Big House Renovations Impressive

For a day, I got to see what it would be like to live the high life at a college football game.

Thousands of fans went through the hollowed gates of Michigan Stadium Wednesday to check out the new luxury suites and club levels installed. It was neat to finally get a look at those massive brick structures that anyone who's driven along Main Street in Ann Arbor over the past three years. On Wednesday, it was like an "Extreme Makeover, Big House Edition."

It's amazing how perceptions can change, even if it involves watching a sporting event. Sitting in the luxury boxes (500 level) and walking through the club levels (300 and 400), it doesn't feel like you're in a college football stadium. That's not a bad thing, as it really enhances the experience. One can open and close the windows in the suites, which works for those sometime-frigid November games against Ohio State. Yes, you're on the top floor and way high in the air, but the sightlines are still excellent, plus you get a view of downtown Ann Arbor in the distance. The only thing fans would have to figure out is how loud they need to be from that height to throw off the other team (all kidding aside, let's behave fans).

The club level is just as impressive, with theater-style seating indoors on the 400 level, outside cushioned chair-back seats on the 300 level, private concessions and (whew) restrooms.

The structure on the west side (Main Street) features the boxes for the coaches, regents, university president and of course, more suites. What I'm really looking forward to seeing is the massive press area, which is now located near the 10-yard line of the north end zone.

With the renovations about to be completed, the Big House will regain its title as the largest capacity in the country. Michigan Stadium will now seat 109,901 and overtake Penn State's two-year run as the biggest stadium in college football (Beaver Stadium's capacity is 107,282).