New Michigan Stadium looks good so far
It's big, it's different, it's shiny and new. It's also not done yet.
But updated Michigan Stadium, with its $226-million renovation, is taking shape, and I bet most fans will like the look. Oh, some Old Blues will get weepy over this new-fangled thing called Change, but if they can afford any of the fancy seats, they'll get over it.
The red-brick exterior with the arched windows has a classic feel, actually better than the interior. The inside is glass and blue steel, with tinted windows on the 82 luxury suites. It's glitzier than the brick and not as impressive, but I can live with it.
If you don't have $55,000-$85,000 for a suite, your game-day experience probably won't change much. You'll keep squeezing your ever-widening butt (sorry) onto the old benches, which will provide a tad more room once the project is done by June, 2010.
Michigan officials are confident the towering stories on the west and east sides will increase crowd noise, trapping it and sending it to the field. We'll see. But no doubt, the stadium finally has an imposing facade. I can't tell you how many out-of-town media members over the years expressed surprise (read: disappointment) at how small a 107,000-seat stadium could look.
That era's over. The Big House actually looks big, and after all the years of debate, it's needed progress.
Bob.wojnowski@detnews.com
