Michigan Stadium is located in Ann Harbor, Michigan, the football stadium was built in 1927. It is regarded as the largest stadium in America and the Western Hemisphere which is why it is informally known as ‘The Big House’. Home to Michigan Football and beloved to the University of Michigan students, it is also the third-largest stadium in the world!
The field for the stadium is currently FieldTurf – an artificial surface that is designed to have a similar feel and look to natural grass. This field surface was chosen as the best option after several changes over the years.
The stadium’s original capacity was 72,000 but currently, the official capacity is 109,901 people. Although the stadium has hosted a greater number of crowds we will discuss below!
Michigan Stadium has a record attendance of 115,109 fans at a football match where Michigan defeated Notre Dame in a game of 41–30. Furthermore, in 2012 the Big House held the NCAA single-season average home attendance record with a massive number of 112,252 people fans per game!
The stadium also has the title for the largest attendance for an NCAA Division II football game. For the top 10 highest attendance at the games played in Michigan Stadium, see below!
| Highest attendance at Michigan Stadium |
| Rank Attendance Date Game result |
| 1 115,109 Sept. 7, 2013 Michigan 41, Notre Dame 30 |
| 2 114,804 Sept. 10, 2011 Michigan 35, Notre Dame 31 |
| 3 114,132 Nov. 26, 2011 Michigan 40, Ohio State 34 |
| 4 113,833 Oct. 20, 2012 Michigan 12, Michigan State 10 |
| 5 113,718 Nov. 19, 2011 Michigan 45, Nebraska 17 |
| 6 113,511 Nov. 30, 2013 Michigan 41, Ohio State 42 |
| 7 113,090 Sept. 4, 2010 Michigan 30, Connecticut 10 |
| 8 113,085 Oct. 11, 2014 Michigan 18, Penn State 13 |
| 9 113,065 Oct. 9, 2010 Michigan 17, Michigan State 34 |
| 10 113,016 Nov. 17, 2012 Michigan 42, Iowa 17 |
The stadium is not just limited to football matches but has also seen different team sports games played there. Such as:
- Soccer matches between Manchester United and Real Madrid took place in the stadium of the International Champions Cup (ICC) which housed around 109,318 people.
- Michigan Stadium held the NHL’s 2014 Winter Classic, where Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs engaged in a game of ice hockey, with a crowd of 105,491 people.
Apart from sports events, Michigan Stadium also hosts special occasions such as movie nights, seasonal festivities for the university students, and even yoga sessions. Moreover, it is also available to be rented as a wedding venue! I think having a wedding at a stadium is a pretty unique and cool idea!
However, the major local teams that dominate the stadium are as mentioned below.
- Michigan Wolverines Football
- Michigan Wolverines Field Hockey
- Michigan Wolverines Men’s Lacrosse
- Michigan Wolverines Women’s Lacrosse
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT MICHIGAN STADIUM IN THE US
Q. Is Michigan stadium the largest in the world?
No, it is the third-largest stadium in the world.
Q. Why is Michigan Stadium known as ‘The Big House?’
This is due to its great size and ability to seat a large number of fans.
Q. What is America’s biggest stadium?
Michigan Stadium is America’s largest stadium.
Q. How many seats are there in Michigan Stadium?
The capacity in the stadium is for around 109,901 people.
