By: Jeff Arnold
AnnArbor.com Staff
Posted: Feb 12, 2010 at 9:07 AM [Feb 12, 2010]
Less than a week after Wisconsin drew 55,000 at the Camp Randall Hockey Classic, the Michigan athletic department offered more details about its own outdoor game later this year.
The Big Chill at the Big House will be played Dec. 11 at Michigan Stadium when school officials hope to break the attendance record for an outdoor hockey game against rival Michigan State.
The Cold War, which pitted Michigan and Michigan State at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing in 2001, drew a record 74,544 fans.
Michigan executive associate athletic director Mike Stevenson and a team of other athletic department representatives spent the weekend getting ideas for next winter's game. Wisconsin spent $600,000 on game operations, including $400,000 on rink construction.
Stevenson said Michigan plans to use the same ice installation company that Wisconsin did and put a starting budget on the Big Chill project at $1 million. Many details, including whether the stadium will open its luxury suites for the game, are yet to be decided.
Stevenson said all of Michigan Stadium's more than 100,000 seats will be available for the game, which will be played at 3 p.m.
Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson said the biggest differences he noticed last weekend was deteriorating ice conditions as the game wore on and the fact that the boards weren't true like they are in an indoor venue. Despite those issues, Berenson called the Camp Randall experience a great one, exciting him even more about next winter's game.
"If you can translate that event into our building, it could be unbelievable," Berenson said this week. "It could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience."
Ticket information is expected to be released later this month. Football and hockey season-ticket holders and Michigan students will have a priority in purchasing tickets.
Jeff Arnold covers Michigan hockey for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at jeffarnold@annarbor.com or 734-623-2554. Follow him at Twitter @jeffreyparnold.
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beagle
Posted Feb 12
When the Spartans did this 8 YEARS AGO tickets were $10, first come, first served. There was no "priority" tickets, thus everyone had a chance for the best tickets. And I'm sure Michigan is not going to open their luxury suites...lol. They may charge a "December Priority Parking Surcharge" fee.
JAM
Posted Feb 12
From what they said during the broadcast, the Camp Randall rink was open to 800 lucky ticket holders for an "open skate" the night before (nice public relations move so kids could skate at Camp Randall), and there was a womens' hockey game vs. Bemidji that afternoon. Maybe all of that contributed to the bad ice conditions for the main game? If they wanted to do all that, why didn't they do it AFTER the main event?
tater
Posted Feb 12
Nice logo. Pretty cool when a big game gets its own logo ten months in advance. They are going to get 100K for this game, and might even sell it out. Usually, the really terrible weather hasn't quite started yet in early December, so there shouldn't be too many people staying away because it's cold.
I will seriously consider flying up there for this game, just to see hockey played in a place where I've seen at least a hundred football games.
Theo212
Posted Feb 12
Tater,
All the faithful are hoping that you will be able to make it. Metro Airport will have a red carpet stretched all the way from the jetway to your waiting limousine. Then, we can all discuss both the hockey game and the BCS tilt that the King and our boys will be playing in. Sing a few Christmas carols, knock back some egg nogs, let it roll!
Your Pal,
Theo
JGS
Posted Feb 12
Glad to hear the University is giving priority to current season ticket holders. It's a way of paying us back for our loyalty to the program. Do I feel as if I'm more privileged than the next person? No I do not, but I like the idea of being thought of first due to my loyalty. I think if you were a season ticket holder you may have the same view/thoughts.
It's going to be a great game, Go Blue!
bluemax79
Posted Feb 12
not a season ticket holder but totally agree thoise that are should get first crack at the tickets.
Like the Maize M a lot better than the Blue one but thats just me.
Dave H
Posted Feb 12
They're using the same ice installation company as the Wisconsin people did? Were they impressed by the 10-15 minutes of stoppage due to ice-related problems? Maybe it was a fluke gash in the ice, but all the waiting around was a major pain.
David Briegel
Posted Feb 12
I agree, that M should be maize!!
Jeff Arnold
AnnArbor.com Staff
Posted Feb 12
Dave H: According to what I heard after the game, one of the reasons for the diminished ice quality was the public skate the night before. The ice manager tried to warn Wisconsin officials that by having people skate on the ice before, it could affect the quality of ice during the game. But because Wisconsin pre-sold tickets for the skate, they went ahead with. And like anyone who was there. you saw what happened.
treetowncartel
Posted Feb 12
What happens if the new Sparty logo goes into effect this April as planned?
Bookbag
Posted Feb 13
How come Red Berenson said there'd only be a women's varsity hockey team at Michigan "over his dead body"?
Tony Dearing
AnnArbor.com Staff
Posted Feb 13
A comment was removed because it was off-topic.