Renovate and expand Joe Albi Stadium for WSU football?

[PeteTheChop]

For years, both Alabama and Arkansas evenly divided their schedules of home football games.

Three or four games on campus each year; the other three home games played at Birmingham (for the Tide) and Little Rock (for the Hogs) -- a "secondary" home if you will. All the games drew well.

From time to time, you see a few folks here and on other WSU fan sites, too, suggest Spokane's support of Cougar Football is not what it should be.

But what if WSU and the City of Spokane joined together to enhance Joe Albi Stadium ... maybe adding another 1,500 seats to get to the Division I-A minimum of 30K, building a few high-end luxury suites, erecting a state of the art Jumbotron and perhaps even creating a beer garden.

Could this be a way to ignite the passion for WSU football in Washington's second-largest city?

Spring games are nice, but imagine USC or Oregon before a capacity or near-capacity crowd in Spokane. Or maybe even an Apple Cup on Thanksgiving weekend when the students have gone home to be with their families for the holidays

Could this be a true win-win for the Cougs and for Spokane?

 

[dgibbons]

For years, both Alabama and Arkansas evenly divided their schedules of home football games.

Three or four games on campus each year; the other three home games played at Birmingham (for the Tide) and Little Rock (for the Hogs) -- a "secondary" home if you will. All the games drew well.

From time to time, you see a few folks here and on other WSU fan sites, too, suggest Spokane's support of Cougar Football is not what it should be.

But what if WSU and the City of Spokane joined together to enhance Joe Albi Stadium ... maybe adding another 1,500 seats to get to the Division I-A minimum of 30K, building a few high-end luxury suites, erecting a state of the art Jumbotron and perhaps even creating a beer garden.

Could this be a way to ignite the passion for WSU football in Washington's second-largest city?

Spring games are nice, but imagine USC or Oregon before a capacity or near-capacity crowd in Spokane. Or maybe even an Apple Cup on Thanksgiving weekend when the students have gone home to be with their families for the holidays

Could this be a true win-win for the Cougs and for Spokane?

No thanks.

 

[chinookpirate]

Screw that!

 

[Coug1990]

For years, both Alabama and Arkansas evenly divided their schedules of home football games.

Three or four games on campus each year; the other three home games played at Birmingham (for the Tide) and Little Rock (for the Hogs) -- a "secondary" home if you will. All the games drew well.

From time to time, you see a few folks here and on other WSU fan sites, too, suggest Spokane's support of Cougar Football is not what it should be.

But what if WSU and the City of Spokane joined together to enhance Joe Albi Stadium ... maybe adding another 1,500 seats to get to the Division I-A minimum of 30K, building a few high-end luxury suites, erecting a state of the art Jumbotron and perhaps even creating a beer garden.

Could this be a way to ignite the passion for WSU football in Washington's second-largest city?

Spring games are nice, but imagine USC or Oregon before a capacity or near-capacity crowd in Spokane. Or maybe even an Apple Cup on Thanksgiving weekend when the students have gone home to be with their families for the holidays

Could this be a true win-win for the Cougs and for Spokane?

WSU spent countless millions of dollars to renovate Martin Stadium to turn it into a destination venue. No, I cannot see WSU paying more money to play one game in a city that is easily in driving distance.

 

[CougPatrol]

I think it's something that needs to be done, but the funding shouldn't be solely WSUs burden. The city of Spokane would benefit tremendously from a first class venue, and playing a game or two in Spokane would pump a lot of money into the local economy.

WSU already has a growing campus in Spokane, and with our new med school, we're in a great position to win back the inland empire.

 

[M-I-Coug]

It was Jim Walden that brought back games to Martin, especially the AC. There are a lot of folks on this board that are frankly not the biggest Walden fans', (especially through the Wulff years). One thing is for certain, Walden's single greatest accomplishment was bringing back all home games to Pullman. The 1982, 75th Apple Cup. WSU 24, UW 20, and we tore down the goal posts and threw them in the Palouse River. The reason why this game was historic, is because it was played in Pullman, first time in almost three decades.

"For Cougar fans, the 1982 Apple Cup is the landmark game in the history of the series. In the first Apple Cup to be played at Pullman in 28 years, the Cougars, who were 2-7-1 entering the game, extracted a measure of revenge over their in-state rival by shocking the fifth-ranked Huskies and thereby preventing UW a trip to the Rose Bowl. (A year earlier, UW thwarted WSU's drive to Pasadena with a 23-10 victory at Seattle).

The win was the first for WSU over UW in nine years, and it was the highest ranked team WSU had ever beaten up to that point."

 

[COUGinNCW]

I think a game every couple of years in Spokane would serve WSU well. The Portland St game this year or the Colorado game when the students are on break would be the type of game that makes sense. That being said, joe albi is a dump and there is no way the city is going to spend a dime on it. Maybe if ewu used it as well like they did for a few years they could put something together but they have a good thing going in Cheney now.

 

[PeteTheChop]

Not one game a year like the "Seattle Game" or whatever it was called ... an evenly-divided home schedule (or close to it) split between Spokane and Pullman.

Maybe this could help WSU lock down fan interest and recruiting in the Inland Empire?

 

[BiggsCoug]

Ed has had better ideas.

 

[kayak15]

An interesting idea but, for now, a non-starter. Having spent a bundle on Martin with further improvements still on the drawing board- not to mention the IPF, baseball clubhouse, soccer and basketball facilities needing further expenditures- I don't foresee the renovation of Albi as feasible in the near future. Transformation of Albi into a decent setting for a Pac12 game would be expensive, starting with a bulldozer to demolish the current stadium and redoing it entirely. Haven't noticed Spokane showing any interest in such an upgrade and would their financial support result in any decent monetary return to the city? Getting the alumni in the Spokane area sufficiently interested in the alma mater and it's sporting events and thus willing to drive the relatively short distance to Pullman would be easier and more likely to succeed. I think that better performance on the field and improvements in the Spokane/Pullman highway seems the way to go. Keep the ideas coming though as greater involvement by the potential Spokane fan base is needed.

Roughly equidistant for me and others driving from the soggy side but I would rather the travel end in Pullman than Spokane.

 

[PeteTheChop]

I spoke with a guy a while back who was around the WSU football office from time to time a few years ago.

He said Coach Wulff or one of the assistants brought up playing a non-conference home game at Civic Stadium in Portland because WSU has so many fans across the river in Vancouver.

Interesting concept and good to see WSU leadership is willing to think outside the box.

 

[COUGinNCW]

I think it would make sense to play an annual, well marketed basketball game in Spokane. Gonzaga and Hoopfest have turned Spokane into a basketball city and there are a pretty fair amount of people here that are over gu (not just WSU fans) that are free agent college basketball fans. An annual game with Montana around the holidays could bring in a lot of Montana fans as well.

 

[95coug]

For years, both Alabama and Arkansas evenly divided their schedules of home football games.

Three or four games on campus each year; the other three home games played at Birmingham (for the Tide) and Little Rock (for the Hogs) -- a "secondary" home if you will. All the games drew well.

From time to time, you see a few folks here and on other WSU fan sites, too, suggest Spokane's support of Cougar Football is not what it should be.

But what if WSU and the City of Spokane joined together to enhance Joe Albi Stadium ... maybe adding another 1,500 seats to get to the Division I-A minimum of 30K, building a few high-end luxury suites, erecting a state of the art Jumbotron and perhaps even creating a beer garden.

Could this be a way to ignite the passion for WSU football in Washington's second-largest city?

Spring games are nice, but imagine USC or Oregon before a capacity or near-capacity crowd in Spokane. Or maybe even an Apple Cup on Thanksgiving weekend when the students have gone home to be with their families for the holidays

Could this be a true win-win for the Cougs and for Spokane?

Aside from the obvious issue that we've just spent a fortune upgrading our stadium, and it would be borderline criminal to immediately move half of our games out of it...I don't see the point. Why, when the Spokane population has consistently failed to turn out, would we reward them by gifting them half of our games? What makes anyone believe they'd come to Albi?

 

[Coug1990]

Aside from the obvious issue that we've just spent a fortune upgrading our stadium, and it would be borderline criminal to immediately move half of our games out of it...I don't see the point. Why, when the Spokane population has consistently failed to turn out, would we reward them by gifting them half of our games? What makes anyone believe they'd come to Albi?

I don't see the logic in it either. This would also make the Pullman business's upset. WSU moved the Seattle game back to Pullman because they spent over a hundred million dollars in improvements. Joe Albi could never be the stadium that Martin is. Again, I just don't think it is logical.

But, do like people thinking outside the box. But, just not this idea.

 

[SaveFerris]

Spokane is important but they have spoken loud and clear they have no interest supporting WSU athletics beyond maybe their lazy boy. Win consistently & that might start to change. No need for a game in Spokaloo. The spring game will do & even that is a stretch at this point.

 

[bhamm03]

Jesus are you serious? This is just ridiculous, my idea would to set up a better transport bus system to Pullman from all over eastern washington.

 

[Coug95man2]

For years, both Alabama and Arkansas evenly divided their schedules of home football games.

Three or four games on campus each year; the other three home games played at Birmingham (for the Tide) and Little Rock (for the Hogs) -- a "secondary" home if you will. All the games drew well.

From time to time, you see a few folks here and on other WSU fan sites, too, suggest Spokane's support of Cougar Football is not what it should be.

But what if WSU and the City of Spokane joined together to enhance Joe Albi Stadium ... maybe adding another 1,500 seats to get to the Division I-A minimum of 30K, building a few high-end luxury suites, erecting a state of the art Jumbotron and perhaps even creating a beer garden.

Could this be a way to ignite the passion for WSU football in Washington's second-largest city?

Spring games are nice, but imagine USC or Oregon before a capacity or near-capacity crowd in Spokane. Or maybe even an Apple Cup on Thanksgiving weekend when the students have gone home to be with their families for the holidays

Could this be a true win-win for the Cougs and for Spokane?

Yeaaahhhhhh…. No. I get where you are coming from (starting up a base from a major population that is currently not interested) but this is a non-starter, as you've probably seen from all the other posts already. And aside from the basic concept that WSU just spent something around 100 million dollars on Martin, the other problem is Albi was not built, in any way, for today's needs. As someone eluded to, a bulldozer (a really really big one) would be the first order of business for that place. The basic infrastructure to put on a "show" like a WSU game would be massive, truly massive. And Spokane has, for years, debated about what to do with Albi. They have committed a great amount of money and resources into the surrounding area to be an athletic style park… But Albi is a MASSIVE boil on the princess's nose. The money to do anything with it, the city just doesn't know what to do because of the financial issue. And WSU is maxed… Not trying to jump down your throat or anything but this just isn't happening. Albi sucks and to put a game on TV from that place is not cool… We'd have serious considerations for any TV. As is, they have to bring in a generator for the TV trucks… not the best way to warm the hearts of those giving you millions a year.

Another concept to consider, while you mention that geographically it might help the Spokane market, it is making it harder for the Tri-Cities market, an area that has considerable population. It is unfortunately a population that decided long, long ago to separate themselves into 3 cities (or more accurately KEEP themselves separate) and so it is largely "under-rated" sometimes but when you combine the whole area population, it rivals Spokane City, proper. So it's a big pool of potential tailgaters, if we could engage. And it is growing every year. Tri-cities estimated it's population, within city limits of the 3 towns, at 212,500. Spokane proper is just under 209,000. Spokane County is estimated over 415,000. So Spokane is obviously more populous but Tri-Cities should NOT be forgotten or ignored. This plan would only enhance that possibility.

 

[Loyal Coug]

Spokane is important but they have spoken loud and clear they have no interest supporting WSU athletics beyond maybe their lazy boy. Win consistently & that might start to change. No need for a game in Spokaloo. The spring game will do & even that is a stretch at this point.

The miles-long line of cars on Highway 195 North of Colfax on gameday and I are having a good laugh at this thread. Thousanss of fans come from the Spokane area to support the Cougs in person. Would a few thousand more be good? Of course.

 

[K51coug]

Alabama hasn't played in Birmingham in years and Arkansas plays in Little Rock once a year because they are the only game in town (and they also sell out at Fayetteville).

Forget Joe Albi, let's just move the damn campus to Spokane because apparently the school doesn't cater to those fans enough. It's been said at least once in this thread and it is the truth: win some friggin games.

(I love Spokane and I love Leach for the record.)

 

[CougPatrol]

Comparing WSU's challenges to other programs; particularly the likes of Alabama, Arkansas, etc. is misguided. WSU needs to build it's fan base, and that has to start with Eastern WA. We need to be the destination college for most families in Yakima, Wenatchee, Tri-Cities, Walla Walla and Spokane.

Having a WSU medical school, and eventually, WSUMD clinics throughout the inland empire will be a huge building block for our entire University. Nothing wins the hearts and minds of people who otherwise have no ties to our college more than delivering babies, treating sick children, saving the lives of our friends, family members, Mom's, Dad's, Grandparents, etc.

Does it make financial, or even logistical sense right now for WSU to invest millions of dollars into a Joe Albi renovation project? Not now.

Can I eventually envision WSU benefiting from a new "Elson Floyd Stadium" in Spokane that serves the high school community, hosts a WSU football game or two every year, and is used as a springboard to further promote our Spokane based med school and expanding WSU Spokane campus? Absolutely.

 

[Observer11]

For years, both Alabama and Arkansas evenly divided their schedules of home football games.

Three or four games on campus each year; the other three home games played at Birmingham (for the Tide) and Little Rock (for the Hogs) -- a "secondary" home if you will. All the games drew well.

From time to time, you see a few folks here and on other WSU fan sites, too, suggest Spokane's support of Cougar Football is not what it should be.

But what if WSU and the City of Spokane joined together to enhance Joe Albi Stadium ... maybe adding another 1,500 seats to get to the Division I-A minimum of 30K, building a few high-end luxury suites, erecting a state of the art Jumbotron and perhaps even creating a beer garden.

Could this be a way to ignite the passion for WSU football in Washington's second-largest city?

Spring games are nice, but imagine USC or Oregon before a capacity or near-capacity crowd in Spokane. Or maybe even an Apple Cup on Thanksgiving weekend when the students have gone home to be with their families for the holidays

Could this be a true win-win for the Cougs and for Spokane?

The City of Spokane has for years tried to divest itself of Albi Stadium. Currently the field is maintained through a joint venture contract with Spokane Public Schools and the Mead School District - lots of high school football and soccer games there. I'm unsure when that agreement runs out but most likely it will be renewed in some fashion as the new fields at each high school were not specifically designed nor funded with the idea of playing games outside Albi. That said, there is no reason to expand the stadium for GSL games. The better alternative would have been to construct a multi-event facility on the old Playfair site but that idea essentially died with Jim West but I digress.

Most assuredly, the City of Spokane won't put a dime into the structure for such an upgrade. EWU has moved all their games to Cheney and is currently working on their Gateway Project to expand seating and add luxury boxes. There simply would not be enough events nor fans to justify the cost for two or three Coug games.

WSU has spent millions on facilities to attract the type of athletes who can win at the Pac-12 level. Once that happens on a fairly consistent basis, the fans will make their way to Pullman. Maybe not in the 50,000 fan range but enough to fill Martin Stadium as it is now configured.

 

[PeteTheChop]

Good info, thanks. I wasn't aware of Joe Albi Stadium's shortcomings as a big-time, Pac-12 venue.

Any thoughts on an occasional "home" game in Portland to cater to the southwest Washington Coug faithful?

Maybe, over time, this could help WSU chip into fan bases of other Pac-12 programs.

 

[Coug95man2]

Good info, thanks. I wasn't aware of Joe Albi Stadium's shortcomings as a big-time, Pac-12 venue.

Any thoughts on an occasional "home" game in Portland to cater to the southwest Washington Coug faithful?

Maybe, over time, this could help WSU chip into fan bases of other Pac-12 programs.

I don't. For any other reason but the same for not going to Joe Albi… We just spent $100 mill on our home. If our games are ever moved again, it'll be far down the road. I think we got burned way too much with the Seattle game to ever try that again. It'll take a new admin at the school itself, a new AD and all new personnel on the football team before the idea of playing a "home" game somewhere other than our true home, ever sticks. If it won't work in Seattle, it ain't gonna work in little 'ol Portland.

 

[kayak15]

From what I have heard more U of O sweatshirts are seen on the WSU-Vancouver campus than Coug apparel. Doesn't seem there is much interest in following Pullman's athletic teams. Makes use of a Portland venue appear rather dubious.

 

[K51coug]

Good info, thanks. I wasn't aware of Joe Albi Stadium's shortcomings as a big-time, Pac-12 venue.

Any thoughts on an occasional "home" game in Portland to cater to the southwest Washington Coug faithful?

Maybe, over time, this could help WSU chip into fan bases of other Pac-12 programs.

You're trolling us? Guys he's trolling us, right? Yeah he's trolling.

 

[Coug95man2]

You're trolling us? Guys he's trolling us, right? Yeah he's trolling.

BTW, like your sig

 

[425cougfan]

Don't respond to this guy. Obvious UW troll. (Like Chinook, I admire the execution here, too, but implore you not to buy what he's selling.)

 

[wazzucougs96]

For years, both Alabama and Arkansas evenly divided their schedules of home football games.

Three or four games on campus each year; the other three home games played at Birmingham (for the Tide) and Little Rock (for the Hogs) -- a "secondary" home if you will. All the games drew well.

From time to time, you see a few folks here and on other WSU fan sites, too, suggest Spokane's support of Cougar Football is not what it should be.

But what if WSU and the City of Spokane joined together to enhance Joe Albi Stadium ... maybe adding another 1,500 seats to get to the Division I-A minimum of 30K, building a few high-end luxury suites, erecting a state of the art Jumbotron and perhaps even creating a beer garden.

Could this be a way to ignite the passion for WSU football in Washington's second-largest city?

Spring games are nice, but imagine USC or Oregon before a capacity or near-capacity crowd in Spokane. Or maybe even an Apple Cup on Thanksgiving weekend when the students have gone home to be with their families for the holidays

Could this be a true win-win for the Cougs and for Spokane?

Obvious troll is obvious. Piss off.

 

[Coug1990]

Good info, thanks. I wasn't aware of Joe Albi Stadium's shortcomings as a big-time, Pac-12 venue.

Any thoughts on an occasional "home" game in Portland to cater to the southwest Washington Coug faithful?

Maybe, over time, this could help WSU chip into fan bases of other Pac-12 programs.

Why do you keep on wanting to take football games out of Pullman?

 

[95coug]

From what I have heard more U of O sweatshirts are seen on the WSU-Vancouver campus than Coug apparel. Doesn't seem there is much interest in following Pullman's athletic teams. Makes use of a Portland venue appear rather dubious.

For the record, WSU doesn't do a very good job of fending this off. Branch campuses are provided basically nothing from WSU Athletics or from Marketing/Development.

 

[PeteTheChop]

Troll?

From what I read here, some people seem open to playing WSU home games at other venues besides Martin Stadium.

Some do not.

Nice to read what fans think about the concept.

 

[Coug95man2]

Troll?

From what I read here, some people seem open to playing WSU home games at other venues besides Martin Stadium.

Some do not.

Nice to read what fans think about the concept.

I knew I remembered your name… right. You aren't Trolling. Just innocent questions. Not trying to stir the pot… Innocent. Like this post you started? Just a question...

Paul Wulff's hypothetical return to WSU?

 

[Cougatron]

We play in Pullman because that's where the University is. Occasionally we may go somewhere else, but it's going to be Clink or Cowboys Stadium... it isn't going to be Albi.

Spokane will come running to Pullman if we get good, but they are coming to us. We aren't going to them. We do spokane week. That's a nice thing we do, but we aren't playing our game there.

 

[chinookpirate]

Don't respond to this guy. Obvious UW troll. (Like Chinook, I admire the execution here, too, but implore you not to buy what he's selling.)[/QUOTE

Everybody else stopped flaming alumni, why don't you, 425fan?

BTW, a Vancouver or Spokane game is an admission of failure and counterproductive in my view... But, it IS being discussed. You must be out of the loop.

 

[425cougfan]

BTW, a Vancouver or Spokane game is an admission of failure and counterproductive in my view... But, it IS being discussed. You must be out of the loop.

Sure, Chinook. Perhaps after you regale us with your stories from your time in Pullman -- i.e., some info you pull from a quick Google session -- you can tell me all about the viable venue for a game in Vancouver. Looking forward to it.

 

[wazzucougs96]

BTW, a Vancouver or Spokane game is an admission of failure and counterproductive in my view... But, it IS being discussed. You must be out of the loop.

No, it isn't. There is literally no venue capable of hosting WSU football in that market.

 

[425cougfan]

No, it isn't. There is literally no venue capable of hosting WSU football in that market.

He slipped up here. Out of character.

I predict something along the lines of "of course, I meant the Vancouver market, which by necessity would mean playing in Portland" (leaving aside that this also is ridiculous).

 

[wazzucougs96]

He slipped up here. Out of character.

I predict something along the lines of "of course, I meant the Vancouver market, which by necessity would mean playing in Portland" (leaving aside that this also is ridiculous).

I was gonna say, there is nowhere in the entire PDX region that is capable of hosting. The closest stadium capable is Reser. LOL.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

I think it's something that needs to be done, but the funding shouldn't be solely WSUs burden. The city of Spokane would benefit tremendously from a first class venue, and playing a game or two in Spokane would pump a lot of money into the local economy.

WSU already has a growing campus in Spokane, and with our new med school, we're in a great position to win back the inland empire.

While being raised on that side of the state may influence kids a little more than growing up on the West side, it has time and time again been (anecdotally) proven that branch campus kids have little or no loyalty to the Cougs or school pride.

We have a campus right here in Vancouver, offers 4 year degrees, even has the high school seniors on campus one or two days a week. Know what they wear? Oregon gear. If not Oregon, then certainly not WSU. For some reason, attending a branch campus is still seen as a consolation prize, akin to attending a jc.

Further, it doesn't help that the local branch does virtually NOTHING to support athletics; no game buses, no watch parties. None of the gear in the WSUV bookie is athletically branded. If this is on purpose its a damn shame; if on accident a horrible oversight.

 

[Cougatron]

He slipped up here. Out of character.

I predict something along the lines of "of course, I meant the Vancouver market, which by necessity would mean playing in Portland" (leaving aside that this also is ridiculous).

It's funny when he does it now as if the whole board doesn't know.