Michigan Stadium isn’t the only venue on campus that will look unfamiliar in the next decade.
Upgrades to two other sporting venues were also approved at the May 19 Board of Regents meeting.
Though likely lost in the hysteria that came along with the approval of the football stadium renovation plans, two of the University’s more outdated facilities, Ray Fisher Stadium and Alumni Field, can also be expecting a facelift after the regents approved $14.5 million for facility upgrades.
“We are looking forward to having a first-class facility for our softball program here at Michigan,” Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins said through the athletic department. “The new stadium will offer a better experience for our players, spectators and the media.”
Five and a half million dollars will be spent on Alumni Field, home of the Michigan women’s softball team. Due to the ever-growing popularity and following of the team – which won the program’s first national championship in 2005 – the field’s capacity will double to a total of 3,150 people. A new 1,800-person grandstand will be erected once construction begins, along with outfield bleachers that are expected to hold 1,350 fans.
Other changes include new public restrooms, new concession areas and a new media facility.
“Improved seating and fan-friendly amenities will make the softball experience that much better for our fans, while the atmosphere in the new stadium will be on par with the best facilities in the country,” Hutchins said through the athletic department. “New press facilities will also make it easier to host nationally televised events, while an indoor hitting facility and renovated dugouts will give our athletes a stadium worthy of national champions.”
The 80-year-old seating bowl at Ray Fisher Stadium – the home of the 2006 Big Ten Champion Michigan baseball team – is also going to receive a massive upgrade. A two-story addition of barrier-free seating is also planned, as well as new restrooms and concession areas for the fans. A new clubhouse and hitting facility will also be erected during the construction process.
“This will help us continue the great tradition that was established for this institution’s oldest sport,” Michigan baseball coach Rich Maloney said through the athletic department. “It will also provide us with one of the better facilities in college baseball.”
One of the more interesting plans is to bring in the rightfield fence and erect a Blue Monster, a homerun-friendly structure similar to the Green Monster at Fenway Park for the Major League’s Boston Red Sox.
Both projects are expected to be completed within two years. The construction will take place in phases that will not interfere with the competitive seasons of either team.