In addition to the $3 million the NHL will pay the University of Michigan to rent Michigan Stadium for the 2013 Winter Classic, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman presented U-M athletic director Dave Brandon a check for $250,000 on Thursday. The $250,000 will go to U-M's general scholarship fund.

Brandon said he began talking to the NHL in November, and the league asked whether Michigan Stadium could be used.

I may be in the minority here but one of the reasons I stopped going to Red Wing games is because of the drunken idiots who have seemed to increase in number over the years. At one point I was attending 10-15 games a year not including the play-offs.

I hope they break the attendance record, but I wonder how rowdy the crowd will be.

LOVE hockey...Kings fan but respect the Wings...& the Winter Classic is great but just feel the pros have NO business in the Big House, not to mention all that "red" in OUR house doesn't thrill me. Then, add the fact that our boys should be playing in the Rose Bowl...hopefully...the same day & doesn't really make sense to me!

What's wrong with putting the game in CoAmerica Park in downtown Detroit...that's where it belongs, no? Guess, Brandon couldn't turn down the $$...but Michigan playing in the Rose Bowl could have an adverse effect on the attendance IMO. Just my thoughts!

"No man is more important than the team, no coach is more important than the team...the Team, the Team, the Team!"

LOVE hockey...Kings fan but respect the Wings...& the Winter Classic is great but just feel the pros have NO business in the Big House, not to mention all that "red" in OUR house doesn't thrill me. Then, add the fact that our boys should be playing in the Rose Bowl...hopefully...the same day & doesn't really make sense to me!

What's wrong with putting the game in CoAmerica Park in downtown Detroit...that's where it belongs, no? Guess, Brandon couldn't turn down the $$...but Michigan playing in the Rose Bowl could have an adverse effect on the attendance IMO. Just my thoughts!

It will probably close to even with Red and Blue. Just a much uglier blue than ours.

I shared Wings season tickets for 14 seasons (1991-2005) and I'm psyched for this one- I'll definitely be there. For me, getting rid of my tickets wasn't the drunken fans; it was the ticket prices. To sit in Section 219 at the Joe and about 10 rows from the top was costing me $220 a game for 4 seats. That's pretty steep for sitting so far away...then you had to pay for all four rounds of the playoffs up front. It was time to find a new hobby after the prices started getting out of hand.

LOVE hockey...Kings fan but respect the Wings...& the Winter Classic is great but just feel the pros have NO business in the Big House, not to mention all that "red" in OUR house doesn't thrill me. Then, add the fact that our boys should be playing in the Rose Bowl...hopefully...the same day & doesn't really make sense to me!

What's wrong with putting the game in CoAmerica Park in downtown Detroit...that's where it belongs, no? Guess, Brandon couldn't turn down the $$...but Michigan playing in the Rose Bowl could have an adverse effect on the attendance IMO. Just my thoughts!

Sorry, this is a win - win and will generate HUGE bucks for Michigan, Ann Arbor and the Wings. The red in the stands? Big deal as long as there's a Winged Wheel on the front. There's going to be a ton of ugly blue there as well. It's not at Comerica because you can fit 70,000 more people in Michigan Stadium which is a no brainer for the NHL and Ilitch family to agree upon. There won't be any ill effects on attendance if UM plays in the Rose Bowl - the hockey game should be at 1:00, the Rose Bowl at 4:00/4:30 so it's a party all day... I like your optimism on UM being there though. I do question the logistics though... I plan on going but trying to hit the bathrooms at a good time will be a challenge and getting a beer is going to be verrrrry difficult. Parking is also going to be crappy because of snow/soft grass/ etc around the Stadium where parking usually is ok in Oct/Nov.

LOVE hockey...Kings fan but respect the Wings...& the Winter Classic is great but just feel the pros have NO business in the Big House, not to mention all that "red" in OUR house doesn't thrill me. Then, add the fact that our boys should be playing in the Rose Bowl...hopefully...the same day & doesn't really make sense to me!

What's wrong with putting the game in CoAmerica Park in downtown Detroit...that's where it belongs, no? Guess, Brandon couldn't turn down the $$...but Michigan playing in the Rose Bowl could have an adverse effect on the attendance IMO. Just my thoughts!

I LOVE seeing all the red in your house. Especially since I'm one of them. ;)