Husky Stadium

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For the home field of Northern Illinois University, see Huskie Stadium.

Husky Stadium

Location	3800 Montlake Blvd NE Seattle, WA 98105
Broke ground	1920
Opened	1920
Owner	Univ. of Washington
Operator	Univ. of Washington
Surface	FieldTurf
Construction cost	$600,000 USD
Tenants
Washington Huskies (NCAA) (1920-Present) Seattle Seahawks (NFL) (1994, 2000-2001)
Capacity
72,500

Husky Stadium is the University of Washington's football and track and field venue in Seattle, USA, located between Montlake Boulevard N.E. and Union Bay just north of the Montlake Cut. Its U-shaped design was specifically oriented to minimize glare from the sun in the athletes' eyes. The open end overlooks scenic Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains.

Husky Stadium was originally built in 1920, replacing Denny Field, with a seating capacity of 30,000, but has gone through four remodels (two major, two minor) to expand the seating capacity. Just three years after its construction, the stadium was the site of President Warren Harding's final address before his death. In 1936, 10,000 seats were added around the rim. In 1950, a layer of 15,000 covered seats was added to the south side--the new structure also made some of the lower seats covered. In 1968, a few thousand more seats were added along the rim. In 1987, 13,000 covered seats were added on the north side--again, this structure also made some of the lower seats covered. This made the total capacity 72,500, making it the largest stadium, amateur or professional, in the Pacific Northwest. The 1987 construction project made headlines when the first version of the grandstand collapsed (There was no design error of the North Stands Addition. Investigators found that several critical guy wires--cables which kept the structure from twisting--were removed in error). However, construction was completed before the beginning of the 1987 football season.

Scoreboard at Husky Stadium on September 23, 2006

Because of its size and design (70% of the seats are located between the end zones) and the vociferous nature of Huskies fans, the stadium is considered one of the loudest in North America, often making it difficult for opposing teams to hear their quarterback's signals. Following a 31-0 beating from Washington’s “Purple Reign” defense, USC Quarterback Todd Marinovich was quoted as saying, “All I saw was purple. No jerseys, no numbers, just purple.” During a 1992 game against Nebraska, ESPN measured the crowd noise at 135 decibels--well above the threshold of pain.[1]

It was used in the 1990 Goodwill Games, where the crowd saw an address by Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States; as well as an address by Arnold Schwarzeneger; and a performance by the Moody Blues. The stadium served as the temporary home of the Seattle Seahawks in 1994, 2000, and 2001.

1 Tailgating
2 21st Century Renovation
3 The pro football years
4 External links

[edit] Tailgating

Husky Stadium is unique in that fans can go to the football games by boat. This fleet is commonly referred to as the Husky Navy. Husky fans are known to tailgate on these football vessels and then a water taxi will take them ashore when it is time for the game. The north and south parking lot is packed with cars and tailgaters. One landmark that is common for tailgaters is the climbing rock at the south end of the parking lot. There is currently controversy surrounding the south parking lot because their are proposals for expansion to the SR 520 Floating Bridge would effectively wipe out the south parking lot and effective eliminate the space used for tailgating. This plan is called the Pacific Interchange Option. Many Husky fans have made their opposition to the Pacific Interchange Option known. Fans also gather at the Dempsey Indoor Facility just north of the stadium for Husky Huddles. After the game, the Tyee Sports Council and the University of Washington Athletic Department put on the 5th Quarter where fans can gather and hear analysis of the game from UW Coaches and Husky Legends. They can also enjoy refreshments and a raffle for prizes.

[edit] 21st Century Renovation

In November of 2006, University of Washington Athletic Director Todd Turner revealed concept images of a new Husky Stadium and "athletic village". The new Husky Stadium is the first, and primary income source of, a completely remodeled athletic district. This major remodel will take decades to complete, as it will take place at the same time as a massive project by the Washington State Department of Transportation on nearby highways and bridges. The project consists of a new grand concourse, underground light-rail station, enclosed west end of the stadium, replacement of bleachers with individual seating, removal of track and huskytron, new press box, private box seating, lowering of the field, football offices, permanent seating in the east end zone that does not block the view of Lake Washington, and new and improved amenities, concession stands and bathrooms throughout. Along with the Husky Stadium remodel, new parking garages will be constructed and renovated facilities throughout the athletic village. The stadium renovation is expected to cost above $350 million. [2]

[edit] The pro football years

The first residency of the Seahawks was as a result of repairs to the inside of the roof of the Kingdome. The second residency was because the Kingdome was demolished in favor of Qwest Field, which was built in the Kingdome's footprint. In order to evaluate its suitability for use in the NFL, Seahawks Owner Paul Allen, paid to install a FieldTurf surface at Husky Stadium for use by University of Washington Huskies and the Seattle Seahawks. Originally, natural grass was to be installed in Qwest Field, but the Seahawks management and players were so impressed by the performance of the FieldTurf surface, it was decided that FieldTurf would be installed in Qwest Field. Visiting team players were so impressed with the surface that it was rated the best non-grass surface in the NFL by the players.[3]

[edit] External links

Preceded by The Kingdome 1976-1999	Home of the Seattle Seahawks First half of 1994	Succeeded by The Kingdome 1976-1999
Preceded by The Kingdome 1976-1999	Home of the Seattle Seahawks 2000–2001	Succeeded by Qwest Field 2002–Present

Coordinates: 47°39′01.0″N, 122°18′05.7″W

	University of Washington
Athletics	Apple Cup • Hec Edmundson Pavilion • Husky Stadium • Huskies Starting Quarterbacks • Washington Huskies • Washington Huskies football
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Research	Manastash Ridge Observatory • NeuroNames • Rosetta@home • Theodore Jacobsen Observatory • University of Washington Medical Center
Student Life	Anime Discovery Project • ASUW • Bow Down to Washington • GPSS • Husky Marching Band • Rainydawg • The Daily

Football Stadiums of the Pacific Ten Conference
Arizona Stadium (Arizona) • Autzen Stadium (Oregon) • Husky Stadium (Washington) • Martin Stadium (Washington State) • Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Southern California) • California Memorial Stadium (California) • Reser Stadium (Oregon State) • Rose Bowl (UCLA) • Stanford Stadium (Stanford) • Sun Devil Stadium (Arizona State)