Michigan State University Athletics
Ford Field Sold Out For The BasketBowl
7/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
July 11, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - A world-record basketball crowd in excess of 75,000 is guaranteed when Michigan State plays host to Kentucky on Saturday, Dec. 13 at Ford Field in Detroit. The Ford Field Ticket Office reported Friday, July 11 that all 19,028 tickets available to the general public have been sold.
A total of 69,700 tickets have been sold for "The BasketBowl - Hoops on the 50," according to Michigan State ticket manager Chris Besanceney. Spartan donors and season-ticket holders purchased 50,672 tickets before seats were made available to the general public, beginning Tuesday, July 8.
Ford Field capacity is listed at 65,000 for football. The attendance figure grows to 69,700 for basketball with the addition of portable courtside bleachers and students from both MSU and Kentucky being granted field-level access. The capacity exceeds the 75,000 mark by including Ford Field suite holders, MSU and Kentucky pep bands and cheerleaders, media and stadium game-day personnel.
"It is a tremendous tribute to basketball fans in the state of Michigan and to Tom Izzo's remarkable program at Michigan State to have sold out a record crowd in such a short period of time," Detroit Lions and Ford Field Executive VP and Chief Operating Officer Tom Lewand said. "With the Final Four coming to Detroit in 2009, I cannot think of a better way to kick off basketball at Ford Field than this record-setting game."
"This is exciting news," Michigan State head basketball coach Tom Izzo said. "I tip my hat to the Spartan fans and the basketball fans throughout the state of Michigan who have embraced this event at Ford Field. I believed from the start that this game against Kentucky would be a sellout, but certainly not in July.
"This is a great out-reach project for the entire University community. We're looking forward to playing in front of some Spartan fans that can't get tickets to our home games at the Breslin Center. I'm thankful that so many of the tickets were moderately priced, so families could attend this event. I truly expect there to be a Final Four-type atmosphere in Ford Field. The environment promises to be electric. It should be a very special weekend in Detroit."
The world basketball attendance record is 75,000 set on Aug. 21, 1951, during a Harlem Globetrotters exhibition game played in Berlin Olympic Stadium in Germany. The largest crowd ever to watch an NCAA basketball game is 68,112 set on Jan. 20, 1990, when Notre Dame played Louisiana State in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.
