Story by John Heuser
The Ann Arbor News
March 29, 2006

There's no need for luxury boxes in the Big House.

At least that's the opinion expressed by a group of 33
current and past University of Michigan faculty members,
including former president James Duderstadt, in a letter
sent to the school's Board of Regents.

The letter, dated March 23, details the faculty opposition
to the enclosed seating that's a part of the athletic
department's proposed renovation of the nearly 80-year-old
Michigan Stadium.

"(P)rivate luxury boxes would symbolize a dramatic,
disturbing and damaging departure from the University's
egalitarian values and tradition," according to the letter.
Such seating would also, "physically divide fans who have
always sat and cheered together, elevating a select few
above the rest solely by virtue of their wealth."

One of the luxury box opponents, Patricia Yocum, said that
enclosed seating would dramatically alter the communal feel
created in the bowl-like Michigan Stadium, which has a
listed capacity of 107,501, but regularly draws more than
110,000 fans.

"(Luxury boxes) stand for privilege and special access and
separateness," said Yocum, who's the Coordinator for
Instructional Services at the Shapiro Science Library.

Although the proposed renovation was first reported by The
News in January 2005, detailed plans for that renovation
still have not been formally presented to the Regents for
approval. Michigan athletic director Bill Martin said last
November that he expected to seek approval within six
months, a time frame that's approaching its end.

Luxury boxes, which could include 16 seats each and cost up
to $85,000 to lease for a season, are considered by Martin
as a means to finance other important, but less-visible
portions of the renovation, including widening aisles, and
building more restrooms, more concession areas, and
additional concourse space. The athletic director estimated
that improvements to the bowl alone would cost in the range
of $60 million.

One of those opposed to the luxury boxes, engineering
professor emeritus Stephen Pollock--who like Yocum served
on Michigan's Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics
for several years--said there "must be other ways to get
the money."

John Pollack, an Ann Arbor native who lives in New York,
runs a Web site called http://savethebighouse.com . He
estimates between 1,200 and 1,300 people have signed his
on-line petition that calls for enclosed seating to be
dropped from the renovation plans.

As for financing the rest of the stadium renovations, which
Pollack admits are necessary, he suggested that the
athletic department tap into its budget surplus, which was
reported at nearly $14 million last year. Or use the $9.5
million that's expected to be generated annually by a
seat-licensing program, in which donations are required
from some football season-ticket holders before they can
buy their tickets.

Previously, Martin has said that those funds will be
earmarked for deferred maintenance, saved for other
athletic department building projects, or used to help pay
for the rising cost of athletic scholarships.

http://tinyurl.com/fd8sk



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