Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium , nicknamed " The Big House , " is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor , Michigan . Michigan Stadium was built in 1927 at a cost of $ 950 , 000 and had an original capacity of 82 , 000 . Prior to the stadium ' s construction , the Wolverines played football at Ferry Field . Michigan Stadium is the largest stadium in the United States with an official capacity of 109 , 901 , but has hosted crowds in excess of 114 , 000 . It is the third largest stadium in the world and the 31st largest sports venue including auto racing and horse racing . The one " extra seat " in Michigan Stadium is said to be reserved for former athletic director Fritz Crisler , although its location is not specified . Every home game since November 8 , 1975 has drawn a crowd in excess of 100 , 000 , an active streak of more than 200 contests . On September 10 , 2011 , 114 , 804 attended a game at Michigan Stadium between Michigan and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish , making this the largest crowd to see a college football game since 1927 and setting an NCAA single - game attendance record . Michigan Stadium was designed with footing s to allow the stadium ' s capacity to be expanded beyond 100 , 000 . According to the University of Michigan Library ' s and Athletics Department ' s history of the stadium , Fielding Yost envisioned a day where 150 , 000 seats would be needed . To keep construction costs low at the time , the decision was made to build a smaller stadium than Yost envisioned but to include the footings for future expansion . Michigan Stadium is the site of the University of Michigan ' s main graduation ceremonies ; renovations in April 2008 caused that year ' s ceremony to be moved to the Diag . It has also hosted hockey games . On December 11 , 2010 , the " Cold War II " , a Michigan versus Michigan State hockey game , took place at Michigan Stadium . The event was officially called " The Big Chill at the Big House " , and over 100 , 000 tickets had been sold by May 6 , 2010 , when sales to the general public were stopped . The remaining seats were set aside for students . The attendance for the game was 104 , 073 , smashing the previous record for a hockey game by nearly 25 , 000 . History . Early History . Prior to playing at Michigan Stadium , Michigan played its games at Ferry Field , which at its peak could seat 40 , 000 people . Fielding Yost recognized the need for a larger stadium after original expansions to Ferry Field proved to be too small , and persuaded the regents to build a permanent stadium in 1926 . Fashioned after the Yale Bowl , the original stadium was built with a capacity of 72 , 000 . However , at Yost ' s urging , 10 , 000 temporary bleachers were added at the top of the stadium , increasing capacity to 82 , 000 . On October 1 , 1927 , Michigan played Ohio Wesleyan in the first game at Michigan Stadium , prevailing easily , 33 – 0 . The new stadium was then formally dedicated three weeks later in a contest against Ohio State on October 22 . Michigan had spoiled the formal dedication of Ohio Stadium in Columbus five years earlier and was victorious again , besting the Buckeyes 21 – 0 before a standing - room - only crowd of 84 , 401 . In 1930 , electronic scoreboards were installed , making the stadium the first in the United States to use them to keep the official game time . In 1956 , the addition of a press box raised the stadium ' s official capacity to 101 , 001 . The single extra seat above an even 101 , 000 was in honor of Fritz Crisler , athletic director at the time . Since then , all official Michigan Stadium capacity figures have ended in " - 01 " . Before 1968 , Michigan had a policy of " No women or children allowed on the field . " Sara Krulwich , now a photojournalist for " The New York Times " , was the first woman on the field . Longtime radio announcer Bob Ufer dubbed Michigan Stadium " The hole that Yost dug , Crisler paid for , Canham carpeted , and Schembechler fills every cotton - pickin ' Saturday afternoon . " Since November 8 , 1975 , the stadium has held over 100 , 000 fans for every home game . The game against Indiana University on October 25 , 1975 was the last sub - 100 , 000 attendance home game for Michigan . Michigan Stadium ' s size is not wholly apparent from the outside ; most of the seats are located below ground level . Modern Era . On September 9 , 2006 , attendees of Michigan ' s football game against the Central Michigan Chippewas endured the first weather delay in the stadium ' s history after lightning struck nearby during the first quarter . The game was delayed for approximately one hour . Michigan ' s game versus Ball State University on November 4 , 2006 , was the 200th consecutive crowd of over 100 , 000 fans . Traditionally , when the game ' s attendance is announced , the public address announcer ( historically Howard King ) thanks the fans for " being part of the largest crowd watching a football game anywhere in America today . " On September 3 , 2011 , Michigan and Western Michigan mutually agreed to end their game with 1 : 27 left in the third quarter because of an ongoing lightning delay . It was the first time Michigan has had a football game called because of lightning . The stadium was evacuated at 6 : 38 p . m . and the game was called shortly after seven . 2010 renovation and beyond . On June 21 , 2007 , the University ' s Board of Regents approved a $ 226 million renovation and expansion project for Michigan Stadium . The project included replacement of some bleachers , widening of aisles and individual seats , installing hand rails , and the addition of a new press box , 83 luxury box es , and 3 , 200 club seats . The renovation plan garnered opposition from students , alumni , and fans around the country , which waned as the renovation neared external completion . A disabled - veterans group filed a federal lawsuit against the university on April 17 , 2007 , alleging that the design of the project did not meet federal standards for wheelchair - accessible seating . On March 11 , 2008 , as part of the settlement terms of a lawsuit filed against the university pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act , the university announced that the official capacity of the stadium would be reduced to accommodate additional wheelchair - accessible seating beginning with the 2009 season . The project was completed before the 2010 season . < br > In August 2011 the University ' s scoreboard replacement project was finished ; the new boards measure 4 , 000 square feet each with a resolution of 900 x 1632 . Michigan Stadium was rededicated on September 4 , 2010 , before Michigan ' s first home football game of the 2010 season against the University of Connecticut , with a listed capacity of 109 , 901 . After the renovation , the stadium lacked permanent lights , although platforms for temporary lights were included in the design . In September 2010 , a few days after the rededication , the University of Michigan ' s Board of Regents approved a plan to add permanent lights , at a cost of $ 1 . 8 million . The lights were first used at the men ' s hockey game on December 11 , 2010 . The following season saw the stadium ' s first night football game on September 10 , 2011 . The Wolverines defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 35 – 31 . The Michigan lacrosse program was elevated to NCAA varsity status in spring 2011 , effective in the 2011 - 12 academic year . The team will play most of its 2012 games in Michigan Stadium , including a match against Ohio State on April 14 , 2012 , after the annual Wolverine football spring game . Seating and surface . The stadium ' s original capacity was 72 , 000 , but Fielding Yost made certain to install footings that could allow for expansion up to 200 , 000 seats . Initially , all seating consisted of wooden bleachers . These were replaced with permanent metal seating in 1949 by Crisler , who was athletic director at the time . From 1927 to 1968 , the stadium ' s field was covered in natural grass . This was replaced with TartanTurf in 1969 to give players better traction . However , this surface was thought to be unforgiving on players ' joints , and the stadium returned to natural turf in 1991 . This too became problematic , as the field ' s below - surface location near the water table made it difficult for grass to permanently take root . The field was converted to FieldTurf , an artificial surface designed to give grass - like playing characteristics , in 2003 . In 2010 , it was upgraded with a brighter and higher quality version of field turf called Duraspine . Attendance records . On September 10 , 2011 , Michigan Stadium drew its largest attendance for a football game to date . A crowd of 114 , 804 saw Michigan defeat Notre Dame , 35 – 31 , setting a post - 1948 NCAA collegiate football attendance record . ( A 1927 Notre Dame – Southern California game at Soldier Field in Chicago , prior to NCAA record keeping for attendance , drew an estimated 117 , 000 – 123 , 000 . ) Michigan Stadium also holds the current NCAA single - season average home attendance record , which was set in 2011 at 112 , 179 fans per game and topped in 2012 at 112 , 252 fans per game . With an attendance of 104 , 173 , " The Big Chill at the Big House " set the record attendance for a hockey game . The previous record of 77 , 803 was set in the opening game of the 2010 IIHF World Championship on May 7 , 2010 at Veltins - Arena , a retractable - roof soccer stadium in Gelsenkirchen , Germany .