The history of Michigan football begins nearly 50 years before the Big House.

The first official Michigan football game was played at Washtenaw County Fairgrounds in Ann Arbor in 1883, according to the Bentley Historical Library archives.

Games were typically held in Ann Arbor, but if the crowd was expected to be unusually large, they’d be held in Detroit instead.

Regents Field became the team’s first official venue in 1893. After Detroit businessman Dexter Ferry gave a generous donation of 21 acres in 1902, the expanded complex was renamed Ferry Field. Located adjacent to the current Intramural Sports Building, the building held 46,000 fans.

The Maize and Blue played on Ferry Field for 20 years before the inaugural game in Michigan Stadium in 1927.

The Big House had an original capacity of 72,000 and cost $950,000 to build. The stadium, 78 years old, once held 107,501, but has temporarily dropped to 106,201 because of construction. The ongoing $226 million renovation, scheduled to be completed in 2010, will bump capacity to 108,000-plus seats, Athletic Department officials have said.

In 2003, 112,118 packed the venue for a game against Ohio State.
Opening Day at Michigan Stadium on Oct. 1, 1927 was a little different than opening day last weekend. The Wolverines cruised to a 33-0 victory over Ohio Wesleyan, the defending champion of the Ohio Conference.

The weather in 1927, however, was not as ideal — rainstorms on the Thursday before game day drenched the field, leaving it spotted with puddles. A reporter commented that the field was “better suited for water polo than football.”

Nonetheless, the Wolverines shut out the Battling Bishops thanks to a standout performance by Louis Gilbert, a versatile halfback who contributed to every one of Michigan’s points. Five minutes after the opening whistle, he tossed a 15-yard pass to tight end Kip Taylor for the first touchdown in the new stadium.

Gilbert also threw three touchdown passes, returned a deflected punt for a score ran 90 yards on a kickoff return to open the third quarter and kicked three extra points. He also served as the team’s punter, averaging more than 40 yards per punt.

The Wolverines ended up with a 6-2 record in their inaugural season at the Big House, going undefeated at home and outscoring their opponents 137-39.