Waldo Stadium

Dwight B. Waldo Stadium
Former names Western State Teachers College Field
Location 1903 West Michigan Avenue
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008
Coordinates 42°17′9″N 85°36′4″W / 42.28583°N 85.60111°W / 42.28583; -85.60111Coordinates: 42°17′9″N 85°36′4″W / 42.28583°N 85.60111°W / 42.28583; -85.60111
Owner Western Michigan University
Operator Western Michigan University
Capacity 30,200 (1989–present)
25,000 (1973–1988)
15,000 (1939–1972)
Record attendance 36,361 (September 16, 2000 vs Indiana State)[1]
Surface FieldTurf (2006–present)
NexTurf (2000–2005)
Prescription Athletic Turf (1992–1999)
Astroturf (1972–1991)
Natural Grass (1939–1972)
Construction
Broke ground 1938
Opened October 7, 1939[2]
Renovated 1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2015
Expanded 1973, 1989
Construction cost $250,000 USD
($4.25 million in 2016 dollars[3])

$5.6 Million (2013-2015 Stadium Renovation)[4]
Tenants
Western Michigan Broncos (NCAA) (1939–present)

Waldo Stadium is a stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Western Michigan University Broncos. Opened in 1939, it now has a capacity of 30,200 spectators.

History

The stadium was built at a cost of $250,000, and it opened in 1939 with a 6–0 win over Miami University.[5] The cost for Waldo Stadium also included the construction of Hyames Field, the school's baseball stadium directly west of the football field. The stadium is named for Dwight B. Waldo, first president of the school.[5]

The location of Waldo Stadium has been home for Western football since 1914. A field, without a stadium or modern seating, existed through 1938, until the construction and completion of the stadium in 1939. It originally included an eight-lane track, which has since moved to Kanley Track across the street. Financing came through private donations, and those who donated were awarded tickets to the inaugural game against Western Kentucky University. Over the years, WMU continued adding seating to the stadium, and a renovation in 1989 pushed the available seats to 30,200.[6] Focal renovations have included the Bill Brown Alumni Center and the John Gill press box, added to the main seating on the north and south sidelines.[7]

The stadium's main scoreboard and video screen were installed in 2003, located at the southwest endzone. It was made possible through a donation from Coca-Cola.[5] The athletic department recently installed a new, state-of-the-art scoreboard and video screen before the start of the 2015 season.[8]

In 2013 the athletic department made almost $3.5 million in renovations and upgrades to Waldo Stadium and Seelye Center, the football team's indoor practice facility. Included in the upgrades were: new artificial turf for stadium, new brown and gold turf for the indoor practice facility, a revamped and upgraded weight room, a remodeled locker room, renovated meeting rooms, and a new team lounge and showplace.[9] Additional renovations were made to the stadium complex from 2014 to 2015 including new speakers for the stadium, new scoreboards and video boards bringing renovation costs to $5.7 million since 2013.

Attendance

A Waldo Stadium-record crowd of 36,361 saw the Broncos defeat Indiana State University 56–0, in 2000.[5]

The highest season-average attendance occurred in 1999, with an average of 26,874 per game.[5]

Indiana University was the first Big Ten school to play at Waldo Stadium in 2007.[10] Over 32,000 fans saw IU defeat WMU in a rain-filled night game. Other BCS conference teams to visit Waldo Stadium include Virginia in 2003 and Virginia Tech in 2002. Waldo Stadium hosted Western Michigan versus Michigan State in 2015, and in 2011 was going to host Illinois in 2016, but Illinois has since backed out of that arrangement and the Broncos will be traveling to Champaign to play Illinois on their own turf.[11]

Waldo Stadium also holds two of the top four home attendance figures in Mid-American Conference history and 5 of the top 10 home crowds.

Seelye Center

In 2003, the stadium took on a new look with the completion of the $25 million Donald J. Seelye Center. The Seelye Center rises eight stories and houses an indoor practice field, weight and fitness rooms, and staff offices.[5][12] It is located on the edge of the northeast endzone, allowing the Seelye club suites to get a view of the game. The Seelye Center incorporated the existing Oakland Gymnasium into the structure, allowing for a very modern entrance on one side, and a retro style on the other.

Home field records

WMU Bronco Football Home Records Since 2000

Year Win Loss Avg. Attendance
200050
200141
200224
200333
200414
200551
200650
200724
200850
200932
201033
201150
201233
201305 17,347[13]
201432 15,625[14]
201542 19,441[15]
Total 52 34

High school football

In 1975, Waldo Stadium was one of the hosts for the inaugural MHSAA Football State Championship in Class A and Class D. Livonia Franklin beat Traverse City (now Traverse City Central) 21-7 in the Class A title game while Crystal Falls Forest Park defeated Flint Holy Rosary 50-0 in the Class D title game.[16] The finals for all classes were moved to the newly constructed Pontiac Silverdome beginning with the 1976 title games.

In May 2010, the Kalamazoo Valley Association (a local high school athletic conference) announced that it would be playing an inaugural Kalamazoo Valley Association Football Classic at the stadium.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Waldo Stadium". Football.ballparks.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Western Michigan Broncos 1939 Season Schedule - databaseFootball.com/College". Databasefootball.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Western Michigan football scoreboard project underway, expected to be finished by Michigan State game". MLive.com. Retrieved June 23, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Waldo Stadium - WMUBroncos.com—Official Web Site of Western Michigan Athletics". Wmubroncos.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  6. ↑ "2007 Western Michigan football media guide" (PDF). Western Michigan University. 2007. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Waldo Stadium - Facts, figures, pictures and more of the Western Michigan Broncos college football stadium". Collegegridirons.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  8. ↑ "new scorboard". Mlive.com. 2015. Retrieved Jan 10, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Waldo Stadium Renovations". Mlive.com. 2015. Retrieved Jan 10, 2015.
  10. ↑ "2007 Media Guide" (PDF). Western Michigan University. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  11. ↑ Kalamazoo Gazette file. "Western Michigan football to host Illinois in 2016 at Waldo Stadium". MLive.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Donald Seelye Athletic Center - WMUBroncos.com—Official Web Site of Western Michigan Athletics". Wmubroncos.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  13. ↑ http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/2015/12/western_michigan_football_had.html
  14. ↑ http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/2015/12/western_michigan_football_had.html
  15. ↑ http://www.mlive.com/broncos/index.ssf/2015/12/western_michigan_football_had.html
  16. ↑ http://www.mhsaa.com/MHSAA_ARCHIVE/resources/library/fbflash95.pdf
  17. ↑ Scott DeCamp (May 13, 2010). "Coaches, players filled with anticipation for inaugural KVA Football Classic - MLive.com". Highschoolsports.mlive.com. Retrieved June 11, 2013.

External links

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