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Exterior of the Al Glick Field House (Sep. 2024) by Lucas Jraiche.
Training Champions
Training Champions
by Lucas Jraiche
Some of the people who influence Michigan Athletics never step foot on the field, court, or diamond. One person who contributed to the program without ever playing a game was entrepreneur Al Glick. With a reputation for being a Wolverine "superfan," Glick gave millions of dollars to the University of Michigan over 25 years, including almost ten million to build the field house named in his honor (Dodge).
Glick may have been known in the business world for founding Alro Steel in their hometown of Jackson, Michigan with his brother in 1948 (Svoboda), “but he made a name for himself with his vast generosity to the Jackson and UM communities and constant presence at university athletic events” (Dodge). His commitment to supporting Wolverines athletics was more than financial. He estimated in 2019 that in the previous two decades, he only missed one home football game (Dodge). "Al loved sports, and his passion for Michigan football was unmatched, demonstrated in his generosity but also in the joy he brought with each visit to campus" (Svoboda).
Before founding Alro, Glick worked as a part time sports reporter at his hometown newspaper. But when he was offered a full-time job on the crime beat instead, he quit and used the five thousand dollars his dad had given him to attend college to buy inventory to start his own business ("History"). Glick's "love of sports taught him the value of teamwork," which he applied to his work at Alro Steel (Dodge).
Glick alongside former basketball player/coach Juwan Howard (left) and former football player/coach Jim Harbaugh (right).
Photo courtesy: mgoblue.com
Interior of the field house. Photo courtesy: mgoblue.com
The Al Glick Field House is truly a sight to see. The building sits on a massive portion of land along State Street in Ann Arbor adjacent to Yost Ice Arena. The sidewalk is lined with street lamps that give off different aesthetics as the seasons change, while the building itself is a towering structure constructed from red brick and lined with tall glass windows.
Construction began on the Al Glick Field House in 2007 and was completed in August of 2009, costing an estimated $26.1 million. Upon completion of the facility, Michigan football became the program with the most indoor practice facilities in the country at any level, even including the NFL (“Al Glick”). The fieldhouse contributed to the success of many Wolverine football teams, especially the 2023-24 team that went on to win the school’s first national title since 1997.
UM isn't the only place home to a Glick namesake. Across Michigan, there are many places bearing the name Glick, thanks to the generosity of Al and the rest of their family, including an athletic center in Glick's hometown of Jackson, Michigan named in his honor ("History").
Names have been important in the Glick family legacy. Alvin and his brother Robert 's Alro Steel is named Alro, combining the first two letters of each of the brothers' names ("History"). Sons of an Hungarian immigrant ("History"), their last name Glick comes "from the Middle High German word g(e)lücke, which means 'luck,'" according to Ancestry.com. Luck does seem to have been behind Al as he rooted his beloved Wolverines to victory time and again over his lifetime.
Works Cited
“Al Glick Field House.” MGoBlue.com, University of Michigan Athletics, mgoblue.com/sports/2017/6/16/facilities-glick-field-house-html. Accessed 28 Sep. 2024.
Dodge, Samuel. “Al Glick, Humble Industrialist, Philanthropist and Michigan Super Fan, Dies at 95.” Mlive, 8 Feb. 2022, mlive.com/news/jackson/2022/02/al-glick-humble-industrialist-philanthropist-and-michigan-super-fan-dies-at-95.html.
"Glick Family History." Ancestry.com, ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=glick. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
"History." Alro Steel Corporation, alro.com/History/. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Jraiche, Lucas. Photo of the exterior of the field house. 19 Sep. 2024. Author's personal collection.
Photo of Glick with Howard and Harbaugh, n.d., published in Svoboda, Kurt. “Longtime Friend, Contributor to Michigan Athletics and Football Al Glick Passes Away.” MGoBlue.com, University of Michigan Athletics, 8 Feb. 2022, mgoblue.com/news/2022/2/8/general-longtime-friend-contributor-to-michigan-athletics-and-football-al-glick-passes-away. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
Photo of interior of the Glick field house. “Al Glick Field House.” MGoBlue.com, University of Michigan Athletics, mgoblue.com/sports/2017/6/16/facilities-glick-field-house-html. Accessed 28 Sep. 2024.
Svoboda, Kurt. “Longtime Friend, Contributor to Michigan Athletics and Football Al Glick Passes Away.” MGoBlue.com, University of Michigan Athletics, 8 Feb. 2022, mgoblue.com/news/2022/2/8/general-longtime-friend-contributor-to-michigan-athletics-and-football-al-glick-passes-away. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
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