January 6, 2024 - Peaceful Purple

 

During the football season, Husky Stadium glows in purple in the nights before a game.  On this night the purple does all of the talking in the vacant stadium.  The team was in Texas for the College Football Playoff Championship Game held at NRG Stadium in Houston.  The #2 ranked hometown Huskies would lose 13 - 34 to the #1 ranked University of Michigan Wolverines to finish 14-1 on the season.

The first game at Husky Stadium was November 27, 1920; a 7 - 28 loss to Dartmouth.  At that time the capacity was 30,000 in a bowl-shaped configuration with an open end providing a view to Lake Washington.  In the 103 years since, the stadium has grown through major renovations in 1936, 1950, 1968, 1987 and 2013.  The 1950 renovation added the first upper deck and cantilevered metal roof.  The 1987 renovation added a second cantilevered metal roof, upper deck and 13,000 seats on the north side. The 2013 renovation saw the removal of the track, the lowering of the field by four feet the construction of new south stands, box suites, athletic offices, facilities and other amenities.  The new layout brought fans closer to the field and dropped the seating capacity from 72,500 to 70,138.

 

April 22, 2023 - When a Dual is a Duel

 

It was a fantastic morning for a pair of traditional rowing powers to square off on Lake Washington's Montlake Cut.  The rowing teams of the University of Washington and the University of California, Berkeley have the oldest rowing rivalry in the Western US.  The UW-Cal Dual was first contested by the men's teams in 1903.  Washington leads the series 76-33-1. The women's teams first competed in 1977.  

'Dual' is short for 'Dual Meet'.  If you ask anyone in either program what 'Dual' is they'll let you know it is simply UW vs Cal.  

For the 111th UW-Cal Dual, the Cal Men's Varsity 8 came in ranked #1, Washington #3. The top ranked team crossed the finish line just two seats ahead of Washington.  The Washington Women's Varsity 8 (above) were ranked #6 with the Cal Women's Varsity 8 ranked #7.  They held off Cal, winning by a boat length.

In the closest race of the morning was the Women's Second Varsity, with Cal crossing the finish line just six tenths of a second ahead of the Washington boat. Initially it was ruled a 'dead heat' as the Washington boat hit two geese on the course.  At the conclusion of the regatta the coaches amicably agreed to award Cal the race by the original margin. 

June 18, 2017 - Around (and Above) Seattle

A 20 minute circuit around Seattle in a float plane beginning and ending from Lake Union provides a perspective most don't typically see.  Being able to look down on the buildings of downtown, the University of Washington campus, Husky Stadium, the new 520 floating bridge, Safeco and Century Link Fields and the waterfront is a great way to see Seattle! 

October 17, 2015 - Sailgate at Half

A quick walk to your boat takes a little sting off of a ten point halftime deficit at this University of Washington football game, located on the shores of Lake Washington.  An estimated 8,000 fans arrive by boat for a home game tying up to the docks at the foot of Husky Stadium or anchoring in the just offshore.  Several water taxis ferry fans to and from their boats.  If you don't own a boat, no problem!  There are several large charter vessels that bring fans to the games from Lake Union or Fisherman's Terminal.  The 'sail gating' that occurs on the docks adjacent to Husky Stadium definitely lend a unique flavor to this school's home football games.

November 22, 2014 - Still Sunset

An early sunset on a mild November Saturday afternoon brought streaks of pink and orange to the mostly still waters at the marina at the Seattle Yacht Club.  Still several hours from kick-off, the majority of 'sailgaters' haven't yet begun their trek under the Montlake Bridge to nearby Husky Stadium. 

March 29, 2014 - Trip The Light Fantastic

On the shores of Lake Washington, Husky Stadium, with its familiar cantilevered roofs, stands quiet and still on gray, wet night while the calm waters trip the light fantastic.

December 2, 2012 - Bridging the Cut

  

The designer of the 344 foot long Montlake Bridge, Carl Gould, was one of the original architects of the University of Washington.  He incorporated a Gothic style similar to that of many of the buildings at the nearby university into the towers and elements of the double-bascule bridge that provides 48 foot vertical clearance for the boats that ply the ship canal below.  Provided it isn't during rush hour, vessels needing greater clearance may request that it be opened.

The US Army Corps of Engineers completed the Lake Washington Ship Canal in 1917.  It joined Lake Washington with Lake Union and lowered the water level of Lake Washington nine feet.  Though piers and abutments for a bridge were put in place in 1914 as part of the construction of the canal, and plans for a bridge were drawn up in 1916, the bridge was not built until 1925.  The Montlake Bridge was the last of the four double-bascule bridges over ship canal to be built.  

In November of 1920, the University of Washington football team hosted a team from Dartmouth for the first game ever to be played at the newly built Husky Stadium.  A graduate manager for the team created a temporary bridge set on barges to allow football fans to attend without having to cross the University Bridge to the west.  Next September thousands of football fans will cross the 88 year old bridge on their way to the very first game of the newly renovated Husky Stadium.

Looking east down the ship canal to Lake Washington.

December 2, 2012 - Husky Holiday Spirit

"Husky Spirit", the 360 pound bronze statue of the University of Washington Husky mascot is sporting a little holiday spirit at the moment.  The sculpture by Georgia Gerber was unveiled in 1995 and is located on Mountlake Boulveard NE outside of Hec Edmunson Pavillion and in the shadows of Husky Stadium.   Other area works include Rachel, the Pike Place Market pig, a variety of the bronze sculptures located at the Woodland Park Zoo and the cows at the nearby University Village.

November 4, 2011 - Last Game Eve

On the shores of Lake Washington, the north stands of the University of Washington's Husky Stadium stand eerily silent on the eve of the last football game to be played under the stadium's current configuration.  Some 72,000 college football fans will fill the stadium the next day.  A $250 million renovation will begin almost immediately following this last game.  The renovation will be financed by naming rights, private donations and premium seating costs and will be completed in time for the 2013 season.  

While the stadium configuration will change the location and Husky Stadium's unique cantilevered roofs will remain.  The lower bowl, part of the original stadium, will be gutted, the track removed and the seats will be brought closer to the field.  The north stands were part of the most recent significant expansion which occurred in 1987.  The stadium opened in 1920 and had a capacity of 30,000.    

October 29, 2011 - Fall is Purple

For many folks in Seattle, fall is purple.  Young and young at heart share their passion for the University of Washington football team at parties big and small in parking lots, living rooms, bars and back yards on a gorgeous October Saturday afternoon, evening...and Sunday morning!  In this case the party is a just north of the Montlake cut, within easy walking distance of Husky Stadium, and the photo is destined to be someone's holiday photo greeting card.  This weekend was Homecoming Week at the University of Washington and pictured are alumni from the greater Seattle area, but from both Vancouvers, North Carolina and eastern Washington.

The University of Washington has been celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.  It officially opened on November 4, 1861.  The University of Washington was originally situated in a 10 acre campus in downtown Seattle in an area bordered by 4th and 6th Avenues and Union and Seneca Streets.  The University was relocated to its current location in 1895.  The 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition utilized unused portions of campus, the development of which was incorporated into the overall campus master plan and site layout at its conclusion.   The University still owns the property downtown the leases of which generate millions of dollars in rent each year.

The current mascot - the Husky, was adopted by a student committee in 1922 and replaced the weather referencing 'Sun Dodger'.

April 30, 2011 - Final Spring Game

The University of Washington's Husky Stadium hosted its last Spring Game in its current configuration April 30, 2011.  In November of this year, just prior to the Apple Cup, the annual Washington - Washington State football game, construction will begin on a $250 million stadium remodel.  No public or University funds will be used to fund the remodel.  The Apple Cup and home games in 2012 will be played at Qwest Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks. 

There have been a number of remodels and expansions of Husky Stadium since it first opened in 1920 with 30,000 seats.  Seats were added around the rim of the original bowl in 1936 and 1968.  In 1950 15,000 seats were added to the South Stands in a covered configuration.  In 1987 the 12,000 seat addition in the picture above was added bringing it to 72,500 seats.  The new stadium will have about 71,500 seats and is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2013 season.  The field will be lowered four feet, the track removed and the seats will be brought closer to the field. 

Dartmouth was the first opponent of when the stadium opened on November 27th, 1920.  Boise State University is scheduled to be the first opponent in the new stadium on September 7, 2013.