4E - New Student Edition
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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n A2, stadiums aren't just for athletes
There may be some incoming freshmen who have attended a Michigan football or basketball game in Ann Arbor, but
chances are, the vast majority of you have never seen what the Wolverines' athletic campus has to offer. From the world-
famous Michigan Stadium to lesser-known venues like Ray Fisher Stadium, Michigan has some of the most unique and exciting
sporting facilities anywhere.
It's safe to say your collegiate career isn't fully complete until you visit at least a few of these campus monuments.
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MICHIGAN
STADIUM
As an incoming freshman, your
first Michigan football game will
probably be the Aug. 30 season
opener. And hopefully, you'll take a
long look around the stands before
finding your seat.
Gauging the sheer size of Michi-
gan Stadium is almost impossible.
And with so many people in one
place just to watch a football game,
the amount of support is almost
awe-inspiring. t
But national praise for the Big
House usually stops after acknowl-
edging its immense capacity. Mich-
igan Stadium has a reputation for
having the quietest 110,000-plus
fans in the country. One reason
is acoustics. Because the stadium
resembles an oval-shaped crater
with bleachers, the sounds of the
crowd disappear quickly in the
open air. When the ongoing sta-
dium renovations are completed in
2010, noise will betrapped in to cre-
ate a more raucous atmosphere.
But architecture aside, the stu-
dent section can make matters
worse when the Wolverine defense
faces a critical third down.
Especially when the play is near
the student section, a third down
can be a great way to measure
home-field advantage. But before
the snap, thousands of Michigan
students silently shake their car
keys rather than scream.
This tactic couldn't intimidate
Pop Warner players, let alone force
college-level quarterbacks into call-
ing an audible or taking a timeout.
Remember that vocal chords are
your greatest asset when immers-
ing yourself in an intense game
- don't be lazy.
To make the most out of your
four years in the student section, terfinals of the Women's National
nab seats as close to the field as pos- Invitation Tournament, where
sible. Ignore what your ticket says. Crisler was the site of two home
When the Wolverines celebrate basketball playoff games.
touchdowns in the north end zone If the women's team didn't play
in front of thousands of screaming at Crisler, the arena wouldn't be
students and you're within 30 rows hosting any postseason games for
of the action, you can definitely feel a while, thanks to the perenni-
the electricity. ally atrocious men's team. A 10-22
GJON JUNCAJ season wasn't what Michigan fans
expected after the arrival of former
West Virginia coach John Beilein
and high school Mr. Basketball
C RISLE ARENA award winner Manny Harris. gru
The Maize Rage, a small group
of rabidly devoted students, makes
The first time you visit Crisler its presence felt during most home
Arena might be for your freshman games. You'll be fortunate to attend
convocation or for the first men's a game that is remotely close to the
basketball game in November. And 13,751 capacity. But no matter how
you'll quickly realize that Michigan bad the team is, make sure you head
athletic director Bill Martin, who is over to a Michigan State or Ohio
working with a budget approach- State game, when Crisler is often
ing $100 million, has a lot of work close to full.
to do. Last year, I chose to buy men's
Crisler is obsolete compared to basketball season tickets and not
other Big Ten basketball arenas. hockey tickets. Read about Yost Ice
But renovation of the basketball Arena and do yourself a favor - get
and women's gymnastics facility is hockey tickets.
scheduled to begin sometime dur- ALEX PROSPERI
ing your next four years at Michi-
gan.
Looking past its outdated facili-
ties, Crisler has housed some recent YO ST ICE
successes. Bev Plocki, head coach of
the women's gymnastics team, has ARENA
won every Big Ten Championship
except two since taking over in1993.
This year, the team finished eighth Before I came to Ann Arbor, I
at the NCAA Championships. If you was absent-mindedly watching
have a free Friday night, come out a SportsCenter story about the
and see senior Tatjana Thuener- increased prevalence of obscenity
Rego put together one of her popu- at collegiate sporting events. High-
lar floor exercise routines. lighted for obvious reasons was the
The women's basketball team Maryland basketball crowd's now-
suffered five straight losing seasons infamous "Fuck You, J.J." chant,
until coach KevinBorseth took over directed at J.J. Redick, who was
last year. Despite an infamous post- then draining 3-pointers at Duke.
game rant that made its way onto But as I half-listened to Terra-
SportsCenter, Borseth brought a pin enthusiasts defend their right
winning attitude to the program. to free speech and school officials
In his first year, the team finished condemn the horrible language,
19-14 and earned a trip to the quar- I heard one word that piqued my
interest: Michigan.
Now, I had been going to Michi-
gan football games with my family
since I was four, and the only curs-
ing I ever heard was from bellig-
erent Ohio State fans during their
biennial trip to the Big House. But
the ESPN report wasn't talking
about football.
It was the hockey crowd, tucked
away in ancient Yost Ice Arena, that
had school officials worried. And
there's one cheer in particular - a
veritable slew of offensiveness that,
last year, led one foreign-born play-
er to refer to it as the "Ugly Words"
chant - that has parents earmuff-
ing their children every time an
opposing team sends someone to
the penalty box.
The hockey student section
heckles the forwards, the defen-
semen, the starting goalie, the
backup goalie, any player with a
mullet-esque haircut, the refs, the
section of seats reserved for the
opposition's family members and
even other Michigan fans who
aren't cheering loud enough for the
Wolverines. It's truly the rowdiest
crowd on-campus.
During the second intermission,
a kid wearing a Frankenberry cos-
tume and a Michigan hockey jer-
sey riles up the crowd with a crazy
dance in the aisles. With its wild
atmosphere, Yost is a place where
you'll have to attend a game - even
if you don't like hockey.
ANDYREID
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ALUMNI FIELD
If you're looking for some excite-
ment on a spring afternoon, look no
farther than Alumni Field.
When the temperature finally
sneaks 'above 45 degrees around
April, the Michigan softball team
takes the stage at the brand new
Wilpon Softball Complex.
After $5.5 million of renovations,
Alumni Field 'is one of the most
elite college softball facilities in the
country. There is enough room for
a crowd of 2,800, and the seating
options include chair-back seats (if
you're into comfort) and rightfield
bleachers (if you'd rather have a
less expensive, Little League-esque
experience).
Beautiful photographic murals
grace the exterior of the field, many
of which illustrate highlights of the
Wolverines' 2005 national champi-
onship.
And if you thought the only place
fans sing "Hail to the Victors" was
at football games, the crowd at
Alumni Field will prove you wrong.
The Alumni Pep Band also makes
frequent appearances, bringing its
musical enthusiasm to the crowd
and adding to the fast pace of the
games.
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins,
simply known as "Hutch," has
sculpted the program into what it
is today. Known across the country
for'her infamous scowls and tough
attitude, she has helped put Michi-
gan softball on the national radar
in her 24 seasons as head coach.
Come to Alumni Field and you'll see
Hutchins coaching third base - and
loudly sharing her opinion with the
umpires after questionable calls.
Make sure not to miss when Iowa
and Northwestern visit Ann Arbor.
Both teams are among the best in
the Big Ten, meaning that those
weekends are traditionally exciting
and tough battles.
RUTH LINCOLN
RAY FISHER
STADIUM
It's too bad many students don't
even know where Ray Fisher Sta-
dium is located. And even fewer of
them actually attend the games.
Tucked behind Yost Ice Arena,
Michigan's baseballfield doesn'tsee
niuch action until after students go
home for the summer.
If you're able to make it down to
the stadium, you won't find a rowdy
student section. But you will find
a crowd of loyal fans, consisting
mostly of alumni, locals and a few
students.
The Fish, as it is affectionately
called, has been renovated eight
times since it was built in 1923. Last
year, the most recent reconstruction
was completed as a part of a $9-mil-
lion project that improved seating
and added an indoor hitting facility
and brand new locker room.
The baseball players sometimes
sneak down to the stadium to work
out in the middle of the night - or,
more likely, to hang out in the 1,600
square foot locker room, which
includes a ping pong table and two
flat-screen televisions.
The most obvious aesthetic
change to the stadium is a 26-foot
brick wall in left field similar to the
Green Monster at Fenway Park in
Boston.
Some ofthe Wolverines affection-
ately call it "Maloney's Monster"
after Michigan coach Rich Maloney,
who had hoped the wallwould "add
character" to the field.
From the day Maloney was hired
six years ago, he saw the potential in
Ray Fisher Stadium. But until last
season, it wasn't a stadium worthy
of Michigan's rich baseball history.
In May, Michigan's renovation
was rewarded when the Wolver-
ines were selected to host an NCAA 4
regional for the first time since
1956.
The Wolverines now have one of
the finest stadiums in all of college
baseball - and it's time for students
to enjoy it.
JA SON 5T-LER
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