Waldo Stadium
Encyclopedia
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.
. 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.
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 8-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. 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.
A state-of-the-art scoreboard
and video screen were also installed in 2003, located at the southwest endzone. It was made possible through a donation from Coca-Cola
.
56-0, in 2000.
The highest season-average attendance occurred in 1999, with an average of 26,874 per game.
Indiana University
was the first Big Ten school to play at Waldo Stadium in 2007. Over 32,000 fans saw IU defeat WMU in a rain-filled night game. Other BCS
conference teams to visit Waldo Stadium include University of Virginia
in 2003, and Virginia Tech in 2002. Waldo Stadium will host Western Michigan versus Michigan State
and Illinois in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Waldo Stadium also holds two of the top four home attendance figures in Mid-American Conference
history and five of the top 10 home crowds.
and fitness
rooms, and staff offices. 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.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
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 UniversityMiami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
. The cost for Waldo Stadium also included the construction of Hyames Field
Hyames Field
Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field is a baseball stadium located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is currently the home to the baseball team of Western Michigan University...
, the school's baseball stadium directly west of the football field. The stadium is named for Dwight B. Waldo
Dwight B. Waldo
Dr. Dwight Bryant Waldo was the first President of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Waldo was born in Arcade, N.Y. but spent his childhood in Plainwell, Michigan. Waldo was elected principal of WMU on April 1, 1904. He served as president from 1904 through 1936...
, first president of the school.
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 8-lane track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, which has since moved to Kanley Track
Kanley Track
Kanley Track is a track and field complex located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is the outdoor home of the Western Michigan University track and field varsity squad and university clubs. At one time, Kanley Track had been a part of Waldo Stadium, before moving across the street to its current location...
across the street. Financing came through private donations, and those who donated were awarded tickets to the inaugural game against Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
. Over the years, WMU continued adding seating to the stadium, and a renovation in 1989 pushed the available seats to 30,200. Focal renovations have included the Bill Brown Alumni Center and the John Gill press box
Press box
The press box is a special section of a sports stadium or arena that is set up for the media to report about a given event. It is typically located in the section of the stadium holding the luxury box. In general, newspaper writers sit in this box and write about the on-field event as it unfolds...
, added to the main seating on the north and south sidelines.
A state-of-the-art scoreboard
Scoreboard
A scoreboard is a large board for publicly displaying the score in a game or match. Most levels of sport from high school and above use at least one scoreboard for keeping score, measuring time, and displaying statistics. Scoreboards in the past used a mechanical clock and numeral cards to...
and video screen were also installed in 2003, located at the southwest endzone. It was made possible through a donation from Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
.
Attendance
A Waldo Stadium-record crowd of 36,361 saw the Broncos defeat Indiana State UniversityIndiana State University
Indiana State University is a public university located in Terre Haute, Indiana, United States.The Princeton Review has named Indiana State as one of the "Best in the Midwest" seven years running, and the College of Education's Graduate Program was recently named as a 'Top 100' by U.S...
56-0, in 2000.
The highest season-average attendance occurred in 1999, with an average of 26,874 per game.
Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
was the first Big Ten school to play at Waldo Stadium in 2007. Over 32,000 fans saw IU defeat WMU in a rain-filled night game. Other BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
conference teams to visit Waldo Stadium include University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in 2003, and Virginia Tech in 2002. Waldo Stadium will host Western Michigan versus Michigan State
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and Illinois in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Waldo Stadium also holds two of the top four home attendance figures in Mid-American Conference
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
history and five of the top 10 home crowds.
Seelye Center
In 2003, the stadium took on a new look with the completion of the 25 million dollar Donald J. Seelye Center. Also known as the "J", the Seelye Center rises 8 stories and houses an indoor practice field, weightHealth club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
and fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
rooms, and staff offices. 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
Retro
Retro is a culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again. The use of "retro" style iconography and imagery interjected into post-modern art, advertising, mass media, etc...
style on the other.