The Big House at Michigan is already the largest stadium in the country with a capacity of nearly 110,000. Athletic director Dave Brandon thinks that’s nice, but he’d like to make Michigan Stadium even larger. In fact, he said on WTKA’s Michigan Insider that he’d like to expand the stadium and have capacity grow by 10,000 seats.
Here’s what Brandon said according to the Detroit Free Press via Adam Jacobi at Eye on College Football:
One of the things that I’ve said publicly I’d love to do, at some point, is close in at least one of the ends, and that’s all part of the master plan for growth. The south end of the stadium would be the place that we would start, and if we were to take the bleacher system up to the top of the scoreboards, which would be even with the elevation of the East and the West towers, create a concourse that would afford fans the ability to get from one side to the other, both indoors and outdoors, both in the concourse and additional bleacher capacity.
“It would take the total capacity up close to 119,000, maybe even 120,000. I would love to do that, at some point under my watch.”
Brandon explained that their decision to move forward with construction will depend on ticket demand from fans. If there are enough fans on the waiting list, then it would make sense to to expand.
With the pressure schools feel to always be the first, the biggest, and the best, I wouldn’t be surprised if Michigan pressed ahead in the near future. Meanwhile, belt buckles just tightened in State College and Knoxville.
