The Big Chill at the Big House: Athletic Department Creativity and its Effects

After attending the "Big Chill at the Big House" on Saturday, I left Michigan Stadium with only one word to say: "wow!" Now I've thought of a few more.

The event was an astonishing success. It started with a flyover and kept the fun going with fireworks throughout the event. 113, 411 people attended, the most ever at a hockey game, with most of which standing for the majority of the game. This was a larger attendance than any of Michigan's football games this year. Michigan won 5-0.

The most important note from this game is the effect this is going to have on Michigan hockey in the years to come. What young hockey player will see this event and not have aspirations of playing for Michigan? Kids want a chance to showcase their abilities, and its not every day that NCAA hockey will make Sportscenter like it did on Saturday. Michigan hockey can look back on this historic day as a roaring success but also can look forward to hockey prosperity because of the recruiting buzz this will generate. Not only does Michigan athletics benefit, but the entire sport of NCAA hockey benefits by getting more exposure. What the Michigan athletic department accomplished Saturday is a great feat for hockey.

I'm sure there were many athletic directors around the country watching on Saturday. This event should cause other athletic directors to see the benefits of a creative sporting environment. People want to see things that are different. Nothing's wrong with hockey indoors, but playing it outdoors is another reason to watch because it is out of the ordinary. Why hasn't basketball outside been done? As a kid, I shot hoops outside and I'm sure an outdoor basketball game would bring the game back to the roots of where most kids start playing basketball.

The NBA has been experimenting with the idea, holding preseason games outdoors, the most recent of which pitted the Mavericks against the Suns at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, California. I would bet you a basketball court would be easier to fit into Wrigley Field than a football field as we found out in November. The basketball game, however, would need to be played in a warm weather environment. USC vs. UCLA at the Coliseum, anyone?

The risk is obviously there too. What if it rains? What if it's windy? But baseball teams play 81 games a year in each stadium with the risk of rain at each one. The risk is justified by the buzz that a creative event would bring. Recruits see these events, and creative sporting event environments would benefit the sport, the athletic program, and the spectator.