The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/78838
accessed from the football stadium, and be accessed from outside the foot- ball stadium. That will be up and run- ning for football, because we need it." When the basketball season itself to look at hockey from the downward angle." All will be looking at the windows, tips off, Michigan fans will see the re- done Crisler Center, complete with a grand entrance featuring an escalator and waterfall, an expanded and richly finished concourse, and new conces- sions and display areas. "When we have our first basketball game, fans will walk in and will see the new Crisler Arena," Rademacher noted. Two exceptions will remain to the "finished product" aspect, although only one will be noticeable to fans. The club area won't be completed at the start of the season, and the new media center is still a year away. "We're building a new club, a pre- can meet with the coaches, and they can compete all in one area. It makes it more efficient for the coaches and student-athletes." When that overall spruce-up eventu- ally becomes reality, the playing sur- face itself will be replaced as well. "That field was installed in 2003," Rademacher said. "The normal life span of a field is about eight to nine years. We're reaching the end of that. We're hoping to hold on for a couple of years, until after the renovation is completed, so you're not driving on the new field with cranes and forklifts to build the new facility." In keeping with the philosophy of locating coaches at their competition sites, a move of the Michigan softball coaches to the Alumni Field area re- mains on the horizon. Fans, of course, are keenly interested from inside and out, the associate AD promised. "The whole glass aspect is going to be a neat piece of it," he said. "The amount of light it will let in during the day, the amount of light you'll see during a night game … the building will be glowing. In the past, you could walk past and never know there was an event going on." Anyone within shouting distance of Michigan's athletic campus knows there's been work going on all over the place, for a number of years. There isn't any quick end in sight, either, Rademacher advised. At some point, the track and field mium seating opportunity that won't be done until February," Rademacher said. "That's the third phase, the whole premium experience like we have at the football stadium. "The fourth phase, which nobody building will be taken down, with track likely located to the South ath- letic campus. That could open up a space for other moves in the future. "We're making lots of plans for all will ever notice and that's all behind the scenes, is the press area below, where the studio will be and the press conferences will be held. That won't be done until next summer." Other than those parts to the Crisler of our facilities, with the hope that at the end of the day, we will touch every single one of our sports," Rademacher said. "As we roll that out publicly over the next several months, I think our fans, student-athletes and alumni will be really excited. "There is a perception out there that puzzle — and some touch-screen dis- plays on the concourse that might not be functional for game one — the long-awaited dream of a completely revamped basketball facility will be realized. The Yost project remains on sched- in the projects at Crisler Center and Yost Field House, both of which are entering the final stages. Rademacher noted Crisler will be completed in four stages, but that for most fans, the facil- ity will be completely ready to enjoy by Nov. 1. By the middle of August, the south- ule, and the venerated facility will be turned back over to the hockey team in the middle of September. New ice will be installed and the team can open the season with a vastly upgraded look of its own. From new bleachers, to an improved west corner of Crisler will be com- pleted, since it needs to be done before the football season. "Come football, where Will Call has been at Crisler will be functional," Rademacher said. "There's a brand new M-Den going in for football sea- son, and that will be functional. There will be a nice big store that can be ac- cessed from inside of Crisler, and be concourse and concessions, to the in- stallation of new windows all around the arena, Michigan's hockey home will have the same feel but a better look. Writers will be looking down from above, on the new media/opera- tions level. "I was in there, up on the new fifth we've taken care of Crisler, taken care of Yost and finished Michigan Sta- dium, so we're done. We've got a lot of work to do. We've still got some facilities that are in pretty bad shape." Also, Brandon intends to carry the popularity of the video boards from Michigan Stadium, Crisler Center and Yost to other areas of the athletic cam- pus. They make a significant impact on the atmosphere in any venue, he opined. "The video boards are so relevant to athletic contests," Brandon stressed. "When we decide to spend $18 million on these new video boards, there were people out there who said, 'I don't know if I'm going to like those big boards.' Well, everybody likes those big video boards. "We're going to continue to take the level — and it's up there," Radem- acher noted. "The new media/opera- tions level we have provides an inter- esting view, because you're looking down, as opposed to looking across in the past. It's high, and we're told it's a good view, because the media likes excitement and opportunities those provide both our student-athletes and our fans, and try to bring them into many other of our venues. There is some work to do there." All of the facilities changes, Brandon noted, are considered with one pur- pose in mind —enhancing the experi- ence for both student-athletes and fans. SEPTEMBER 2012 THE WOLVERINE 65