Football fans say widen seats, keep 'Big House' status

A recent survey of U-M football season ticketholders and students has confirmed strong feelings regarding potential Michigan Stadium renovations, including the need for wider seats and a desire to keep the facility as the largest in the nation.

Fans identified several aspects of the stadium that are most important to their game-day experience as the University considers renovations to the 78-year-old structure.

A survey of football fans indicates a desire for wider seats and aisles in "The Big House." (File Photo/Bill Wood, U-M Photo Services)

Under consideration are numerous improvements that would enhance the convenience and safety of those in attendance, according to Bill Martin, director of intercollegiate athletics. These include increasing the number and quality of restrooms; increasing the number of concession stands and adding a greater variety of fare; widening the aisles, adding handrails and increasing the number of points of entry and exit, allowing for better traffic flow and creating a safer environment; and improving accommodations for fans with disabilities.

"Throughout the process, we have asked our fans for their input," Martin said of renovations that have been considered for many years. "These recent surveys show us they understand the need for modernization and tell us what's most important to fans about the overall game-day experience."

Season ticketholders were asked to agree or disagree with a series of statements about the renovation. Solid majorities agree the stadium needs to be brought up to current standards (61 percent); premium and general seating should be added if it will help pay for needed renovations (60 percent); and with increased ticket prices, fans should have wider seats and aisles (57 percent).

Among the 13 potential actions listed in the survey, season ticketholders were asked to identify those with the greatest impact on their game-day experience. A majority indicated widening seats by 1-2 inches (60 percent), maintaining an ambience free of advertising (46 percent), and keeping Michigan Stadium the largest college football venue in the nation (41 percent).

Other options listed on the survey included adding more women's and men's restrooms, adding premium seating, expanding the amount of general seating, increasing the amount of disabled seating, increasing crowd noise, widening the aisles, adding hand rails and increasing the number of concession stands.

When fans were asked to consider the direct tradeoff between wider seats and maintaining the largest stadium, they chose comfort over stadium size, 60 percent to 40 percent. Yet when asked about maintaining the largest stadium capacity, even if it means aisles and seats remain the same, responses were deadlocked, with 41 percent agreeing and 43 percent disagreeing.

"One of the things this survey makes clear is that our renovation goals come with some tradeoffs," Martin says. "Our challenge as we move ahead is to balance all of our goals and the desires of our fans."

Student season ticketholders consider a great game-day experience in terms of the quality of competition on the field, final score and how much crowd noise exists inside the stadium. They consider keeping "The Big House" the largest college football stadium in the country as most important, ahead of increasing crowd noise and keeping advertising out of the stadium. A distant fourth was improving crowd circulation around restrooms and concession stands.

The 2005 survey reflects responses from more than 1,200 randomly selected season ticketholders, with a mix of fans by seat location. The student survey reflects responses from more than 2,000 student season ticketholders.

Among the respondents, 51 percent have had season tickets for 20 years or more, and more than 77 percent attend nearly every home game. Close to half of respondents travel at least 50 miles one-way to attend games, and 78 percent say they do not have season tickets to any other athletic events, collegiate or professional.

Martin notes the stadium has undergone many significant changes during periodic renovations and upgrades. A guiding principle in planning for this renovation, however, has been that any improvements will respect the tradition and character of the stadium.

Answers to frequently asked questions about the stadium renovations have been posted at: http://www.mgoblue.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=19478. Questions and comments about the renovations may be directed to michiganstadium@umich.edu.