Step Inside: Michigan Stadium – Home of the Michigan Wolverines

Home of the Michigan Wolverines

It doesn’t get any bigger than The Big House. Standing as the largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere, Michigan Stadium has hosted the University of Michigan Wolverines football team for nearly a century. Beyond its record-setting scale, the live game day experience is a marvel when downtown Ann Arbor becomes flooded in Maize and Blue. Find out everything you need to know before entering The Big House of Michigan Stadium below.

Michigan Stadium History

Michigan Stadium opened in 1927 on land purchased by then-head coach Fielding H. Yost. The College Football Hall of Famer intended to establish the largest on-campus venue in college football, which has since been achieved over several expansions and an unbroken streak of average season home game attendance topping 100,000 since 1975 (excluding the 2020 season, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic). Michigan Stadium topped the first NCAA ranking for average season attendance in 1949 and continues to hold the record for single-season average home attendance, set in 2012 at 112,252 visitors per game.

Along with the staggering seating capacity, Michigan Stadium has been the site to several innovations to the fan experience, including the first use of electronic scoreboards in 1930. A broad, $41 million university athletics renovation project added identical 8,360-square foot video screens above the north and south endzones, making Michigan Stadium the only college venue to have two of the largest video screens on the planet in one place. Additionally, the stadium received a state-of-the-art EAW audio system boost and enhanced LED lighting display.

Following tailgates at the U-M golf course or nearby Pioneer High School, fans can witness a Wolverines’ pre-game ritual that dates back to 1962: the team’s tunnel walk, in which players touch a big “Go Blue” banner as they take the field. During a game, guests are guaranteed to hear “The Victors” fight song, the Fourth Down Chant and a cowbell followed by the crowd response “Go Blue!” In recent years, the venue also blasts “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers at the end of the third quarter.

Other than Wolverines football games, Michigan Stadium has hosted the school’s field hockey team, as well as men’s and women’s lacrosse games. In 2010, Michigan staged “The Big Chill at the Big House,” which pitted the Michigan men’s hockey team against rivals Michigan State in front of a record 104,173 fans, the all-time highest certified attendance for a hockey game. Michigan Stadium tied the record at the 2014 NHL Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, which remains the highest attended NHL game of all-time. The venue has also hosted three of the top four highest attended soccer matches in the U.S., with a 2014 international friendly match between Manchester United and Real Madrid setting the record at 109,318 spectators.

Parking and Admission at Michigan Stadium

Michigan Stadium is located at 1201 South Main Street in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Typically, parking lots on campus open between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m for early games and at 12:00 p.m. for evening games. Many lots are permit-only, however, guests can find single-game parking from $25 to $50 in the Brown Lot, Maize Lot, U-M Golf Course lots and parking structures on Hill Street, Thayer Street, Thompson Street and South Fifth Avenue. Accessible parking can be located in the Blue Lot and Champions North with permits, or in the Green Lot for $55 per game. RV parking is permitted in the Brown Lot, Blue Lot and Maize Lot, though passes must be purchased prior to gameday. Check out Michigan Stadium’s up-to-date parking inventory on the team’s website.

Fans can get to Michigan Stadium from nearly anywhere on and off campus via FootballRide, which operates five lines running every 20 minutes from two hours to 30 minutes before kickoff and one hour after the game. Each bus terminates at Gate 2 of Michigan Stadium, while pickup locations afterward vary by line. Shuttles require a mobile ticket or exact change to ride and cost $3 round trip for an adult. Guests in an on-campus accessible parking lot will have access to a free shuttle. Find the schedule and list of pickup points here.

For entry, guests must follow the Michigan Stadium rules prohibiting weapons, projectiles, alcoholic beverages, aerosols, offensive apparel or signage, any type of bottle or container, seatbacks, strollers, umbrellas, video cameras and any item that could block or disrupt another guest’s experience. Pets, aside from service animals, are not permitted. For faster entry, Michigan Stadium bag policy does not allow bags of any type, including purses, clear bags or fanny packs, with the exception of medically necessary supplies carried in a clear, plastic bag. Bag check is provided at the south entrance of Crisler Center on Stadium Way.

Michigan Stadium Stadium Capacity & Seating Options

The average seating capacity of Michigan Stadium reaches 107,601, though its record attendance hit 115,109 in 2013 during a football game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. An interesting quirk in Michigan Stadium attendance lore since 1956 has caused its listed capacity to end in “01” to honor the “extra seat” held by former Michigan coach and athletic director Fritz Crisler.

Across its record-breaking capacity space, Michigan Stadium offers seating options spanning the general bleacher majority, premium club spaces and suites. Sections 25 to 33 comprise the student section, while accessible tickets can be found by the East Sideline, North and South End Zones and West Concourse Sideline. For the VIP at Michigan Stadium, opt for a chairback seat on the west sideline, book a premium spot in the two-level Jack Roth Stadium Club or claim one of the venue’s 83 stadium suites. Check out the Michigan Stadium’s seating chart here.

Food & Beverage Options at Michigan Stadium

Concessions at Michigan Stadium are catered by Sodexo Live! and include classics like pretzels, hot dogs, popcorn and nachos. Elsewhere, fans can sample food from Michigan-based restaurants like Buddy’s Pizza, Bearclaw Coffee and Olga’s Kitchen for Mediterranean food. Grab-and-go stations line the venue for easy snack access. Alcohol is not sold at Michigan Stadium and no outside food or drink are permitted. All transactions are cashless inside.