Closing the 'Shoe

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(Image: Ohio Stadium south bleachers, 1946) Ohio Stadium’s distinctive horseshoe shape has been the subject of ongoing dispute for as long as demand for seats has outpaced supply. Original subscribers to the Stadium Fund were given a 10-year option on two seats for $100, or on four seats for $1,000. This led to the perception of a permanent arrangement among the 13,000 original subscribers. H.D. Smith’s design allowed for temporary bleachers and standing room that would bring maximum seating capacity up from 63,000 to 82,000. With the ban on standing-room, the temporary bleachers erected for big games, like Michigan, became semi-permanent, installed for the duration of football season.