Review of Kinnick Stadium Experience

Submitted by Blue_Goose on October 2nd, 2022 at 7:30 PM

I have always appreciated users giving a review of visiting a foreign stadium.  I visited Kinnick for the first time and thought I’d share as well.  Hope you appreciate it. I’d also like your thoughts if you were there. 
 

Overall- I was very impressed with everything about the game day experience except the crowded concourse situation. Especially the crowd environment and with how they handled TV timeouts
 

Stadium environment- extremely positive.  The fans in every section stood the entire time.  That says a lot to me about their engagement with the game. Even during TV timeouts, even when down 20 points!
 

There were definitely advertisements but it was far more subdued than a professional sporting environment.  Every “commercial” I noticed included videos of fans getting free stuff (coke, hotdogs etc, or a coach/personality from the university video endorsement to keep it interesting.
The Burrito ad was so popular the guy in front of me was planning for it during pregame.  They want you to put your hands in the air and pump them up and down like you are lifting the burrito then they bounce a burrito on screen and show people lifting the burrito (think kiss cam or whatever) Several people tossed humans in the air during that time. It was certainly entertaining. 
 

Pre-game - this was fantastic.  The students arrived EARLY and they all wore the same color.  I don’t know if they always do this but it was impressive.  
for the team tunnels walk  they play Back in Black over the loudspeakers which I know is common but it was accompanied by a live video of the walk down the tunnel from the locker room to the field by the team.  The crowd clapped in rhythm the entire time. It was an awesome effect and built anticipation and energy until they took the field.  
A live hawk was released from the press box and flew over the crowd down to the field at one point. The band was good but difficult for me to hear. 
 

TV Timeouts- I haven’t been to The big house for several years but last time I went the tv timeouts were grueling.  If it is still that way we need to copy Kinnick and fast.  They had a sideline reporter and planned interviews for each timeout. 
examples -

Women’s bball big ten championship team introduction

The crew that flew the planes for the flyover after the anthem  (three were from IOWA  one was a MI grad which made for great fan involvment

a child battling cancer who was the honorary captain.

military war hero

famous WWF alumni who was in the crowd led cheers from the end zone

wrestling team inviting you to come watch this season a then did some fun takedowns afterwards (humorously staged)

Of course the hospital wave

The IOWA dance team performed (they were quite good)
 

20 year anniversary gathering of the big ten champion FB team from 2002.

etc.

Almost every break was very well planned, choreographed and was engaging.  Only a couple timeout breaks had only a commercial or some generic voiceover.  I am a guy who hates all the gimmicky things between innings at baseball games  this was very well done and felt entirely different to me and the crowd was engaged with the majority of it.  

Fans- super kind and helpful  with just the right amount of trash talking.  I didn’t realize it was time for the hospital wave and was responding to texts from my family back home. Anyway, the lady in front of me repeatedly said “sir” louder and louder till I looked up, turned around a waved  it was pretty awesome to see them all wave back.

Misc.- As I hinted before the concourses were entirely too narrow for the amount of people. Lots of standing still packed tightly trying to get through.  I was “Cayman Nebraska’d” at one point  I didn’t know if I should be offended or say “thank you”.  It was impossible to tell where the concession line met the bathroom line met people trying to get through  

Alcohol was available. Two per ID was the limit   The lines were so long no one got too many.  At least not near me.

I know it’s long but I didn’t think it deserved a diary but moms feel free to move. I would highly recommend a visit To Kinnick.  It was a great experience.

 

 

MGoBoard
Football

Blue_Goose

October 3rd, 2022 at 8:00 AM ^

The concourses were bad. At one point the normal humans are crammed together experience was interrupted by a strong sensation of an intruder from the rear that made it exceptionally close to the front. 

Seemed like more than an accident (although who knows)  but also maybe that’s what they mean when they say IOWA Nice /s

Joined: 08/27/2017

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Bryan

October 2nd, 2022 at 8:48 PM ^

I actually was yesterday. The FOX crew was at our hotel. He walked in the hotel bar yesterday after the game, and after having several beverages, I saw him and yelled somewhat loudly to come have a beer. He declined but came over and told us Blake Corum is a helluva football player. 
 

Kinnick and the whole Iowa gameday was an awesome experience. I’d recommend coming to check it out to anyone. The win obviously helped. 

Joined: 07/10/2009

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readyourguard

October 3rd, 2022 at 11:42 AM ^

We went there after the game.  That place is enormous.  I don't know if I've ever been to a place like that. The outdoor area has to be an acre lol.  We sat on the concrete apron of the "indoor seating" next to a bar and watched the Maryland game on one of the many TVs they have hanging from the outdoor wall.  The Iowa fans were enjoying themselves and didn't have much to say.  Only one guy came up and said congrats.  

Joined: 08/21/2008

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blueheron

October 2nd, 2022 at 8:22 PM ^

If it's enforced it drifts toward meaninglessness.

While we're on the subject, I waved and thought the overall gesture was great.

On the receiving end, the psychology is trickier than some appreciate. I'm sure the football fans among the patients find it awesome, but based on my experience with pediatric oncology providers, my guess is that most family members can't think of much else other than their sick child.

I agree on the concourse point made by the OP, but I thought the overall experience was great. As usual (excepting East Lansing and OSU, of course) the UM fans were the most special. There are lots of loose screws in our traveling fan base. More per capita than I see in Michigan Stadium, anyway.

Joined: 03/26/2009

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NittanyFan

October 2nd, 2022 at 8:26 PM ^

Why?

At the risk of sounding a jerk —- the Kinnick Wave is one of those things which started pure and organic (the idea literally started from a FB post by an Iowa fan in the summer of 2017), but has become a branding exercise, both for the school and  individuals.

I’ve been to Iowa games since 2017: yes I’ve participated.  I also see people filming themselves participating then immediately posting that on IG.  Which: ok, what’s their motivation there?

Also - go to Iowas website - they label it the “best tradition in college football.”  It is now part of Iowa’s brand.  Putting that adjective “best” in front of “tradition” also brings a tinge of “we (Iowa) are better than you.”

I say this as a Penn State alum - my own schools annual dance marathon has followed the same pattern.  It started organically by a few dozen students and under the radar in the 1970s.  Today it’s a multi million $ event with corporate sponsors all over the place.  The event is part of PSU’s brand.  The phrase “for the kids” has been (literally) trademarked.  Also, too many PSU alums use this event in comparing the school versus others.

Yes, overall both events are worth participating in.  At the same time, I’m not going to either (1) pat myself on the back for participating in either, nor (2) look down upon those who don’t participate in either.

Joined: 12/04/2012

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tubauberalles

October 2nd, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^

Yeah, as someone who works for a children's hospital, it was pretty annoying when our legal department had to enforce our folks and volunteers from using "for the kids" in our own programming due to that trademark.  The phrase had been pretty universally used by many children's hospitals so everyone was shocked that 1) the trademark had been granted and 2) someone would think to trademark it for themselves at the expense of other children's hospitals and their patients.  It's not generally thought to be a competitive environment among pediatric hospitals, but more often a collaborative one with a shared mission of helping kids return to health.  Nice job, whoever filed for that mark at PSU.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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NittanyFan

October 2nd, 2022 at 11:51 PM ^

Yes, trademarking “for the kids” is a bit obnoxious.

A tangential; I did some consulting work for St Jude’s fundraising arm in a past life.  They have an admirable mission, of course,  But my contacts there would talk about it - there were “competitors” (“sister charities” was the phrase used) looking for the same $$$, and organizational goals.  It wasn’t all theoretical —- layoffs had happened there before and happened again in 2020 with the pandemic.

Point being, I can partially understand why someone at PSU thought it was a good idea.  Even “the business of doing good deeds” is a business and has elements of competition.

Joined: 12/04/2012

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Sam1863

October 3rd, 2022 at 5:52 AM ^

Many years ago when I was fresh out of college and still had ideals, I spoke to an employment counselor in hopes of finding a job. I told her that I was looking for a position in a charity or other non-profit, rather than in some typical business.

She looked at me with all the cynicism that a professional twice my age could muster, and asked me a great question: "What makes you think a charity isn't a business?"

Joined: 04/27/2014

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WestQuad

October 3rd, 2022 at 10:02 AM ^

I hate the word brand in association with athletics.  College and highschool athletics have traditions that are done for the joy of competition.  They're fun shared experiences.  When you trademark it and make it a brand that you sell it sort of sucks a lot of the meaning out of it.    Marketing is a thing and you need to do it to an extent, but the tradition is the main thing.

Joined: 07/22/2011

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LeCheezus

October 3rd, 2022 at 11:31 AM ^

This is basically what everything is now. Have you watched College Gameday for the last 5 years?  Their #1 goal every week is to monetize/shove down your throat some local tradition (sometimes rather obscure and not really even a “thing”) and tell you why you should care.  Just defeats the whole point.  
 

I’m also crabby and getting old, so this may also factor in to my opinions.

Joined: 06/11/2017

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2Blue4You

October 2nd, 2022 at 8:25 PM ^

Can concur that it is an awesome trip, minus the drive from Ann Arbor. 
 

Great tailgate experience. Nice fans.  They hate OSU too. 
 

Hats off to the “Punting is Losing” shirts worn by a group of Michigan fans behind us. 

Joined: 08/28/2008

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SD Larry

October 2nd, 2022 at 8:37 PM ^

Well done.  Good to hear about the fans, their engagement, and freindliness.  Glad you had a good experience and saw a nice Michigan win. 

Joined: 10/05/2014

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BursleyHall82

October 2nd, 2022 at 8:46 PM ^

Thanks for the review. Kicking myself I didn't to to this one. I went to the Nebraska game last year and the environment and experience were fantastic. Even the trough urinals.

Joined: 07/14/2013

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L'Carpetron Do…

October 2nd, 2022 at 9:17 PM ^

I went to the game as well and had a pretty enjoyable experience (I live in DM and this is the first time I've been to Kinnick when I wasn't absolutely freezing my balls off which was a nice change of pace). I was in the 52nd row but had a great view and felt close to the field/action. 

Pregame stadium area/neighborhood/tailgating experience is excellent and has a great vibe. 

But you're right - the crowd control in the stadium/concourse is terrible and at times feels downright dangerous. It was much better after the game. Iowa fans were cool and with the exception of one dickhead who yelled 'Go Hawks' kind of in my face, I didn't even witness any inappropriate behavior towards M fans. 

I said this in another thread but Iowa fans were major babies about the refs. I've noticed this at other Iowa games as well. They seem worse than your typical fans. The reviews in the stadium were pretty bad but that didn't stop them from lustily booing 3-4 plays after what seemed like legitimately correct flags. They did happen to come on plays in which Iowa actually completed a pass or got a decent run, but the calls ended up somewhat balanced for both teams (and there seemed to be a significant makeup call that may have cost M a touchdown). 

Joined: 03/15/2010

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blueblood06

October 3rd, 2022 at 8:29 AM ^

I was there, and can confirm the point about Iowa fans being giant babies about the refs.  They were all very friendly to all the Michigan fans they encountered, but they were ridiculous about the whistles. And it wasn't legitimate "that was a bad call" crying, it was all (at least around me) just angry insistence that calling penalties on Iowa was wrong, and all penalties should only be called on Michigan.  This was really only a mild annoyance that probably would have been a lot worse if we weren't winning. 

Joined: 01/06/2011

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Gulogulo37

October 2nd, 2022 at 9:20 PM ^

I was there too. I'll paste this from the photo post on the main page: I can confirm Iowa fans were on brand. A guy had a shirt that said, "Is this Heaven?" with stills from Field of Dreams but he's asking his dad to have a punt instead of playing catch. Also, at one point an Iowa fan in front of me yelled, "Run it up the middle!" somewhat sarcastically. They did. And he just said, "Good!"

Good experience all around. Fans are very engaged. My section was basically around my age range, I'm 38, and people really only sat sometimes during timeouts. It got loud, especially late in the game when Iowa almost got back into it. I didn't get any serious shit for being a Michigan fan. Actually a guy at a bar after bought me a shot. Agreed it was pretty crowded around the concourse but I can't compare that to many stadiums. I haven't been to Michigan Stadium in 15 years now so I have trouble even comparing to that. Unfortunately I was too late for the pregame stuff. I didn't spend a lot of time in town, but nice downtown area with bars and restaurants including a pedestrian only strip.

Joined: 03/16/2010

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jmblue

October 2nd, 2022 at 9:45 PM ^

There were definitely advertisements but it was far more subdued than a professional sporting environment.

But then...

They want you to put your hands in the air and pump them up and down like you are lifting the burrito then they bounce a burrito on screen and show people lifting the burrito (think kiss cam or whatever) 

Subdued?

Great report, anyway.

Joined: 11/07/2008

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Bando Calrissian

October 3rd, 2022 at 1:14 AM ^

FWIW, I didn't think it was possible, but the ads really were way less obtrusive than they are in, say, East Lansing. Like, think of a video with Kirk Ferentz and an insurance guy calmly talking about why farming is important,. And then you realize that the video is actually an ad for farm insurance.

This also may be a function of the fact that their PA speakers seemed really tinny and it was almost impossible to hear much of anything in a non-Charlie Brown's Teacher voice.

Joined: 07/02/2008

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Blue_Goose

October 3rd, 2022 at 7:49 AM ^

I agree that it seemed a contradiction but it felt that way to me as well.  Bando explained it well.

For the most part the commercials seemed to fit the experience.  The burrito thing was an effort to show that, while it was technically a commercial, the large human in front of me was asking children and small humans during pregame if they would be his burrito. It seemed to enhance the fun level rather than detract from it.  The burrito commercial came in the second half. 

There also weren’t advertising signs everywhere or a sponsor name as part of a normal event (pizza hut coin toss, Budweiser time out, or whatever)


 

 

Joined: 08/27/2017

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Blue_Goose

October 3rd, 2022 at 7:34 AM ^

I can only speak for the ones around me.  They were polite but persistent in inviting me to wave.  I was thankful because I had gotten distracted by my phone and may have missed it. 

The two M fans behind me and two IOWA children in front of me did not wave (sat there looking forward or lying on the bench in the case of the children) and no one seemed pissed. It’s IOWA though so it’s hard to tell.

Joined: 08/27/2017

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KansasBlue

October 2nd, 2022 at 9:50 PM ^

I took my 11 year old son to the game, and it was an interesting contrast to the Nebraska game which I also took him to last year.  I had been to Memorial before (the game where they broke Denard, right in front of me) but never Kinnick, and I really didn't know what to expect.  

Memorial is huge and intimidating.  It was also BY FAR the loudest experience of my entire life, and that includes going to car stereo competitions in Tampa when I was a teenager.  It might have been the fact that we were under the upper deck, but I just could not believe how loud it got.  It was beyond sound...it was like a weight crushing your skull.  I loved the open area down by the field that you can visit throughout the game, but it does move all of the seats that much farther away.  The fans, even as loud as they were, were extremely cordial, and you could tell they took pride in the "nice fan" thing. 

Kinnick, on the other hand, was a very attractive stadium too, but seemed quite a bit smaller and not even remotely in the same ballpark when it came to noise.  Maybe it was the 11:00 kick, or the fact that the fans were already expecting to lose and never really had a chance to get into it as the game went on, but it never came close to the intensity of the Nebraska game.  On the minus side, two idiots behind us were both high AND drunk, and spent the entire first half screaming mindless strings of obscenities at Michigan, at the refs, but mostly at the Ferentz family.  It was seriously annoying because it never stopped.  For over an hour.  Several other Iowa fans kept apologizing on their behalf, and a couple sitting two rows in front of us even asked if we wanted to sit down next to them to get away from the two behind us, and we did for the second half.  

The crowd whined about the refs non-stop, but that wasn't much different from Nebraska.  I'll also say that the replays shown in the stadium didn't really help to clear up the confusion.  I was convinced that JJ had passed the line of scrimmage on the TD Pass, along all of the Iowa fans, and it wasn't until we got home that I saw it wasn't really even close.  

All in all a good experience, but not nearly as intense or thrilling as the Nebraska game last year.  It was fine.  Just like the state of Iowa.

Joined: 05/19/2015

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Terrible Ted

October 2nd, 2022 at 10:02 PM ^

I attended the game and agree that Kinnick is a great place to experience college football. Iowa people were very friendly in town, at the hotel and around the stadium. Their fans were really into it, although Michigan's opening drive did a nice job of taking the fans out of the game somewhat.

The concession stands at Kinnick are MUCH more efficient than those at Michigan Stadium. At halftime, I was able to walk from my seats to the concession stand, wait in a fairly long line, get some food and drinks, and return to my seat before the second-half kickoff -- something I could never do at Michigan Stadium this year.

As others have pointed out, Iowa fans have no problem making fun of their team's reputation with shirts and signs that glorify punting. A good time all the way around. 

Joined: 12/19/2014

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Bando Calrissian

October 2nd, 2022 at 10:32 PM ^

This was more or less my experience yesterday, too. Two things to add to this:

1. Kinnick has mastered that you need well-spaced bathrooms throughout the whole concourse. The lines were not terrible, vs. Michigan Stadium, where if you time it wrong, there goes a half hour.

2. Concession lines move quickly, but with alcohol being an entirely separate concession area, it all takes up a lot more space. We have a similar situation to Kinnick in that the concourses are relatively cramped and enclosed for much of the stadium. Given how much of a cluster it can be in Ann Arbor when everyone goes to the concourse at once, and how inefficient everything is, I cannot imagine what would happen if they threw in a bunch of beer stations, too. People crammed in even more lines, missing more and more of the game than ever before.

Joined: 07/02/2008

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Keebs

October 3rd, 2022 at 12:01 AM ^

I was at the 2016 night game at Kinnick and even though it was a rough game I had a fantastic time, and would love to go back. Fans were great, stadium was fun, and it just felt like a real embodiment of college football. Authentic in every way. 

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