Word of wisdom: Not all Ohioans are Buckeye fans. I am one of such people who love the maize and blue. Therefore, Ohio State fans are strongly discouraged from commenting.
I had followed Michigan football for over a decade, through all the great teams and players, and some of the less noteworthy since the mid-90s. I have seen local high school football, at famed places like the Pit at Elder HS, and even the state finals in Canton. I've gone to NFL games at Paul Brown and RCA. I've seen the college game at Nippert, Yager, and Ohio Stadium. But to me, I haven't reached the top of the football venue list.
Until this past Saturday.
I sat in section 24, row 18. I don't think I've ever gotten Bearcat football ticket seats this good! Of all places, the BIG HOUSE! This is the largest football stadium, with a seating capacity of over 107,000. The announced crowd exceeded 109,000. Nobody... NO NFL team, not Ohio State, not Penn State, not even Tennessee... is bigger! I've always said that bigger isn't always better, but damn, this was great!!
I'm sure everyone is familiar with the Michigan Wolverines. They defeated Northern Illinois at home for the first week, but lost hard to Charlie Weis' Notre Dame team the next week, so their chances to appear in the national championship, the Rose Bowl, are up in the air.
Eastern Michigan, like the University of Michigan, is located in Ypsilanti County, just a 10 minute or so drive from each other. Their first game was Cincinnati, in their debut game as a Big East member. EMU is a member of the MAC (mid-Atlantic) conference, like Miami (Oxford, OH), Bowling Green and Ball State... MAC is a tier-3 type of conference, Big East could be tier-2, and Big Ten (Michigan, Ohio State, MSU, Purdue, etc.) are tier-1, like the ACC or SEC.
The fact that EMU's close loss to UC (26-28) and nowhere near close loss to UM (0-55) say something about the schools.... Math-wise. Michigan > Cincinnati > Eastern Michigan.
The season is young. The Big Ten can be tough, so Michigan won't have an easy season, especially against Ohio State. Eastern Michigan is in MAC, so they might be decent in conference play. Cincinnati: don't be celebrating just yet the entry into the Big East, especially with Louisville and Brian Brohm...
Now back to Ann Arbor. There were several touchdowns. The band played 'The Victors' very often. Halftime was very entertaining, with a "Monty Python/Big 10" theme for UM's halftime show.
My review of some of the facilities:
- The stadium is served by a single concourse, that is, however, outside of the structure and is a large asphalt midway that encircles the stadium.
- The main concourse is located at the 73rd row. My seat was on the 18th. It was pretty impressive for Yost and architects to do in the mid 1920s, but a good hike for folks like me.
- Considering that there are almost 110,000 fans per game, parking is at a premium. Some of the closest lots charge $30 or $40 per vehicle. (Some parking facilities, like the UM Golf Course, may be unavailable due to poor weather conditions at times.) However, think of the money homeowners/renters (especially students), as well as the nearby Pioneer High School, all make!
- I parked in Downtown Ann Arbor, and my parking was less than $6, but it was a long hike. There are also shuttles available from area garages and hotels.
- There are many concession stands, not only underneath the stands, but outside the perimeter in tents.
- The M-Den has 3 trailers that sell fan gear and merchandise. I spent time in there. There was a line to enter, but it was minimal.
- The restrooms are OK, most mens rooms had waterfalls for men to urinate at. Sit-downs were however, located in stalls with doors (nothing unusual here). At peak times, inadequate, especially with women. There are portable toilets outside the stadium perimeter (which I try hard not to use when nearby permanent facilities are present).
There are plans, maybe as early as next year, to renovate Michigan Stadium. These include: premium seating areas, including some enclosed seating at both endzones, a new pressbox, and additional permanent restroom facilities, especially for women.
In short, there are better (and far worse) stadiums out there. The atmosphere sets this one far apart!
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