College stadium builds in $38m residence hall that lets students watch historic 16-0 team live from dorms

Some lucky Ferris State University students are about to land rooms with a view.

The $38 million Stadium Hall opened Friday and 282 first-year undergraduates will be housed by the north end zone.

Top Taggart Field holds 6,200 fans and now boasts one of the unique features of any stadium.

The residence hall features rooms and common lounges which overlook the arena.

Partly designed by Ferris State graduates, it is the first of its kind in Michigan.

Students will be able to watch Bulldogs football games from the comfort of their rooms while adding housing capacity on campus.

Ferris State is based in Big Rapids and the football team plays in NCAA Division II and the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

The Bulldogs have dominated in recent years.

In 2025, Ferris State secured a fourth NCAA DII National Championship in the past five years.

The program went 16-0 — the first Division I or II team to hit the mark in the modern era.

“It’s unbelievable that we did it again and I’m so proud of our players and staff for what they have accomplished,” said FSU head coach Tony Annese.

“This group came together and did so many great things to get back here to McKinney and find a way to get it done again.”

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Ferris State broke the all-time NCAA D1 or D2 scoring record with 844 points on the year.

Biggest isn’t better for New Ryan Field

2026 will also see the first glimpse of the most expensive college football stadium ever.

Northwestern spent $870 million on New Ryan Field, despite a capacity of just 35,000.

The Wildcats have opted for quality over quantity with every seat close to the field and state-of-the-art facilities.

It also boasts a steep student-only standing section which has been inspired by European soccer stadiums.

“I truly believe it’s the best stadium in all of football,” coach David Braun said. “We’re not trying to be the biggest. We delivered on being the best.”