This Seasons Highest Attended Game Was NOT at Michigan Stadium
While yesterday’s announced attendance of 110,615 was the largest crowd at Michigan Stadium this year, the largest attended game overall this season was actually in Beaver Stadium. The announced attendance for our game at Penn State was 110,856.
This doesn’t change a damn thing about how glorious this season has been, especially yesterday, however it’s a historical data point that i don’t believe has ever happened before.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:15 AM ^
And which team filled those seats in Beaver Stadium? Yeah. We did.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:15 AM ^
Talking about numbers, how many viewers did Fox get for THE GAME yesterday? 17 millions tuned in last year. I would think we'll get the results reported soon.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:20 AM ^
That’s the number I want to know too.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:30 PM ^
30.24 million
November 26th, 2023 at 1:42 PM ^
What you did there...i see it.
November 26th, 2023 at 3:30 PM ^
Could be anywhere between 24.30 million and 30.24 million.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:21 AM ^
I don't think there is any doubt that it'll be a MASSIVE number. With all the hype and drama. Can't wait to hear it.
Hopefully Tony realizes who pays him. No worries though, Harbaugh's coming to collect on Saturday.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:12 AM ^
Tony needs to go. It's that simple.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:46 AM ^
Don't see numbers yet but as this piece points out Harbaugh had a lot to do with the resurgence of "The Game."
Yesterday's numbers will be something else and the reason why the ne'er-do-wells in the B1G who stuck it to us may regret what they wished for if Michigan leaves the B1G which I hope they do.
Most-watched Ohio State-Michigan games dating back to 1991
2006: #2 Michigan 39, #1 Ohio State 42: 21.04M, ABC
2022: #3 Michigan 45, #2 Ohio State 23: 17.14M, FOX
2016: #3 Michigan 27, #2 Ohio State 30: 16.84M, ABC
2021: #2 Ohio State 27, #5 Michigan 42: 16.47M, FOX
1995: #18 Michigan 31, #2 Ohio State 23: 14.27M, ABC (regional window)
November 26th, 2023 at 12:45 PM ^
2006 still pains me.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:09 PM ^
Yesterday erased 2006 for me
November 26th, 2023 at 10:23 AM ^
This is what happens when you give Frames a calculator.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
Exactly. I call for an external audit and recount.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:35 AM ^
November 26th, 2023 at 10:27 AM ^
Warde needs to find 242 more attendees... Surely there were some food concessionaires that weren’t counted.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:02 AM ^
Did they count Gene Smith? They probably didn't count Thamel as he was probably stuffed in the locker.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:07 PM ^
He had them, but we had to remove temporary seats to make the tunnel wider after the MSU ordeal.
This is Sparty's fault.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:29 AM ^
Maybe the crowd count is done differently. The number of folks tailgating or just driving in was off the charts here in Ann Arbor.
BTW: The OSU crowd was not as high as it was 2 years ago, however their numbers were robust.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:32 AM ^
Announced attendance for the 2021 Ohio State game was 111,156. I don't know how they come up with these numbers
November 26th, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
The book “Endzone” gives a pretty good look into how the BigHouse numbers come to be…
November 26th, 2023 at 1:14 PM ^
I was surprised when they announced the attendance. The place was packed and there were plenty of people at field level. I expected the number to be higher.
I doubt they included Victor the Frisbee Dog who, incidentally, brought his A game yesterday.
The crowd was LOUD! Every play was a big play. I give Ohio State credit. I cannot recall one false start penalty.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:31 AM ^
I think there was a game about a decade ago at a NASCAR stadium that drew more than 150,000. Maybe Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech at Bristol?
November 26th, 2023 at 10:35 AM ^
Yes, that is true. I should have been more clear in my OP that this was meant for games Michigan participated.
November 26th, 2023 at 3:33 PM ^
Yes that's correct. Bristol is almost exactly halfway between Knoxville and Blacksburg. Neat concept, although the crowd was pretty far from the field, especially the one end zone. There was almost the length of another football field between the end zone and the crowd.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^
Notably, the "largest crowd watching a football game anywhere in America today" statement is still true as we were away that weekend
November 26th, 2023 at 10:39 AM ^
Might be time to finally build that upper deck on Michigan Stadium.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
You shut your whore mouth
November 26th, 2023 at 1:26 PM ^
November 26th, 2023 at 10:42 AM ^
I should have been more clear in my OP, but this point was meant to cover games Michigan participated in. Meaning this is the first time, that I know of, since Michigan Stadium was built, that we played in a game with a higher announced attendance than in at least one of our home games that season.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:21 AM ^
Carl always says, right before he announces the attendance number in the fourth quarter, that we are the largest crowd watching a football game anywhere in America that day. That's usually true, but not always--I think there were multiple games this year in which PSU's announced attendance was higher than ours. But there is so much about those numbers (all around) that is questionable that I don't think it's worth getting too fixated on precision.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:47 AM ^
Do we really believe any of these announced attendance numbers anyway?
Only our own.😉
November 26th, 2023 at 11:22 AM ^
Having worked in sports right out of college I can tell you that we ALWAYs announced a higher than actual attendance. Any tickets we gave away we counted towards the total, even if they never showed up - which was common.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
Honestly attendance is down (even if paid for) because of the slow inexorable enshittification of the game. It's too bad. Once they stop selling out games (here and elsewhere), they will adapt and maybe make it more fun to go to in person again.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:58 AM ^
As lousy as the commercials are watching from home, they're way worse in person. The game day experience sucks ass compared to 20 years ago.
Also, ticket prices were insane. Nearly double what they were in 2021.
November 26th, 2023 at 10:58 AM ^
Didn't they remove seats in the offseason due to OMG THE EVIL TUNNEL?
I'm guessing that had something to do with it.
Also, I tried looking for tickets a couple months ago. Even the most average of seats was like $400. I wouldn't blame people for not going.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:59 PM ^
I think it is this and the move of the opposing bands into the stands. (That's about 250 fewer tickets available in the opponent block.)
Average Michigan Stadium Attendance over the last three years
2021: 108,763
2022: 110,246
2023: 109,971
Key figures from the last three seasons:
Ohio State 2021: 111,156
Michigan State 2022: 111,083
Ohio State 2023: 110,615
Honestly, this accounts for about 500 or fewer fans between 2021 and 2023.
But somehow, capacity is still listed at 107,601, so...
November 26th, 2023 at 11:17 AM ^
They put the Ohio band in the stands. That could make a difference. You know, assuming the attendance number isn't pulled out of our ass every week.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:19 AM ^
OK?
I'd like to support the team, but to many folks this is just entertainment, and it's getting increasingly difficult to afford -- let alone enjoy -- an event the B1G is determined to convert to misery & money.
I can't blame folks for being smart with their budget.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:19 AM ^
Guess we need another renovation. Time to complete the upper deck of luxury boxes.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:25 AM ^
Put deck chairs on top of the suites.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:22 AM ^
There's such hilarious one-upmanship around this number that it's not shocking that eventually someone would surpass Michigan. I'm sure Penn State will put something out soon saying they're the real Big House or something like that.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:26 AM ^
That erector set of a stadium in Slappy Valley is ready to fall over.
November 26th, 2023 at 11:24 AM ^
I was shocked it was that low when they announced it. I expected 111-112k...
November 26th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
Michigan must have stopped counting all the concession workers in the final attendance figures.
November 26th, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
The good news is that Michigan will retain the attendance lead for the year, averaging 109,971 to Penn State's 108,409. Michigan had 10,933 more total fans in their seven games than Penn State did in their seven games.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:04 PM ^
Time UM adds an upper deck on one endzone to crush all these records, lol
November 26th, 2023 at 1:06 PM ^
That would look tacky as hell.
November 26th, 2023 at 1:05 PM ^
What did Penn State count the rats and cockroaches for attendance?
November 26th, 2023 at 1:23 PM ^
Those numbers are basically made up anyways from what I’ve been told
