This week takes a trip back to the roaring 1920s. World War I was over (we won!) and Michigan was back in the Big Ten conference in the middle of a athletics arm-race. Large new football stadiums started to pop up around the conference but Fielding Yost took a different route – at least a first. He decided to build the largest indoor sports complex of its kind — Yost Field House.
On November 10, 1923 thousands, including 2,000 members of the Marine Core, packed into the new arena for the official dedication.
Listen to the clip here:
Go Blue! You can listen to this LIVE on the WTKA 1050AM KeyBank Countdown to Kickoff, starting at 11:30am.
script:
For today’s edition of THWIMFbH we head back NINETY FIVE years to November 3rd 1923. On that day the Wolverines defeated Mrs. Steve Clarke’s BELOVED HAWKEYES 9 to 3…
Just a week later, the athletic department had a major historic event on its hands, namely the grand opening of the new colossal structure on campus – Yost Field House.
The beautiful, giant red-brick structure was designed to allow a variety of sports to be played Indoors including football, baseball, basketball, and track. It had 88 THOUSAND square feet of floorspace. It over a half million dollars and was fully funded by revenues from the athletic department.
NOTHING of its kind, solely dedicated to athletics, had ever been conceived let alone built.
Among the dignitaries packed into Yost Field House for its DEDICATION on November 10, 1923 were 2000 Marines. Those members of the Core were on hand to watch Michigan defeat the Quantico football squad 26-6 earlier that day.
An emotional Yost addressed the thousands on hand, telling them:
I believe in the University of Meechigan, The maker of men,And in the Meechigan Spirit, Conceived in loyalty and democracy,And in her traditions, Cherished by all her sons.I believe in the spirit of service To the University and all her activities.All these I promise to uphold To the best of my ability,For the greatest of all universities, Meechigan.
Weeks after that dedication of the building bearing his name, Yost delivered another timeless gift to his beloved Meechigan – his squad finished the season a perfect 8-0 to claim his SIXTH and last national title.
