247Sports released a list of the 10 greatest stadium atmospheres in college football, and Michigan Stadium did not make the cut. Here are a few things that could be done to improve the atmosphere at the Big House:
With more than 100 Division I football stadiums to choose from, narrowing down a list to the 10 greatest atmospheres in all of college football is no easy task. 247Sports released its list of “College football’s 10 greatest stadium atmospheres,” and Michigan Stadium did not make the cut.
Here is the list:
10. Memorial Stadium, Nebraska
9. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida
8. Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn
7. Husky Stadium, Washington
6. Memorial Stadium, Clemson
5. Autzen Stadium, Oregon
4. Kyle Field, Texas A&M
3. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee
2. Beaver Stadium, Penn State
1. Tiger Stadium, LSU
I’ve written my fair share of articles criticizing Michigan’s absence from some of these lists. However, I don’t necessarily see an issue with this one. Maybe it’s the fact Ohio State also got left out, or maybe it’s that Michigan just won’t be able to match some of the decibel levels at these other stadiums.
For years, fans, players, and coaches have talked about how quiet the Big House is compared to other stadiums. The bowl shape of the stadium makes it lose sound easier than others, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t really care about making things significantly louder just by changing a design.
Without having to change the stadium itself, here are three things that could help boost Michigan Stadium’s reputation as one of the best atmospheres in the sport.
Fans need to be even louder
While Michigan fans have long had a reputation of “being older” and quiet, I think this is improving. The stadium has come a long way from when I first stepped into the student section nearly 15 years ago, but there’s still room for improvement.
I’ll never forget standing up in the student section and yelling when Michigan was on defense. A girl turned around and told me, “We only do that on third down.” I scrunched up my face and ignored her. I’m not normally one to embrace confrontation, but a few plays later, most of the student section yelled on second down because it was a big play, and yes, I did tap her on the shoulder to let her know it wasn’t third down.
I’ve had the opportunity to go to a few games outside of the student section, and there’s definitely more fan participation. Maybe it’s just because I went to a few of the “bigger” games, but there are definitely more people standing up and yelling, especially on defense.
I’ve never understood the appeal of going to a game and sitting quietly. I can’t even do that when I watch on the couch. But fans are beginning to play their part, and if they continue to pick it up, the Big House could reverse its reputation.
Don’t get rid of “Mr. Brightside”
For any of the youngins that think Mr. Brightside has always been a thing, I’d like to pull a Lee Corso: “Not so fast, my friend.”
The song was played regularly in games dating back to 2016, but it seemed to really make its mark in 2021 when the Wolverines finally got over the hump.
It’s hard not to see videos on social media talking about the best in-game traditions where they don’t include fans singing Mr. Brightside. It definitely gets people excited, and that’s going to get Michigan Stadium even more recognition when it comes to the atmosphere. The Wolverines would be wise to keep that going given how popular it’s gotten.
Convince the networks to provide more meaningful night games
I understand this won’t be the most popular suggestion, but night games really do create a unique environment. The athletic department spent all this money on lights to have a light show during the primetime games, so it’d be nice to break them out a little more.
Last year, Michigan did a “stripe out” for USC, and while that was cool and different, a game like that may have been even better at night. I know this is harder to navigate given the TV rights — considering FOX, NBC and CBS determine what time each and every game is aired — but it just didn’t feel right for last year’s night games at the Big House to be against Fresno State and Michigan State. A night atmosphere against USC, Oregon or Texas would have made for an even more memorable game.
If there’s any way Warde Manuel can talk to the network executives and let them know we would rather have a good game be in primetime and not some non-conference game like Fresno State or Bowling Green (from 2023), that’d be fantastic.
What do you think about the Big House atmosphere? Let us know in the comments.