The men’s basketball ushers (Event Staff) had their preseason meeting on Tuesday night, and we got to wander around Crisler Arena afterwards. Only part of it is open to walk through; the rest is still a construction zone, with only 15 days until the first game. The part of the outer concourse we saw was gorgeous. It looks like a whole new arena. I can’t wait to see the rest of it, including the escalators and the waterfall.
Here are the photos I took.
Go Blue!
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Sam, welcome to Ann Arbor. I’ve eneojyd your blog this week and am looking forward to experiencing Nebraska football first hand this fall. I wanted to share a couple of thoughts with you and your readers regarding the Michigan football experience and what to expect when they arrive in Ann Arbor.To begin: parking. As you pointed out, parking is slim if seemingly non-existent around the football stadium. On football saturdays, however, there are a surprising number of parking opportunities. First, you can park your car on the golf course. You’ll see many people out there tailgating before each game. Additionally, many of the houses near the stadium sell parking on their lawns and driveways. My suggestion is to head directly west from the stadium (off of Main Street, exit 176) toward Allmeninger park. There is a lot of parking along Potter Ave and Pauline Blvd. Expect to pay $20 for a spot on a lawn. You can try your luck in the neighborhoods just to the north of the stadium, but anticipate having to deal with drunk undergrads and traffic. If you’re looking for a family friendly environment, keep to the west of the stadium.Next: Tailgating. Because parking is spread out, don’t expect a real tailgating culture. Unlike some football schools, you won’t see a lot of students grilling around the stadium. Some students BBQ in front yards before games, but it is really the exception. Along State Street heading south from the Law School toward the stadium, expect to see crazy house parties with thousands of drunk undergrads dancing to the newest song on the iTunes Top 10 list. It’s a lot of fun for the college aged, but not for those with children.Pre-game Walk to the Stadium: As you pointed out, Michigan has a huge student body and the largest stadium in the country. One of the most amazing things to witness is the Michigan band marching to the game and the procession of 110,000 people along Hoover Ave. an hour before kickoff. It’s hard to visualize the sea of people walking past Elbel Field and turning up Green Street to the stadium. There is an electric energy to it, especially when it’s a perfect fall afternoon. Expect to hear a lot of Go Blue! and It’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine! cheers. I once wore my undergraduate school’s jersey to a game (Rice), which unfortunately looked like a UConn jersey, and I received a lot of angry catcalls and comments. The jeering is worst before Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Michigan State games, but Nebraska fans should prepare to be on the butt end of some heckling.The Game Experience: Michigan football is all about tradition. There is no mascot (despite the rumors), no CapitalOne sponsored field goal kick, and no pyrotechnics. During my second year at Michigan, they started pumping the White Stripe’s Seven Nation Army and other rousing songs through the PA system. This upset my most diehard Michigan friends because it just didn’t seem to fit with the purity of a Michigan football game (these friends were pleased by the choice to mic the band this year instead). What this illustrates is that Huskers should expect an experience that is totally centered around the game on the field. Before the game, the Michigan band does the same march culminating with the drum major bending over backward and touching his hat to the ground. This is followed by the famous touching of the blue banner. I’ve heard of Nebraska’s famed tunnel run and I imagine that they are equally similar and different.Michigan’s fight song, Hail to the Victors! , is played before each game, after each score, and during key moments. Expect to see a lot of fist pumps accompanying each Hail! Additionally, you’ll hear a number of other simple cheers mostly riffing off of Go Blue! The student section (North West corner of the stadium) has a number of additional cheers that it does for each song the band plays.In between quarters, don’t be surprised if the stadium goes silent at times as everyone sits down and waits for play to resume. As many of the commentators have pointed out, Michigan stadium is a lot quieter than what you would expect from a 110,000 person stadium. Because of its bowl shape, much of the sound is deflected upward making it seem quiet. Since the built the press and luxury boxes, however, it has been louder. The drum line performs for the student section during one break, but don’t expect to see it from the visitors’ seats. The cheerleaders will spell out Michigan and the bands march during half time (don’t expect to hear the band because the sound gets lost in the bowl). Otherwise the game is pretty much entertainment free (especially if Michigan is losing). Michigan Stadium: And as you pointed out, don’t let the bowl fool you. It’s big. It may not seem large, but the sloping bowl is deceiving and is really 80 rows all the way around.The Fan Experience for Huskers: (1) Plan on it being cold. You never know what the weather is going to be like late in the season. Generally, however, it is going to be cold (even if sunny). Be sure to bundle up (especially your children) because like sound, heat escapes the stadium. (2) Visiting fan tickets are located one of two places. The best seats are in the Southwest corner of the stadium at field level. The majority of the seats, however, are located in the nosebleeds along the southern end of the bowl. You might want to bring binoculars and a seat cushion/blanket for the cold bleacher that awaits you.If you’re looking for a great Michigan Experience, visit the Dexter Cider Mill 20 minutes west of Ann Arbor. It is the oldest running cider mill in the state and they have fresh cider and cider donuts for you and the family. They also have tastings of various Michigan wines, but don’t expect to be wowed by the Michigan wine palate.If you visit after the football season, come for a hockey game at Yost. The environment is electric. If college baseball is your thing, however, skip the trip to Ann Arbor. It’s too cold for most of the season (it still snows through April) and sadly there isn’t much to see on the field. I think this is one of the biggest drawbacks for Nebraska joining the B1G (though its probably good for the league). I am a Rice fan and enjoy watching them play schools Big12 like Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma, etc. B1G baseball just can’t compete. On the plus side, however, I pick Nebraska to be the 2012 preseason favorites to win the B1G baseball title. Some might think it’s a little early to be making predictions considering the season just ended, but Nebraska ranks above the entire B1G even with an RPI ranking of 69th (13 spots above the top ranked B1G team, and 156 places above the Wolverines).