Ferry Field

Ferry Field

Ferry Field today, beside the Intramural Building
Location	Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109
Owner	University of Michigan
Operator	University of Michigan
Capacity	18,000 (1906-1913) 21,000 (1914-1920) 42,000 (1921-1925) 46,000 (1926)
Surface	Turf
Construction
Broke ground	1906
Opened	October 6, 1906
Closed	November 6, 1926 (for football); 2015
Tenants
Michigan Wolverines football (1906-1926) Michigan Wolverines track & field (current)

18,000 (1906-1913)

21,000 (1914-1920)

42,000 (1921-1925)

Ferry Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the Michigan Stadium opening in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000.

After football moved to Michigan Stadium in 1927, Ferry Field was converted to an outdoor track and field facility and is still used for this purpose. In 1935 Ohio State sprinter Jesse Owens set world records in the 220 yard dash, the 200 meter dash, the 220 yard low hurdles, the 200 meter low hurdles, and the long jump, and tied the world record in the 100 yard dash.

Beginning on March 1, 2015, the University of Michigan will be building new indoor and outdoor track facilities. Following the 2015 men's and women's outdoor track & field season, Ferry Field will be demolished and turned into a parking lot for sports surrounding the area.

Michigan's football team became a major attraction after the success of coach Fielding H. Yost, and Regents Field with its 800-seat grandstand could not accommodate the paying crowds that sought to watch the team play. Michigan Athletic Director Charles A. Baird improved the university's athletic fields and "was responsible for the construction of Ferry Field to replace the outdated Regents Field." When Baird resigned as athletic director, one newspaper wrote: "Baird's greatest work for Michigan was planning and building Ferry field, which is the largest college athletic ground in the United States."

In 1902, Detroit businessman Dexter M. Ferry purchased and donated 20 acres (81,000 m²) north of Regents Field for use in constructing a new athletic facility. Baird began by constructing new bleacher seating for 6,000 adjacent to the existing grandstand. One thousand circus seats were also installed. In November 1902, a Thanksgiving Day game against the University of Minnesota was held at Ferry Field with 10,000 spectators in attendance.