Suddenly, 102,501 seats don't seem like that many to most of the University's first-year students.
Because of an unprecedented demand for student tickets, 3,200 incoming undergraduate, graduate and transfer students will not receive tickets to all home football games, marking the first time in University history that split-season tickets for Michigan Stadium have been issued.
More than 20,000 students applied for ticket applications this year, 6,000 more than last season. Additionally, 98 percent of non-student season ticket holders renewed their applications from last year, leaving too few tickets for new students - a fact that hasn't gone over well with those receiving a split-season package.
"I feel like we pretty much got screwed," LSA first-year student Daniel Kantor said. "I understand that alumni bring in a lot of money, but the undergrads are the reason the University is here. We really should be the main focus."
But according to Athletic Department officials, there was very little they could do to remedy the situation. After all, it's hard to cram 20,000 bodies into 17,000 seats.
"This is the most fair option there is," Senior Associate Athletic Director Keith Molin said. "We couldn't take tickets away from those who already had them, and this way, no new student is shut out of the experience."
Just more than 88,000 of the 102,501-seat Michigan Stadium are occupied by non-student season ticket holders. Molin said that while the Athletic Department did not consider rescinding any of those tickets, they also did not issue any new non-student season tickets.
This year's unusually high demand for student tickets is due mostly to an unusually large undergraduate population and an attractive seven-game schedule that includes games against No. 7 Colorado, No. 9 Ohio State and No. 12 Notre Dame, plus a parents' weekend matchup with No. 20 Iowa and a rematch with two-time Big Ten champion Northwestern, which beat Michigan the last two seasons.
While Molin called the situation a "good problem to have," he said he understands why students receiving split-season tickets are upset.
"I have spent hours and hours on the phone with upset parents and students," Molin said. "I wish I had a better solution, but I don't. All I can do is explain how we went about it."
But that explanation didn't go over well for LSA first-year student Jonathan Kosin. He was one of the 3,200 students who received a letter from the Athletic Department three weeks ago explaining that he would receive split-season tickets.
"I was really upset when I got the letter," Kosin said. "I called the Athletic Department a couple of times. They were nice and all, but I felt like I was getting the run-around. I was pretty ticked at first, but I guess I'd rather have this happen to me now than when I am an alumnus."
Some students said they were disappointed about the way the Athletic Department split the tickets into two packages. One package is Notre Dame, Baylor and Northwestern, while the other includes the Ohio State, Colorado, Iowa and Minnesota games.
Three ranked teams - Ohio State, Colorado and the parent's weekend appearance by Iowa - are all part of the four-game split, while Notre Dame is the only ranked team on the three-game split.
"The way they split it kind of sucks," Kosin said. "Putting Colorado and Ohio State on the same split is kind of stupid, plus it's unfair that all the freshmen don't get tickets to the parents' weekend game.
"All I know is that if this happens to me again next year, I'll be pissed."
The Athletic Department contends that won't happen.
Molin said students will not receive split-season tickets more than once. Rumors persist that the Athletic Department is considering expanding Michigan Stadium, already the second-largest college football stadium in the country.
Molin defends the Athletic Department's decision by pointing out that split-season tickets already are issued for Michigan hockey and basketball games. Most other schools have few problems accommodating all students at football games, but Molin said he knows of no other University that has 88,000 season ticket holders and 20,000 student applications.
Though not every student will get a seat in Michigan Stadium for all seven home games, some said they understand that the Athletic Department had very few options.
"I'd rather have a full season, but I understand why they had to do this," Inteflex first-year student Beth Narsimhan said. "It's really the fairest way to do it."
SARA STILLMAN/Daily
LSA first-year student Jonathan Kosin displays his split-season student football tickets.