Crisler Arena

It is said that fans of the University of Michigan sports bleed maize and blue. Their fanaticism can be seen decorating their homes, cars and even clothing. One place where the fanaticism routinely reaches deafening decibels is at Crisler Arena. Crisler Arena is the home venue for the University of Michigan Wolverines basketball teams.  The Crisler Arena first opened in 1967 and cost $7.2 million at the time. It was formally dedicated in 1968. It is named after Herbert I. “Fritz” Crisler, who was both a football coach at the University of Michigan for 10 years and the university’s athletic director for 27 years.

The construction was kept in the family; former linebacker under Crisler, Dan Dworsky was the architect on the project. He may have designed it, but it actually has the nickname of “The House that Cazzie Built.” The nickname refers to Cazzie Russell, the first basketball player in U of M’s history to have his number retired. Russell played for the Wolverines in the 1960s and joined the NBA in 1966. The Crisler Arena has been given facelifts over the years to keep up to date, and it remains a jewel of the Ann Arbor campus.

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