Joe Albi Stadium
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Joe Albi Stadium is a 28,646-seat multi-purpose stadium located in Spokane, Washington. The stadium opened in 1950. Over the years it has hosted various events and teams including Washington State University in the 1970's when their stadium burned down. It is a part-time home to the Eastern Washington University, Eagles football team, and Spokane Shadow soccer team. Joe Albi Stadium also hosts local prep football games well as well as many of the state playoff games.
Recently, the late, former Spokane Mayor, James E. West, proposed to sell the stadium to a real estate developer interested in demolishing the stadium and turning it into a housing development. After a back and forth struggle, under the leadership of Spokane Mayor Dennis Hession, plans to raze the stadium have been scrapped.
Amid the debate about what to do with the stadium, an issue about stadium's artificial turf surfaced. As a result of the turf being beyond it's useful life, in 2006, the Spokane Shadow discontinued its usage of Joe Albi Stadium, citing that playing surface was too dangerous for soccer games to be played on. As consequence the Shadows PDL terminated the Shadow's membership. The turf dilemma was later solved after the Spokane School District, and the Mead School District split the cost to replace the artificial turf.
| Current Football Stadiums in the Big Sky Conference |
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| Bobcat Stadium (Montana State) • Holt Arena (Idaho State) • Hornet Stadium (Sacramento State) • Joe Albi Stadium (Eastern Washington) • Nottingham Field (Northern Colorado) • PGE Park (Portland State) • Stewart Stadium (Weber State) • Walkup Skydome (Northern Arizona) • Washington Grizzly Stadium (Montana) • Woodward Field (Eastern Washington) |
