They don't call it the Big House for nothing.

Michigan set the new NCAA single-game attendance record Saturday night with 114,804.

In the first night football game at Michigan Stadium, the Wolverines beat Notre Dame 35-31 on a touchdown with two seconds left.

The record had been 113,090, set Sept. 4, 2010, against UConn. Michigan also held the previous mark of 112,118. That came on Nov. 22, 2003, which also happens to be the last time the Wolverines beat Ohio State.

In 1920's, Notre Dame drew an estimated 120,000 to Soldier Field in Chicago, but those figures are unsanctioned.

Here are the events that set the attendance standards in other leagues and sports. We are only counting U.S. venues, so we are aware that Estadio Ezteca in Mexico City has drawn larger crowds such as the 132,247 in 1993 for the title bout between Julio Cesar Chavez and Greg Haugen.

Sports Single-Game Attendance Records Slideshow

 

College Basketball

72,922 at Ford Field in Detroit for the NCAA basketball championship on April 6, 2009. North Carolina, with Tyler Hansbrough, Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson, beat Michigan State 89-72.

 

NFL

105,121 at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on Sept. 20, 2009. Eli Manning threw for 330 yards and the Giants kicked a last-second field to beat the Cowboys 33-31 in the regular-season debut of Jerry's World.

 

NHL

71,217 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Jan. 1, 2008. The Penguins beat the Sabres 2-1 with Sidney Crosby bagging the decisive goal in the shootout.

 

NBA

62,046 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on March 27, 1998. The Bulls beat the Hawks 89-74. Michael Jordan scored 34. The speculation at the time was that this would be Jordan's last visit to Atlanta. (The 2010 NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas drew 108,713.)

 

MLB

92,709 at the Los Angeles Coliseum for Game 5 of the World Series on Oct. 6, 1959. The White Sox beat the Dodgers 1-0, but Los Angeles won the series. A Dodgers-Red Sox exhibition at the Coliseum on March 29, 2008, drew 115,300.

 

Boxing

63,350 at the Superdome in New Orleans for Ali-Spinks II on Sept. 15, 1978. That is considered the modern record. A 1926 bout between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney drew 120,757 to an outdoor venue in Philadelphia.

 

Soccer

101,799 at the Rose Bowl for the Olympic gold medal on August 11, 1984. France beat Brazil 2-0.

 

College Hockey

113,411 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Dec. 11, 2010. The Wolverines beat Michigan State 5-0 in "The Big Chill At The Big House." The Guinness Book recognizes this as a record for college hockey but cites 104,173 as the actual turnstile figure compared to tickets sold.

 

Auto Racing

Any given year for the Indy 500. There are more than 257,000 permanent seats at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Then there's everyone who packs the infield.

 

Kentucky Derby

164,858 at Churchill Downs in Louisville on May 7, 2011. Animal Kingdom, with John Velazquez aboard, won the race. The previous attendance record of 163,628 was set in 1974 for the Derby's 100th anniversary.

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