Michigan Stadium, Stadium in Ann Arbor, United States
Michigan Stadium is a football venue for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with seating for over 107,000 people. The bowl-shaped structure sits mostly below ground level, with rows of seats rising steeply on all sides.
The stadium opened in October 1927 after workers dealt with complications from an underground spring during construction. It was expanded several times over the following decades as demand for seats grew.
The stadium's nickname, "The Big House," was popularized by broadcaster Keith Jackson in the mid-1980s. When attendance is announced, the public address announcer thanks fans for being part of the largest crowd watching a football game anywhere in America today. The yellow "M" at midfield and the maize-and-blue seating mark the Wolverines' colors.
Most of the seating lies below ground, so the stadium's size is not obvious from street level. The playing field sits lower than the surrounding concourse, and visitors enter at the top of the bowl and walk down to their seats. Arriving well before kickoff helps avoid the heaviest crowds at the gates.
About three quarters of the structure lies below ground because the soft soil required deep foundations. A construction crane remains buried under the foundation, as workers were unable to remove it due to difficult ground conditions.
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