Football fans in any part of the country always believe that their favorite school, their conference, their state, or their region plays the best brand of ball one will be privileged to see. Grudgingly however, there are a few university programs that are afforded the respect reserved for the very best, an admission that there are a few bastions of excellence that stand out, even though they might be far from one’s favored football area. Among these venerated programs stands the University of Michigan and of course, Michigan Stadium, known well by its nickname of “The Big House” even to those with little interest in football related matters. Even upon its opening in 1927, the seating capacity of 72,000 was huge and it has remained so. The modern era capacity of 107,501 kept it ranked at the top of attendance charts and the stated stadium limits were routinely exceeded by fans wishing to attend a Wolverines home game, on campus, in what most experts believe to be the most outstanding university owned and operated stadium in the land. With the official NCAA single game attendance record of 112,118 for a game against rival Ohio State in 2003, Michigan Stadium certainly lived up to its “Big House” moniker and this has been reinforced by the vociferous Michigan fans who pushed the 2004 home attendance record to an average of 111,025 per game, a staggering figure that doubles as the NCAA mark.

 

Recent renovations have insured that Michigan Stadium has remained the largest in the U.S. with a current seating capacity of 109,901 and among the top three in the world! The renovations have included construction and cosmetic changes with the addition of eighty-three luxury box suites, alterations that will also insure that Michigan supporters will enjoy an ultimate game day experience upon their visit to The Big House. The beautiful suites, with seating for sixteen, windows for noise and climate control, and a lengthy list of amenities, are perhaps the pinnacle of a Michigan football Saturday and at least one of them holds a symbolic representation of Wolverines gridiron history in the form of a helmet collection that reflects the changes in headgear throughout the suspension era.
 

 

Enhancing game day by sitting among the presence of Michigan’s helmet history is Athletic Director Dave Brandon and his fortunate suite guests. Known throughout the business world as the former CEO and Chairman Of The Board of Domino’s Pizza, Brandon is also a former football “M” winner  one who knows Michigan’s football lore and legend better than almost anyone. Announced as the new Michigan AD on January 5, 2010, Brandon came up through the ranks on Coach Bo Schembechler’s early teams, first as a quarterback and eventually as a defensive end. Upon request, HELMET HUT had furnished Head Coach Rich Rodriguez’s office with a complete set of Michigan suspension era helmets, a great source of conversation, pride, and a definite recruiting tool. Athletic Director Brandon’s office requested a set to be displayed in the new luxury box which immediately reflected the Athletic Department’s pride in the wonderful Michigan football tradition. Without making assumptions, it might be understandable if Mr. Brandon’s favorite was the Wolverine helmet worn from 1971 through the ’73 seasons when he was a contributing member of the squad.
 

 

The honor of having played for Michigan legend, Head Coach Bo Schembechler and the lessons learned no doubt served to prepare Mr. Brandon for his extraordinary business success which has already paid dividends as U of M Athletic Director.
 

 

The new stadium expansion, highlighted by the luxury suites and of course, his own featuring HELMET HUT’S authentic reproduction of the great winged Michigan helmet series, is but one more accolade to be enjoyed in The Big House.