The Big House

Official Review by Paul Swaney, Stadium Journey Co-Founder

Engulfed in a sea of maize and blue, you sit amongst 110,000 delighted football fans. Welcome to "The Big House," the home of Michigan Wolverines football since 1927. The tradition of hailing to the victors dates back to 1901 when the University of Michigan won its first of 11 National Championships. Only Alabama can claim to have more college football championships of the current FBS teams.

Over the years, the University of Michigan has worked to expand Michigan Stadium and maintain its claim as the largest capacity in college football. Renovations in 2008 and 2010 have grown the official capacity to 109,901. You may be surprised that rather than producing an overwhelming experience, the magnitude and sheer size still result in a comfortable and energetic environment.

The large new press box, completed in 2010, helps to maintain some of the crowd noise, while also providing room for several luxury boxes, and a great working environment for the media. Michigan Stadium has never been known as one of those earth-shaking venues like LSU's Tiger Stadium or Texas A&M's Kyle Field, but it certainly can pack its own noisy wallop.

Food & Beverage    3

If you want to go gourmet or unusual with your food, then pack it in a cooler and bring it to your tailgate. Once you enter the gates of Michigan Stadium, you'll find the usual suspects for your sustenance.

The interior of the concourse offers the very basic staples, but on the plus side, they accept credit cards. Stadium Hot Dog ($4), brat ($6), and the cleverly named "Popped Maize" ($5, popcorn) are available. You can also find pretzels ($4), Papa John's pizza ($9 for an 8" pizza), and nachos ($5). The soda of choice at Michigan Stadium is Coke. Souvenir mug size is $8, souvenir cup is $6 (32-ounce) and a regular soda is $4.

As you walk around the stadium, you'll find several other concessions. The offerings are a little more interesting, but you will need to have cash on hand, and I was unable to find an ATM within the gates of Michigan Stadium.

Big House Grill offers kosher hot dogs, brats, and Italian sausages ($6 each). Champions Grill offers chicken tenders ($9), cheeseburger ($6), and fries ($5). Victors Grill offers grilled chicken sandwich on a whole wheat roll ($6). Damon's Grill drew me in with their offerings of BBQ pulled pork, chicken wings, and BBQ brisket ($8 each).

Atmosphere    5

Without an introduction, the crowd erupts in applause as the Michigan Drum Major enters the field from the tunnel located at the 50 yard-line. Then, the PA announcer introduces the band and they high step on to the field to the syncopated applause of the clapping patrons. Forming a giant block M, the huge ensemble promptly turns towards the students, then heads across the field playing, "Hail to the Victors," one of the classic fight songs in college football.

Be sure to be in your seat 20 minutes prior to kickoff to enjoy the marching band. When the team enters the field from the tunnel with the marching band blaring, you will surely get goosebumps.

The simple, but compelling traditions, including the "Let's Go Blue" cheer, as well as the clapping along to Hail to the Victors are a lot of fun to see, even if you're there to support the visiting team.

The seating is metal bleachers throughout, and feels a little bit crowded as you might expect. Despite the size though, there is absolutely no bad seat in the (big) house.

Two scoreboards are found at the two ends, measuring 85 feet wide. They display the rushing and passing yards, time remaining, down and distance, play clock, and time outs, as well as replays of the action on the field. Regardless of where you are sitting you'll be able to know the game situation.

Neighborhood    5

It's about a mile walk north on Main Street to reach many great eating and drinking establishments in downtown Ann Arbor. One of my favorite college towns, there is a great array of microbreweries, pubs, and ethnic restaurants with favors from around the globe.

A few of my favorites that I can heartily recommend include Ashley's, Grizzly Peak, Arbor Brewing Company, Blue Tractor, and the Jolly Pumpkin for outstanding drinks as well as good food. If you're looking for a good dinner, then I like Gratzi for Italian food, Blue Nile for Ethiopian food, or Frita Batidos for Cuban food.

For a sweet treat, try the Cupcake Station. Another wonderful place, that could also be a good supplier for tailgating treats is Zingerman's Deli. I would move in to this place if I could "" a great stop for foodies or sandwich hounds.

Fans    5

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that the student section wasn't full at kickoff. But they very quickly made up for their tardiness with an intensity that lasted until the final whistle. When you've had at least 100,000 fans at every home game since 1975, you know you can always expect a full house at the Big House.

There is no silly mascot, something I hadn't noticed before this visit. The lack of mascot shenanigans adds to the classic nature of this stadium, and keeps the focus on the football, the fans, and the band to the energy.

Access    3

As you may imagine, the town gets pretty hectic on a game day. It is worthwhile to check out the University's parking guide when you're planning your visit, but even if you don't find a spot in a stadium lot, there is still plenty of parking available, including free street parking if you're willing to walk a bit.

The route I took for parking, and my recommendation to you is to park along Pauline. Around two hours before kickoff there was street parking available at around 1100 Pauline (about 0.7 miles from the stadium). Soon after, you'll find residents who open up their driveways or front lawns for a cost of $15-$25 for "EZ Out" parking.

Downtown may be an option as well in one of the parking garages, but plan to be there early, and know that you'll have a mile or more to walk to the game. However, if it is a nice fall day, it is a very pleasant walk. It's also a good option if you are planning on dining downtown.

Restrooms can get crowded and are a bit cramped, so if you don't mind missing some of the play on the field, it may be worth your while to skip out 2 minutes before halftime.

Return on Investment    5

Tickets are $70, and are worth every penny. This is one of those experiences that you'll easily spend $100-$200 and feel like it was all worth it. I wish the food selections were just a little bit better, but everything else makes up for that deficit.

Extras    5

I'll award a few extra points for some cool factoids that come along with the immense capacity of Michigan Stadium. This is the site for the largest crowd ever to witness a hockey game, when 104,073 witnessed a Michigan vs Michigan State contest. The streak of 100,000+ fans for every game since 1975 is pretty impressive, and there is also a cool mystery attached to the official capacity. One seat in the official capacity is reserved as Fritz Crisler's seat, although no one knows where it is specifically. In honor of him, the official capacity has always ended with an extra allotment.

The fact that Michigan has the most wins in the history of college football, and is also an 11-time National Champion, just adds to the ambience of the home venue.

Finally, I'll give an extra point for the town of Ann Arbor, one of my favorite college towns in the land.

Final Thoughts

Michigan football is an institution, and Michigan Stadium is a classic. There is no doubt that every college football fan should have this on their must-visit list. You may just be a part of the largest crowd to witness a college football game.