryWorld style.

    MrWoodson

  • MrWoodson said...

    Retractable roof, JerryWorld style.

    just build a really tall brick wall all the way around the stadium and keep all the sound in....it would be an absolute zoo in there

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    "Those Who Stay...Will be Champions"

    Moon

  • Moon said...

    just build a really tall brick wall all the way around the stadium and keep all the sound in....it would be an absolute zoo in there

    They could just put a cover over the seating areas the way they do soccer stadiums. That would keep in a ton of sound.

    MrWoodson

  • MrWoodson said...

    Retractable roof, JerryWorld style.

    JerryWorld is garbage absolutly no home field advantage.

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    SteelBlue0348

  • Place hidden microphones in the stadium and then blast the crowd noise thru an ungodly amount of amplifiers place on top of stadium; pointing straight down into the field.

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    "Those Who Stay...Will be Champions"

    Moon

  • Due51 said...

    Honestly, I think it's a bad idea. I have been saying for a while that there's a breaking point for fans, no matter how loyal they appear to be. It's already a traffic nightmare getting in and out of the stadium. Now add another 15-25% if you expand. Also, the price of tickets is already pretty expensive (mine average out to about $125 per ticket/per game when you factor in PSD). A pair of club level seats is $10,000 a year. And a hot dog is $4.50. If the stadium expanded to say, 125,000 capacity, the price of tickets is definitely going up. We already see the top rows of the student section empty, and there's pockets of empty seats throughout the stadium for non-marquis games. If we add on another 12,500+ seats, I honestly believe it will push some fans over the edge.

    At what point is enough enough?

    The price of tickets will always be going up regardless, I don't know how adding more supply would cause the tickets to go up even more...

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    "The Michigan Man is certain he invented the Big Ten, along with intellect, cocktails and sex."

    Wendel Clark

  • MrWoodson said...

    They could just put a cover over the seating areas the way they do soccer stadiums. That would keep in a ton of sound.

    I like this idea

    and agree with the general sentiment above: as long as you can fill it, keep making it bigger. Keep those censored at UT/etc from getting ideas again.

    inuyesta

  • MrWoodson said...

    They could just put a cover over the seating areas the way they do soccer stadiums. That would keep in a ton of sound.

    Could you imagine the "get off my lawn" hearing about that idea? I like it, the only thing that is keeping this stadium from the being the toughest to play in, in the nation. Is volume level, something has to be done to make it much louder.

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    Hoffelcopter

  • Moon said...

    Place hidden microphones in the stadium and then blast the crowd noise thru an ungodly amount of amplifiers place on top of stadium; pointing straight down into the field.

    I like this idea. lol

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    Rabid

  • Due51 said...

    Honestly, I think it's a bad idea. I have been saying for a while that there's a breaking point for fans, no matter how loyal they appear to be. It's already a traffic nightmare getting in and out of the stadium. Now add another 15-25% if you expand. Also, the price of tickets is already pretty expensive (mine average out to about $125 per ticket/per game when you factor in PSD). A pair of club level seats is $10,000 a year. And a hot dog is $4.50. If the stadium expanded to say, 125,000 capacity, the price of tickets is definitely going up. We already see the top rows of the student section empty, and there's pockets of empty seats throughout the stadium for non-marquis games. If we add on another 12,500+ seats, I honestly believe it will push some fans over the edge.

    At what point is enough enough?

    Agree 100%. Yes you'll fill it up for the ND, osu, and msu games. But what about EMU? What about Akron? What about Minnesota...that place will look deserted during those games.

    I actually think the Big House is considerably louder since the renovation. I seem to remember the sideline reporter saying that the Northwestern O-Linemen were complaining to Fitzgerald early in the game that they couldn't hear the calls...and that was before it even got truly loud late in the game. There's been other examples of this as well (Clausen complaining to Weis in 2009 that he couldn't communicate the plays.)

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    vcmarsh1

  • MrWoodson said...

    I think you will see Brandon push to add a deck on the south end to fill the gap between the luxury suites, provided ticket demand is there. It will probably boost capacity to 120,000 or so.

    Brandon wants to add seating to both endzones, the gap in between the luxury suites. He wants to make the new seating sections as high as the current scoreboards.

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    Awink2

  • vcmarsh1 said...

    Agree 100%. Yes you'll fill it up for the ND, osu, and msu games. But what about EMU? What about Akron? What about Minnesota...that place will look deserted during those games.

    I actually think the Big House is considerably louder since the renovation. I seem to remember the sideline reporter saying that the Northwestern O-Linemen were complaining to Fitzgerald early in the game that they couldn't hear the calls...and that was before it even got truly loud late in the game. There's been other examples of this as well (Clausen complaining to Weis in 2009 that he couldn't communicate the plays.)

    You could have less tickets for the MAC level opponents by putting tarps over certain sections (like they do at USC or other large stadiums) to maintain a full crowd, or if tickets sales dont meet a certain amount. These extra seats would have demand for the bigger games, and thus the sections would be available for occupancy.

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    Awink2

  • They need to do something to fix the student section. Last Saturday was a bit of a joke. Also need to do something to get the blue hairs cheering like they do in Lincoln. Fix those 2 and you have the answer to the question.

    SDWolverine

  • As long as you can sell the tix to put butts in those seats then why not keep expanding. More seats = more $$$ and that's what it is all about at the end of the day.

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    GoRightThru4MSU

  • I'm happy with it where it is right now as long as it's still largest in the country. Te Big House should always be #1 in attendance imo.

    y2kMgrad

  • BlueSCMonkey said...

    I've unfortunately never been to the Big House, but has there been any talk of some type of renovation to keep the sound in, if no expansion for extra seating? I know prior to this last renovation one of the negatives was the volume wouldn't bounce around, just go straight up and out. While the new structures are angled in a way the sound projects back onto the field, could this be done at both endzone sections? Hell, I don't know, maybe like a Ring of Fame or something. One big advantage of playing at home with stadium structure is to create that true home field advantage. Of course not ever being there live, I don't truly know what it sounds like prior to renovation, let alone now. YouTube and videos only do so much, the live version would be much better!

    it definetly is better, when 110,000+ get going in there it is VERY loud in the stadium. Last year was the first I went to the stadium so I'm not sure if the boxes have made a big difference but all the sound does not just go up out of the stadium like announcers always used to say. At the 4 games I've been to the opposing offenses have had alot of trouble communicating especially on 3rd down.

    This post was edited by Hoke Express on 11/13/2012 at 10:23 PM

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    Hoke Express

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