The renovation work includes replacement of bleachers, widening of individual seats, widening of the aisles and installation of hand rails. In addition, 83 luxury boxes and 3,200 club seats will also be built in.
The upgradation project will benefit all football fans as it follows the latest standards of safety and convenience. The renovation work will also include improvements of bathrooms. To improve wheelchair access, the stadium’s capacity has dipped to 106,201 and slipped behind Penn State’s Beaver Stadium as the country’s biggest football venue.
Bill Martin, Athletic director at Michigan, says that the inclusion of luxury boxes and premium seating areas will help finance the project without affecting ticket surcharge. The faculty group previously passed a resolution in 2007 opposing the construction of 83 luxury boxes in two new sideline structures.
According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association website, commitments for 51 of the 82 suites that cost $55,000 to $85,000 each year to entertain 16 fans have been secured, according to senior associated athletic director Joe Parker. Almost 1,600 of the 3,600 club seats have been sold for annual gifts of $1,500 to $4,000 plus the cost of the tickets, Parker said. Major donors from New York to California have already given $31-plus million for naming rights as part of the project.
