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. 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