Michigan Stadium's nearly 5,500 shiny new seats and massive video scoreboards will finally have some fans to tower over during an open house Thursday.
University community members and the general public will be able to view the country's largest open stadium - a title regained with the seating additions - from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Athletic Department staff will conduct tours during the day and the official expanded seating capacity will be announced for the first time at 2 p.m.
The $6 million renovations, which began at the end of the regular 1997 season, include 70 new restrooms, widened pathways around the stadium and additional seating. The new boards are part of a $7.9 million project that also includes four new videoboards in Crisler Arena and a production facility.
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| ADRIANA YUGOVICH/Daily Michigan Stadium's new video scoreboards are part of a $7.9-million project that includes video scoreboards in Crisler Arena. |
The yellow halo, which surrounds the outside of the stadium and features the phrases "Hail to the Victors," "Conquering Heroes," "Champions of the West" and "University of Michigan," is still missing many letters. Also a 17-foot diameter University seal still must be placed above the East entrance.
Arthur Chen, an architect with Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, said the manufacturer has had problems finding a yellow that matches the University-approved shade of yellow for the seal.
"The manufacturer for the letters is behind schedule," Chen said. "The seal is a five-color process and the artwork is much more intricate."
The Athletic Department plans to show replays and highlights from previous seasons during breaks in play at home football games on the monstrous videoboards recently placed in the stadium.
Unlike many arenas, Michigan Stadium is willing to replay controversial plays on the video boards, but only once.
"If it is a controversial play, we'll run the replay one time," said Associate Athletic Director Thomas Cecchini. This policy was designed to avoid further upsetting spectators during such plays.
Fans who attended the pre-season Football Media Day on Aug. 14 said they were generally pleased with the stadium improvements.
"I love the new boards," said Chelsea resident Don Haywood. "I was amazed to actually see (the images) so clearly."
Haywood said the only thing the Athletic Department may still need to do is "paint all the seats maize and blue."
The dimensions of the new boards, 40 feet by 78 feet and 9 feet deep, surprised many spectators who had mixed reaction the screens' immense proportions.
"I've never seen a big screen so clearly," said Steve DeDoes, an Ann Arbor resident. "It is a little obtrusive coming east on Stadium," Boulevard.
A self-proclaimed purist, DeDoes recognizes that sporting events have been inundated with media technology.
Ed Hoeglund, who helped Sony sell the video screens to the University, said most fans think the new screens are as good or better than television sets at home.
"These are the two largest pair of boards installed at a University stadium anywhere," Hoeglund said.
Government regulations mandate a change to high-definition television in the year 2005, which will force the University to modify the boards. The new screens can be expanded to the rectangular dimensions required by the government.
"We have a technology that's modular," Cecchini said.
When the University expands the video scoreboards, the 25-second clock and University seal in the center of the board will be moved onto the side of the scoreboard.
The scoreboards have rotating displays with the phrases "Hail to the Victors" on one side and "National Champions," along with the appropriate dates on the other.
Michigan Stadium guidelines prohibit any external advertising in the arena.
"We noticed the boards when we were coming in," said Julie Boumaroun, a Livonia resident. "The men working on the (scoreboards) are no bigger than the letters."
Also, four new liquid crystal display boards have been installed in Crisler, replacing the former dot matrix boards. University students and fans were able to view the Sept. 5 Michigan-Notre Dame game on the new boards.
"I'm glad that Michigan is so interested in helping the students," said Engineering first-year student Hannah Murray. "The picture quality seemed really good."
09-08-98
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