Orientation Edition 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
3
Michigan Stadium lawsuit settled
Big House will lose
status as biggest
football stadium for at
least two years
By GABE NELSON
ManagingEditor
Mar. 11, 2008 - The University has
reached a settlement that ends the
lawsuit aver Michigan Stadium's
accessibility to disabled'fans - and,
for the time heing, will end the Big
House's reign as the largest football
stadium in the country.
The Michigan Paralyzed Veter-
ans of America agreed to drop the
lawsuit in return for a commitment
from the University to add more
wheelchair-accessible seating and
make changes to stadium facilities
like bathrooms and ramps no bring
them into compliance with the
Americans With Disabilities Act.
The $226 million stadium expan-
sion project, which will add struc-
tures containing luxury boxes and
club seating, will not be affected.
Before construction on the
expansion project began in Novem-
ber, Michigan Stadium had 92
wheelchair-accessible seats, all of
them located behind the north and
south end zones. The settlement
requires the stadium to have at least
329 wheelchair-accessible seats.
The various adjustments to the
stadium will cost about $2 million,
according to Gloria Hage, the Uni-
versity's interim vice president and
general counsel.
Because wheelchair-accessible
seats take up about 12 times as much
space as normal seats, the changes
will also drop the stadium's seat
capacity from 107,501 to an estimat-
ed 106,201 for the 2008 and 2009
seasons. That will make Michigan
Stadium the second-largest football
stadium in the country after Penn
State University's Beaver Stadium,
which holds 107,282.
University officials said they
don't know what the stadium's
capacity will be after the expansion
project and said they don't know
whether it will again become the
biggest. The project will add a total
of 5,100 seats, but some of the stadi-
um's existing seats will be removed
F to make room for the addition.
The pre-settlement project esti-
mate said the stadium's capacity
by the conclusion of the project in
2010 would cop 108,000, an addi-
tion of 500 seats from the start of
the project. But because today's
42t Maynard St.
AnnArhne, MI 48109-1327
swwws.mcihigandaily.com
EMMARIE ELAINA
NUETlEMAN BUGLI
Edio n,Chef OBusiess Manager
CONTACT INFORMATION
Newsroom ffc o urs:,
NewslTips nesc, 5gandcaiyccc
Corections crrcseig ascdai.ccc
LettersitothetEditor othdcicc~mchigadily.ccc,
PhotographytDepartment photoc ccigncdccilyc
ArsnStectian artsageochigandcilccrc
tditorial Pate opinomccchcccoccdailycom
Sports Section sportsam ichandoci.co
Display Sales d.ilcidicpi, gmilcc
ClassifiednSales dcsciecicooycd(pmlcccc
Online Sales cccdortlin,, lc1
Finance tnfice,, c .c
The stadiam renoation project will cast $226 million and add structures containing laxury bones and clab sealing.
EDITORIAL STAFF
lacy Graca
grca~chiganodiycom
Managing ditor
settlement will remove an esti-
mated 1,500 seats from the bowl,
it's unclear whether that will be
enough to make Michigan Stadium
the biggest again.,
"Over time, we again expect to
have the largest capacity of any
stadium in the country," Hage said.
"We have to wait until 2010 to see
how the new seating shakes out."
NO LONGER THE
BIGGEST HOUSE
The settlemnnt moans thn University will
have In tarn somn bleacher snats into
wheelchair-accessihle seating. Thai
change means Michigan Stadium won't
he the largest toothall stadium in the
country Inc at least two years,
1075 01
The capacity ot the Big House up antil the
2007tfoothall season.
106,201
The capacity otthe Big [louse tor the nextitwo
foothall seasons.
'107,282
The size of BeavercStadium at Penn State
University, which will overtake the Big House in
capacity until at least2010.
SEATING SWAP
Under the terms ot the settlement, new wheelchair-accessible seatingmill he added,
By 2010, the Big House will have a total ot 329 wheelchair-accessible seats.
KEY:
Tohbe ready hy 2008 96wheelchaircand
96ecomyanion
Tohbe ready hy 2010 n1 wheeichaic and seasinircow54.
8r comyac noniat
incoo 72.
24 wheeichaircand
24r companion
seats in o7.
At least b 56lwheechair and
whechia cnd 72 56companion
cmpyanionoseain secisin con 72.
onithe new West
Concourse
tiawheelchair
and 81con-
pinion nears
Onecavailablecwheelchairncseat
w i be in each lucury box.
Thee wilialsobe 38 accessibe
cu~bseat, 24outdo'nand14 SOURE: COUeR ILINS, MICHIGAuNTrETCoDEPATMNatT
ndoors. veRPIC cv ALLISON GHAMAN/Daily
oulie tine sManagingsNews Editor
row c ic iga n da i y.c
Lindy Stevens, ---Sara Lycn ele
Kate Truesdell Editorci Pg Edito
iccc..deliic ,cgcocdai,.com~
ASSccOnCEITORS:ii,,cccccoia obert Si~ove
AndytReid oManagcinorsditor
rcidaccicigdiooiiy cc
Brandoecnnradis anggArsEio
Cliiteeeder Mcacaging PhcccEditcr
cccdccccccicigaciyccn
ACn IADITccn OR:nCcihanlconccbburgccchinicc
HilaryRuffe Maagccing Designditor
ruwfemchi,0cdoflpcccc
Chanelonc Hahshurg-Lothringen Mulimeccdia ciiicr
ccnccnccugccccccgc,cigacdip.c cc
Brian Merlos Manacig cOclinccEditor
cciccio~cccigocdcai, ccc
BUSINESS STAFF
Dan Niwan
Katie Jozwiak
MacrisOaee
inn English
RobhAhb
Alison Thomas
Sp ciScti~ons anger
The Michigan Daiy(ISSN0745-967)lis pubished
Mondayithroughbriday duringithe flland ainier
tris by studenscatihe Uniccritiy of Michitan.
One copyin availaereen ofcharge in all eadecs.
Additional copies non be picked upyatithe Dailys
office forc$2. Sobscipiionsfortfalitem,starint
in September, cia U..nail ace$10. iO.ter
term (ianuacy ihrotgh Apri) s $115, yeaclong
(Sepembecritrogh Aycil) is $95. Univecsiy
afiliiates ace oubect in a cedoced sobscription
cain. On-canmonssbscrciptions fo fc tr
ace su5. Sobscccytions must be prepaid. The
Michigan Daiy is a membec of The Associated
Prsonde Asociated Colleiate Press.