On the intersection of South Division Street and Hill Street sits Elbel Field, a recreation space that holds two sand volleyball courts, a soccer field, a football field and space for students to lay in the grass or practice their marching band routine. As the date to start construction of a new residence hall on the field approaches, University of Michigan students and U-M Recreational Sports Department are saying goodbye to Elbel Field.
Recreational Sports hosted a Farewell to Elbel Field event Wednesday afternoon featuring outdoor games, food and a used gear sale for students to browse. Over 100 U-M students and Recreational Sports staff filtered in and out of the field to play spikeball and soccer and grab a bite to eat while reminiscing about their memories of the field.
Elbel Field was previously the practice site for the Michigan Marching Band. Upon its closing, the band will be relocated to a new practice space located on South Fifth Avenue. The field will instead host a new 2,300-bed residence hall, featuring an outdoor courtyard and dining hall, that is set to be completed in fall 2025.
Mike Widen, director of the U-M Department of Recreational Sports, said the Recreational Sports staff planned the event to celebrate student engagement with Elbel and say goodbye to the space.
“From a Recreational Sports perspective, it’s bittersweet,” Widen said. “It’s certainly sad to lose the space that we know is here and we know continues to get used by students for recreational programs. These are important spaces because we know the types of engagement that can occur … A lot of people meet their best friends because they met them playing a pick-up game of soccer here, or got an opportunity to throw the frisbee with their roommate.”
Though the closing of Elbel will offer fewer opportunities for outdoor recreation on Central Campus, Widen said the opening of two new fields on North Campus will work to balance this out. The Board of Regents approved the construction of these new fields, which will be located on Hubbard Road, at their March meeting.
“The good thing is, we’re not losing the spaces, we’re just losing the address,” Widen said. “We’re looking to get (the new fields) open this fall so students that are in club sports and intramural sports and other students can just use those.”
Kinesiology sophomore Logan Edwards is an auxiliary facilities supervisor for Recreational Sports and said he will miss the field because of the way it has brought the U-M community together.
“Elbel Field is one of the only major University-owned big parks around the southern side of campus,” Edwards said. “So obviously, we’re losing a big part of the outdoor atmosphere. I mean, I worked here several times when there was a 70 (or) 80 degree weekend (and) the entire turf was filled. I don’t know where else sand volleyball is (offered on campus) either. I think we’re just losing a big part of campus.”
U-M alum Sarah Elgin, director of aquatics and risk management within Recreational Sports, helped organize the farewell event. Elgin said she wanted to get involved because she lived down the street from Elbel when she was a student and felt nostalgic about the closing of the field.
“(With) me being with risk management as well as being an alum who spent their time during college here and lived down the street, (I) wanted to be part of (planning this) and just give it a good, solid farewell because I know it’s been a big part of the community,” Elgin said.
Adventure Leadership, a program within Recreational Sports that organizes trips to teach leadership and outdoor skills and whose trip center is located on Elbel, previewed their used gear sale at the event, which will take place on April 21 and 22. The center welcomed students to browse the bikes, tents and other recreational items they will have for sale later this week.
LSA senior Aleksandra Thomas, Recreational Sports and Adventure Leadership employee, told The Daily she is sad to see Elbel closing after creating so many memories there, but excited to see the new residence hall’s impact on the campus community.
“It’s definitely a little sad, but I know it’s going to be repurposed for student housing,” Thomas said. “So, that just gives more access and space for incoming students so I can support that, and I know we’re gonna move to a new field.”
Daily News Editor Rachel Mintz can be reached at mintzrac@umich.edu.