Michigan making notable change to Michigan Stadium
Aug 31, 2019; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh before the game against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
The Michigan Wolverines are making a significant change to Michigan Stadium that was partly driven by some incidents that happened during the most recent football season.
Michigan plans to remove roughly 45 seats in order to widen the tunnel from the locker rooms to the field, according to Aaron McMann of MLive. The decision comes in response to multiple incidents and confrontations inside the tunnel that took place before, during, and after games this year.
The Michigan tunnel was at the center of a few incidents, including an ugly assault by Michigan State players that led to criminal charges. A fan also came in physical contact with Spartans coach Mel Tucker during that game, which was also a factor in Michigan’s decision.
One rival coach had previously called out the narrow tunnel as a problem, as it was very difficult to keep opposing players from coming into contact with each other.
The stadium changes will not have any impact on Michigan Stadium’s capacity of over 107,000. The school intends to add more standing room tickets to compensate for the removal of seats.
