You may know Michigan Stadium as “The Big House” but do you remember who made the term famous?
What about the mystery object that may or may not be buried underneath it? (Hint: It's not Jimmy Hoffa).
And did you know you have Michigan to thank for the origins of a certain object that is now found in every stadium across the land?
Join us on a spin through some of the things that make Michigan Stadium like no other football field in the land.
(Special thanks to the Bentley Historical Library for the use of several images as well as information.)
Where did the ‘Big House’ nickname originate?
The nickname “Big House” was used for Michigan Stadium in a Sept. 13, 1985 Detroit Free Press story, in which Notre Dame running back Allen Pinkett was quoted, “ … I’m looking forward to playing against (Michigan) in the Big House …,” alluding to the then-101,701-seat Michigan Stadium.
It’s unclear whether that was the very first time the moniker was used, but its origins trace back to the 1980s.
Keith Jackson, the retired, legendary broadcaster for ABC Sports, is credited with coining the term “Big House,” but it’s unclear what year he did so. Without question, Jackson popularized the term.
It started at the Miller family farm
Michigan Stadium was built at the site of the Miller family farm, which featured a barn, a strawberry patch and an underground spring. The site is located across the railroad track from the Wolverines' previous stadium, Ferry Field.
In 1925, the university purchased the land -- a tract of 16 acres and 119 city lots -- for $239,000. That included the cost of several lots, which were acquired via condemnation procedures.
The land gradually sloped from the valley of the old Allen's Creek, which was diverted underground, and rose to the level of South Main Street.
A big portion of the low-lying land was swampy. The underground spring had served as a source for the University of Michigan's water needs in the university's earlier days.
Michigan athletic director and former coach Fielding Yost chats with a Michigan Stadium site contractor during the construction of the stadium. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
Cost of Michigan Stadium construction
The price tag for the construction of Michigan Stadium in 1927 was just shy of $1 million, specifically at $950,000. Today, that amount would equate to more than $13 million.
At the time of construction, the stadium contained 70 rows and was designed to seat 72,000 fans.
With the addition of wooden bleachers, the capacity increased to 84,401.
Cranes work on excavation during the construction of Michigan Stadium. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
Crane buried beneath the stadium?
The underground spring on the land where Michigan Stadium was built had been capable of delivering 300 gallons of water per minute. The water posed a problem during construction, so the land had to be lowered to take care of an underground lake.
The surface was quicksand-like and, during construction, a crane was swallowed up. According to legend, the crane remains buried beneath the stadium’s surface today.
The high water table led to nearly three-quarters of Michigan Stadium being built below ground level.
Michigan all-around star Louis Gilbert is shown running with the ball during the first-ever game at Michigan Stadium, a 33-0 win over Ohio Wesleyan on Oct. 1, 1927. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
First game in Michigan Stadium
On Oct. 1, 1927, the first game was played in Michigan Stadium. Michigan defeated Ohio Wesleyan, 33-0. More than 40,000 people witnessed the game, which was played in rainy conditions.
All-around star Louis Gilbert factored into each of the Wolverines’ scores. Bennie Oosterbaan was a team captain that season, and he scored one of the touchdowns during the inaugural game at Michigan Stadium.
Three weeks later, the stadium was dedicated in the Wolverines' 19-0 victory over Ohio State. A then-record crowd of 84,401 attending the dedication game on Oct. 22, 1927.
This is how the scoreboard appeared at Michigan Stadium in 1930. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
First stadium to use electronic scoreboards
Michigan Stadium was the first to use electronic scoreboards as official time, doing so when it installed electronic scoreboards at both ends of the stadium in 1930.
For years, Michigan Stadium was one of few college stadiums to feature video scoreboards on each end of its facility.
In August 1968, the scoreboards at each end of the stadium were replaced at a cost of $75,000.
Here is an aerial photo of Michigan Stadium in 1949, when steel bleachers replaced wooden bleachers during an expansion project. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
Steel stands replace wooden bleachers
Twenty-one years after the stadium capacity was increased to 85,753, Michigan Stadium’s wooden bleachers were replaced by steel stands in 1949. That change raised the stadium’s capacity to 97,239.
That year, Michigan led the nation in average attendance with 93,894 for its six home games. It was the first year that NCAA attendance records were kept. The Wolverines’ closest competitor was Ohio State, which averaged 76,429.
An aerial photo of Michigan Stadium is shown from 1956 when the Wolverines had their first crowd of more than 100,000. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
Capacity exceeds 100,000 in 1956
Michigan Stadium’s capacity is increased again, expanding to 101,001 in 1956.
On Oct. 6, 1956, Michigan Stadium hosted more than 100,000 people for the first time as the Wolverines took on Michigan State.
That year, a state-of-the-art pressbox was added as well. The price tag for the pressbox was $700,000. It was dedicated on Sept. 22, 1956.
Artificial turf is installed in Michigan Stadium for the first time in 1969. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
Artificial turf goes in for the first time
In June 1969, U-M Regents approved installation of artificial turf after it became evident that turf would require less maintenance than grass and could withstand any type of weather.
The following month, 88,285 feet of Tartan Turf was installed at a cost of $250,000.
The artificial turf was torn out and the playing surface was lowered 3 1/2 feet as natural grass returned to Michigan Stadium in 1991. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
Natural grass returns in 1991
In May 1991, Michigan Stadium returned to a natural-grass playing surface as 87,000 feet of Prescription Athletic Turf was installed. Eight thousand square yards of sod were brought in for the playing surface, which was lowered 3 ½ feet to facilitate better sightlines for those seated in the lower rows.
The conversion from artificial turf to natural grass cost $2.25 million.
On Sept. 14, 1991, Michigan defeated Notre Dame, 24-14, in the first Michigan Stadium game played on natural grass since 1968.
FieldTurf is installed in Michigan Stadium in May 2003. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
Playing surface goes to FieldTurf in 2003
From late-April to early-July in 2003, the playing surface at Michigan Stadium underwent another change. It went from natural grass back to an artificial surface, as FieldTurf replaced the Prescription Athletic Turf that had been in place since 1991.
The price tag was $620,000, which included the cost to install the FieldTurf and the fee to remove the existing surface and replace the urethane track around the field and tunnel. It also included a $46,000 donation by Ford Motor Company for the crushed rubber infill used in the FieldTurf.
The field’s dimensions are 360 by 160 feet.
People stand at the front gate of Michigan Stadium before going in for an open house following the stadium renovations in 2009. (Lon Horwedel | MLive file photo)
Big House gets big upgrades in 2009
A $226 million renovation project in 2009 not only made Michigan Stadium the largest college football venue in the country again, but it enhanced the fan experience.
The project featured wider aisles, wider bench seats and more handicap-accessible seats, as well as more stadium access points. It offered elevated concourses with additional restrooms and concessions on both sidelines, plus buildings at both the north and south ends of the stadium which house additional restrooms, concessions and public safety services.
A new press box was built on the west side, and four towers (one at each corner of the stadium) with elevators and wide stairways for access to the new concourses and premium seating areas.
Seating was added to both the east and west sides of the stadium. The west side features 650-plus chairback seats and 46 suites split across the first two levels. On the east side, there are about 1,900 outdoor club seats, 250 indoor club seats and 850 covered club seats, with stadium lounges on the first and second level of the structure. There also are 36 suites on the third level.
An aerial view of Michigan Stadium is shown during the 1927 season, when the stadium's capacity was 72,000. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
11 different seating capacities
Michigan Stadium has featured nearly a dozen different seating capacities since opening in 1927.
Here are the capacities in its 91 years of existence:
72,000 (1927)
84,401 (1927)
85,753 (1928)
97,239 (1949)
101,001 (1956)
101,701 (1973)
102,501 (1992)
107,501 (1998)
102,601 (2008)
109,901 (2010)
107,601 (2015)
An aerial of Michigan Stadium is shown during the 1998 game against Syracuse. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
100,000-plus fans for 273 straight games and counting
On Nov. 8, 1975, Michigan shut out Purdue, 28-0, before a crowd of 102,415. That started the Wolverines’ streak of consecutive games at Michigan Stadium of crowds featuring 100,000-plus.
The streak is alive and well today, sitting at 273 straight home games of 100,000-plus fans entering the 2017 season.
The last time that Michigan Stadium did not have 100,000-plus in attendance for a Wolverines football game was on Oct. 25, 1975, when U-M beat Indiana before 93,857.
Nebraska holds the longest home sellout streak in college football with 354 games (dating back to Nov. 3, 1962), but Memorial Stadium’s capacity is 86,047, accommodating far fewer than the Big House.
Michigan has led the nation in attendance for 41 of the past 43 seasons. The only seasons during that stretch in which the Wolverines did not rank No. 1 in attendance were 2014, when they were third, and 1997, when they were second.
Michigan fans rush the field after the Wolverines' 12-10 win over Michigan State during the 2012 season. (Daniel Brenner | MLive file photo)
NCAA record for average home attendance in a season
Michigan holds the NCAA regular-season record for home average attendance in a season with 112,251 in 2012. The Wolverines also averaged 112,000-plus in 2011.
U-M has averaged 111,000-plus fans in six seasons, and 110,000-plus in 15 seasons.
Michigan fans wave pompoms as they cheer during the 2013 game against Notre Dame. (Melanie Maxwell | MLive file photo)
Total attendance for U-M football at the Big House
Since the opening of Michigan Stadium in 1927, the Wolverines’ 765 games have drawn 49,087,344 fans.
The Big House’s attendance record is 115,109, set on Sept. 7, 2013 in Michigan’s 41-30 night-game victory over Notre Dame.
Cheerleaders are shown during a 1927 game in Michigan Stadium, which featured a natural-grass playing surface. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
How many blades of grass originally?
It was estimated that there were 106 million blades of grass making up the field at Michigan Stadium at the dedication game in 1927.
Fritz Crisler is shown in snowy Michigan Stadium in this undated photo. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
Where is Fritz Crisler's seat?
When the press box and additional seating at the stadium were dedicated on Sept. 22, 1956, the tradition began of ending all Michigan Stadium capacity numbers with the digit “1.” This extra seat was added in honor of Fritz Crisler, who was director of athletics at the time.
It remains unknown, however, what the location of Crisler’s seat is in Michigan Stadium.
Live wolverines Bennie and Biff are brought into Michigan Stadium during the 1927 season. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
Legend of 'Biff' and 'Bennie'
In 1927, the year Michigan Stadium opened, the Detroit Zoo acquired 10 wolverines from Alaska. During that season, then-Michigan football coach and athletic director Fielding Yost worked out a deal with the zoo to have two of the wolverines transported to the stadium on football Saturdays.
The two wolverines, nicknamed “Biff” and “Bennie,” were paraded around Michigan Stadium in cages. That practice ended after a short time, however. As the story goes, Biff and Bennie grew larger and more ferocious, making it dangerous for them to be moved around near the public.
In 1937, the Chevrolet Motor Company donated a wolverine and a cage to keep it in to the University of Michigan. A contest was held to name the new mascot, and “Intrepidus” was the winner.
No live wolverines have been in Michigan Stadium in the last half-century.
Michigan Stadium is shown under construction in 1927. (Photo provided to MLive.com by Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
If a woodchuck chucked dirt at the Big House ...
According to “Nature” magazine, it would take approximately 14,000 woodchucks, working eight-hour days for 11 ½ months, to move an amount of dirt equal to the 240,000 square yards that were excavated out of the Michigan Stadium site before the cement was poured.
Michigan Stadium is shown during the Big Chill hockey game between Michigan and Michigan State on Dec. 11, 2010. (Angela J. Cesere | MLive file photo)
Setting records for hockey attendance, too
Michigan Stadium holds the Nos. 1 and 2 spots on the list of hockey games with the largest attendance.
On Dec. 11, 2010, the Wolverines hockey team defeated Michigan State, 5-0, in front of a crowd announced at 113,411 and certified at 104,173.
On Jan. 1, 2014, the Big House hosted the 2014 NHL Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs. An announced crowd of 105,491 was reported, with 104,173 being certified. The Red Wings lost in a shootout.
Real Madrid and Manchester United play during the International Champions Cup at Michigan Stadium on Aug. 2, 2014. (Tyler Stabile | MLive file photo)
And don't forget the soccer crowd
On Aug. 2, 2014, a U.S.-record crowd of 109,318 at Michigan Stadium watched Manchester United defeat Real Madrid, 3-1, in a preseason friendly match between professional soccer powers.
The three previous record-holders for a soccer game hosted in the U.S. were all at the Rose Bowl during the 1984 Olympics. Prior to the crowd at the Big House setting the record, the Rose Bowl held the mark with 101,799 fans.
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