husky stadium edition

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HUSky STaDIUM

EDITION

THe weST eNDtHE rELoCAtED DAWG PACk SEttLES InPAGE 4

Back TO MONTlakeWHAt’S CHAnGED AnD WHErE?PAGE 14

a SUSTaINaBle FOUNDaTIONHuSky StADIum GoES GrEEnPAGE 16

Joshua Bessex | The Daily

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DISPLACED DAWGSLearn about the controversial move from between the 20-yard lines to the west end zone.

SELLInG tHE StADIumThe UW athletics marketing team builds new campaigns around the new stadium.

LookInG bACkHusky Stadium has a rich history since it was built in 1920, including (maybe) the invention of ‘the wave.’

A nEW StrAtEGyTake a look in the new football operations building and what it means for recruiting.

tHE fAn ExPErIEnCEThe Husky Stadium renovations will change the experience for fans and athletes alike.

SEASon PrEvIEWAfter a disappointing end to 2012, the Huskies show potential this season with a strong line up.

tHE PrEPArAtIonAfter 37 years, one facilities manager retires and passes the new stadium onto his colleague.

tALkInG HEADSHear from athletes and coaches their thoughts on the new Husky Stadium.

PUBLISHERDiana Kramer

[email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGERMolly Betz

[email protected]

CAMPUS [email protected]

LOCAL [email protected]

CLASSIFIED [email protected]

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFKevin Dowd

[email protected]

SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITORJillian Stampher

[email protected]

COPY CHIEFRebecca [email protected]

PHOTO EDITORJoshua Bessex

[email protected]

DESIGN EDITORIan Fike

[email protected]

DESIGNERSLauren Smith

Lauren Becherer

ADvErtISInG AnD buSInESS StAffEDItorIAL StAff


2 Husky Stadium Edition // The Daily Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013

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The Daily // Husky Stadium Edition 3Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013

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DISPLACED Dawg packThe story behind the

student section’s big move

By Kevin Dowd The Daily

There are plenty of positives for fans to look forward to at the new Husky Stadium. But for the most fervent faction of the UW fan base, the renovation includes at least one unwelcome change.

After decades of having the best seats in the house, the Dawg Pack and the Husky band are on the move. Instead of occupying the area between the 20-yard lines on the north side of the stadium, the students will now sit behind the west end zone, filling up the lower bowl of the stadium’s closed end.

The move was driven by money. Students pay $99 for their season tickets. The UW is now charging $950 for season tickets in the vacated student section on the north side — nearly a 1,000 percent increase in revenue per seat. The change, according to Assistant Athletic Director Carter Henderson, will generate between $4 and $5 million for UW Athletics this season.

“It’s kind of an unfortunate reality for us,” Henderson said. “I don’t think there was anyone in our department who would say we wanted to move the students. It literally was a make-or-break deal where we could not have moved forward with the project financially unless we made this move.”

Only four schools in the Pac-12 — Arizona, Arizona State, California, and Oregon State — sit their students on the 50-yard line. But the UW is now the

only school in the conference to have its student section located entirely behind the end-zone, with zero sideline seating.

Junior Evan Carl said that he understands the reasons behind moving the students from midfield. But that doesn’t mean he’s pleased with it.

“A lot of the other programs don’t really have it like that, so it kind of makes sense,” he said. “But it does kind of suck that they’re selling out the students.”

To make up for the move, the UW athletic department has been working in concert with a group of students called the Dawg Pack Advisory Committee to make the student game-day experience as memorable as they can.

That includes a stadium entrance devoted solely to students and specialty, lower-priced concessions in the student-section area of the concourse. The advisory

Above: With the reconstruction, the Dawg Pack was moved to the lower bowl behind the west end zone. Right: The former Dawg Pack was located between the 20-yard lines on the north side of the stadium.


File photo | The Daily

Joshua Bessex | The DailySee DAWG PACK, page 5


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committee is also trying to link stadium concessions to student’s Husky Card dining accounts.

Michael Kutz, the ASUW President-elect, has worked closely with the advisory committee since the stadium renovations were officially announced in 2011. This year, he’ll serve as the committee’s co-chair.

“I think we’ll definitely have some hurdles to overcome to make sure the experience is as good as it was before, when we were on the fifty,” Kutz said. “But I think there are ways we can have a really positive student experience even if we’re in the other section.”

Henderson emphasized that the west end-zone seats to which the students are moving are not the same west end-zone seats from the old Husky Stadium.

Thanks to the removal of the track, the front rows of the student section are within 10 feet of the field, closer than any other seats in the building.

“We’ve encouraged people to reserve judgment until we get in there on Aug. 31,” Henderson said. “I think people will still be a little upset they’re not on the fifty, but I think it will be on the back of their minds and second to what a great experience this really is.”

As for the players? If backup quarterback Jeff Lindquist is any indication, they won’t mind the move one bit.

“I think it will be sweet,” Lindquist said. “When we score touchdowns in that west end-zone and jump into the fans and stuff, it’s going to be really special.”

Reach Editor-in-Chief Kevin Dowd at [email protected]. Twitter: @KevinDowd

Above: The new Dawg Pack, along with the UW band, fi lls the entire lower bowl behind the west end zone directly behind the goalpost. The band will have full access to the fi eld for half-time shows.


DAWG PACKfrom page 4


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What are you most excited for in the new Husky Stadium?

Dawg on Husky staDiumthoughts

Compiled by Thuc Nhi Nguyen / The Daily

DEfEnSIvE CoorDInAtor JuStIn WILCox

“I know everybody in our department — the players, everybody involved — is so excited to get in there and even more so, the fans. It’s going to be such a cool experience for them, and our guys feed off of that. It’s just the way it should be, on Montlake. … The new one is something else.”

SEnIor SAfEty SEAn PArkEr

“The fans. We do it all for them. They’re constantly giving us their efforts out there. We just want to have a good time and we just want to reap the benefits of having them there.”

HEAD CoACHStEvE SArkISIAn

“It’s the best venue in college football and for us to be back in that field. On that field, working out, it’s inspiring for a lot of those guys.”

SEnIor quArtErbACk kEItH PrICE

“Just coming out of that tunnel and our Dawg Walk. We haven’t had a Dawg Walk in over a year, so I’m anxious.”

SoPHomorE LInEbACkEr SHAq tHomPSon

“The locker room. That’s going to be our new home, where we keep all of our stuff. It’s big, everyone has their own space. It’s beautiful.”

SEnIor CornErbACk GrEG DuCrE

“We’re back home. It’s beautiful. First home game, I know it’s sold out, Boise State, our rematch. It’s going to be a very loud crowd.”


File photos / The Daily

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A new fi eld, a new pitchWith a renovated stadium comes a fresh marketing campaign for the Huskies

Marketing campaigns

The “Retake Montlake” campaign is a 31-day countdown for August to prepare for the launch of the new stadium.

The year-long “Committed” campaign began in April and is focused on giving fans customized photos for social media.

By Joe Veyera The Daily

After nearly two years of construction and a season spent in CenturyLink Field, there’s no bigger storyline surrounding UW football this season than the reopening of Husky Stadium. This fact hasn’t been lost on those charged with deciding how to market the team to potential ticket buyers and sponsors.

In the months leading up to the home-opener, the athletic department has rolled out a pair of campaigns aimed at building excitement and interest for the season. Carter Henderson, assistant athletic director for public relations, said this year presents a unique opportunity. Yes, the new stadium is opening, but the buzz of the facility alone likely won’t last the span of the season.

“We felt the need to develop two individual campaigns, because we felt like we would miss if we didn’t touch on the stadium at all,” Henderson said. “But at the same time, we felt a campaign that was only built on retaking Montlake would fall short later in the season.”

For the month of August, the “Retake Montlake,” campaign has been focused on the home-opener in the stadium after a season away from campus. Most notably, this has included daily features on GoHuskies.com chronicling the renovation and changes to the game day experience.

Ryan Madayag, director of marketing and game-day experience, said that the month-long campaign was designed to build up excitement for the first game back.

“It’s almost a call to action, to come help us open the stadium,” he said.

Come Sept. 1, the season-long “Committed” campaign, which was rolled out during spring football in April and has included giving fans custom Facebook cover photos and Twitter profile pictures on social media, will return.

Shannon Kelly, associate athletic director for marketing and strategic programs, said the school has seen great results so far in leveraging the new stadium. In the months leading up to the home-opener, season tickets were selling at a rate of approximately 200 per month, a pace last seen in Jake Locker’s

senior season in 2010. Dawg Pack student ticket sales are also selling at a higher rate currently than in recent years.

“I think [with] the combination of the stadium [and] a really nice home schedule … there’s lots of excitement for this season,” she said.

Kelly said that each year the school looks at what’s unique to the season and tries to build a marketing plan around it. Last year, away from Husky Stadium, Kelly said bringing in new season ticket-holders was a challenge.

“We knew that would be kind of a difficult sell,” she said.

Alongside promoting the team and the return of quarterback Keith Price after a strong 2011 season, the department’s marketing push for 2012 focused on season-ticket holders earning priority to purchase tickets and choose their seats when Husky Stadium reopened.

During the “Football Starts Now” campaign to encourage fans to purchase tickets for 2012, the slogan, “Stand tall in 2012. Sit close in 2013,” was featured prominently on GoHuskies.com and the Husky Stadium website.

“I think the stadium itself has been the carrot we really put in front of folks last year,” Kelly said.

While the new stadium provides an opportunity to market the team differently to potential ticket buyers, it also provides new options for working with sponsors. Kelly said that the UW now has the ability to promote its brand and message in a way it previously could not.

“From a marketing perspective,it’s

night and day,” Kelly said. “We have so many more capabilities.”

In particular, Kelly cited the new video board, which will be one of the largest in college football, as a way the school will be able to integrate sponsors and its message into the game in a more efficient way. Madayag also noted the importance of the video board in promoting the team.

“Our new board has such great sightlines, and we can do really, really cool things and show almost cinematic type scenes,” he said.

In the eyes of Henderson, the UW now has a facility to match the natural beauty that surrounds it. When national writers came to town in the past, Henderson said “their jaws would drop” because of the views of Lake Washington, but the logistical challenges that came with a stadium that hadn’t been renovated in 25 years caused problems.

“For years and years and years we had this terrific setting, but didn’t have a facility that was up to grade,” Henderson said.

Now, as the stadium reopens, that’s changed.

“We finally have a building we can be extremely proud of,” Henderson said.

Come opening night, Kelly said she knows they’ll only have one chance to make a first impression with fans.

“We’ve got to get it all ready and all right on August 31,” Kelly said.

Reach News Editor Joe Veyera at [email protected]. Twitter: @JosephVeyera

The high-defi nition scoreboards in the new stadium will allow for more ad space during games. Scoreboards are located on both end zones, and ribbon boards surround the lower bowl.


“We felt the need to develop two individual campaigns, because we felt like we would miss if we didn’t touch on the stadium at all. But at the same time, we felt a campaign that was only built on retaking Montlake would fall short later in the season.”

Carter HendersonAssistant athletic director


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By Nathaniel Reeves The Daily

After two years of anticipation, nearly 72,000 fans will enter the gates of the renovated Husky Stadium for the first time Aug. 31 to watch the Huskies take on Boise State.

From players to students to alumni, the new stadium has generated a level of preseason excitement that hasn’t been felt on Montlake for quite some time.

For those responsible for the everyday operations of the stadium grounds, it represents an even bigger change than the casual fan might think.

George Blas is one of the hundreds of UW athletic department employees who will need to adjust both to the challenges and the luxuries of the state-of-the-art stadium. A UW alumnus, Blas has worked for the school for more than 25 years. He currently serves as the utilities supervisor.

In that role, Blas is responsible for overseeing the custodians who work in Husky Stadium during the day, along with setups and take downs for events at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. This ensures that regular maintenance of all buildings in the athletic complex is completed and that fans and teams have a positive experience.

“After I graduated, I was still figuring out what to do, so I figured I would work here for a year as a temporary worker. And as you can see, I haven’t left yet,” Blas said. “There’s a lot of perks. It’s good, hard work, and it’s something different every day.”

Blas’ role extends beyond UW athletic events. Figures such as the Dalai Lama and Barack Obama have visited the UW’s facilities during his quarter-century with the university.

“I don’t look at this job as just a job,” Blas said. “If you’re a Husky fan, there’s a lot of excitement and having a hand in setting up when Obama came a couple of years ago was very interesting.”

Employees like Blas don’t receive a large amount of public credit but do all the behind-the-scenes duties that keep the complex running. He is one part of a large athletic department team that works closely together to make sure everything is done efficiently.

“When the fans or teams get there, the first thing they will notice is if we don’t do our job,” said Tyler Haggett, a utility worker who has been with the university for four years. “It’s absolutely paramount that we keep our teamwork and communication top-notch.”

Since his first day with the athletic department, Blas has worked closely alongside Larry White, the current UW facilities manager. White, who will retire next spring after 37 years with the university, counts on Blas as his right-hand man to ensure everything relating to the athletic facilities runs smoothly.

“The first person I see every morning here is George. If I need something during the day I call him, and it’s taken care of,” White said. “I don’t have to worry about multiple set-ups during the day, because George will either get it done himself or with someone on his crew.”

The two met in 1985, just two days before one of the most memorable Apple Cups in history. Washington State pulled out a 21-20 victory after a failed UW two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter. Temperatures were well below freezing,

mAIntAInInG tHElegacy

Retiring facilities manager passes on reins in new stadium

Photos by Joshua Bessex | The DailyAfter working as facilities manager for 37 years at the old Husky Stadium, Frank White will retire this year.

After meeting in 1985, Frank White (left) and Blas, have worked closely together to make sure old Husky Stadium ran smoothly. With the new stadium Blas will have to adjust to the challenges brought upon by the new technologies.

“The old stadium had character, and we liked it. But this new stadium, every time I go inside I’m like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it, this is where we’re playing now.’”George Blas, UW facilities manager

See BLAS, page 11


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dropping as low as 19 degrees.Without the efforts of Blas,

White, and other athletic department employees, the game might not have been possible in the first place. The outdoor plumbing of Husky Stadium froze in the harsh temperatures. As a result, Blas and company had to go through the entire stadium and flush every toilet every half-hour that Thursday and Friday to ensure the stadium would be ready for Saturday.

Since then, Blas has had

time to develop more positive memories of the old stadium. His personal favorite moment came in 1992, when a No. 2 UW team defeated No. 12 Nebraska, 29-14. The crowd famously reached 130 decibels during the game. Both Blas and White said the experience of going on the field at the stadium was entirely different from just sitting in the stands.

“You can’t believe how loud that field got when the crowd got into the game,” White said. “Standing on the sidelines in the end zone, you could not even hear the person next to you talking.”

One of the major changes in

the new Husky Stadium is the removal of the track. For fans, it means being closer to the game. For opposing quarterbacks, the overwhelming din will be even louder.

Having no track provides a new set of challenges for Blas as well. Stadium workers used the track extensively for setups and cleanups, meaning adjustments will be necessary.

“We have to change the way we do things,” Blas said. “It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been here, we are all starting in a new stadium.”

The athletic department will implement new technology that wasn’t possible with the old

Husky Stadium. A state-of-the-art stadium will require state-of-the-art maintenance software.

“We are really moving into 2013 with this stadium,” Haggett said. “Everything with the old stadium was kind of archaic.”

Some aspects of the utility workers’ jobs will remain familiar, but the new Husky Stadium has many more features for him to monitor. The UW will have suites at its home football games for the first time in 2013, along with the new Club Husky and permanent stands in the east end zone. New football-operations and sports-medicine complexes within the grounds

means people will be residing and working there year-round.

As White said, “[It] has that new car smell.”

Saying goodbye to the old stadium and all its history was difficult, but Blas and White’s excitement about the facility is reflected throughout the UW community.

“The old stadium had character, and we liked it,” Blas said. “But this new stadium, every time I go inside I’m like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe it, this is where we’re playing now.’”

Reach Arts Editor Nathaniel Reeves at [email protected]. Twitter: @njr3701

Welcome HomeAugust 31, 2013

Husky Stadium

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Montlake through the ages

1936 The stadium undergoes its first expansion, as 10,000 seats are added around the upper rim of the stadium to bring capacity to 40,000.

APrIL 1920 Ground is broken on a new, permanent football stadium, located next to Lake Washington. University president Henry Suzzallo leads the groundbreaking ceremony for the stadium, which cost $600,000 to build.

nov. 27, 1920 The new, 30,000-seat Washington Stadium opens as the Sun Dodgers (they weren’t renamed the Huskies until two years later) lose to Dartmouth 28-7 in front of 24,000 spectators.

JunE 1950 The south bleachers are torn down and replaced with permanent stands, including an upper deck with a large roof. The $1.7 million renovation — specifically that upper deck — worried fans initially, but they came out in droves once they realized it was safe.

1968

Another 3,000 seats are added along the rim of the stadium, and AstroTurf is installed on the field. Husky Stadium (the name changed from Washington Stadium early in the 1960s) was the first college football venue to install the new surface.

oCt. 31, 1981 Husky trumpet player Dave Hunter and former yell-leader and UW graduate Robb Weller start “the wave” at a game against Stanford. Although conflicting accounts say it may have first been done two weeks prior at an Oakland Athletics playoff game, many believe that the wave was created that night. Regardless, it was popularized in the following years by Seattle sports fans.

fEbruAry 1987 While undergoing a renovation to add an upper deck and roof to the uncovered half of the stadium, the north stands of Husky Stadium collapse. The cause was a section of the stands falling out of a crane. Although the collapse set the renovation back three months, construction was completed in time for the first game of the 1987 season.

SEPt. 19, 1992

During a 29-14 win for the No. 2 Huskies over No. 12 Nebraska, the crowd reaches a noise level of 133.6 decibels, the highest level ever recorded at a college football game.

novEmbEr 2011

The most recent renovations on Husky Stadium begin after the Huskies’ 34-17 loss to Oregon on Nov. 5. The $261 million renovation forces the Huskies to play the 2012 season at CenturyLink Field and lowers the capacity of Husky Stadium by approximately 600 seats.

Photos from Seattle Municipal Records and The Daily file photos


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By Daniel Rubens The Daily

It has been waiting for this night for almost two years.

It has sat, enormous, unmoving, and unoccupied, since Nov. 5, 2011. That was the night the Oregon Ducks defeated Washington 34-17 and the night the Huskies played the final game in their longtime home.

But now, one year, nine months and 26 days later, the new Husky Stadium opens its shiny doors with a matchup against a premier opponent, the No. 19 Boise State Broncos. After a one-year hiatus that seemed quite a bit longer, football returns to Montlake.

Last fall was the first time since 1920 that the Huskies played a home game anywhere other than the banks of Lake Washington. That year, the UW struggled, going 1-5 in head coach Stub Allison’s only season. But more important than the product on the field was the new home the team christened that November.

Since the team’s founding in 1895, the UW played at Denny Field in the center of campus. There, the UW compiled a home record of 87-15-13 over 25 years.

But the team outgrew its confines, and in the spring of 1920, UW President Henry Suzzallo led a groundbreaking ceremony for a new, 30,000-seat stadium to replace Denny Field. The Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company built the new stadium, located down the hill

from the center of campus on Lake Washington, for $600,000.

After playing its first four home games of the 1920 season at Denny Field, the UW moved to its new home for the final game of the season. Construction was completed the day before. A crowd of 24,500 spectators packed into Washington Stadium on November 27, 1920, and watched Dartmouth steamroll the UW 28-7.

Two years later, two major events changed UW football. First, the school changed nicknames, from the Sun Dodgers to the Huskies. Second, Washington Stadium sold out for the first time as a record crowd of 30,075 watched the Huskies lose 45-7 to California. That was the first of eight sellouts in the stadium when its capacity was 30,000.

The first major change to the stadium came in 1936. After the 1935 season, another 10,000 seats were added as part of a Works Progress Administration project. The seats were added around the rim of what is now the lower bowl of the stadium, and the project also saw the installation of wooden bleachers and permanent concession stands.

Another major renovation occurred 14 years later, with the addition of the south-side upper deck. Eight sections of the old south-side bleachers were torn down, and an upper deck that added 15,000 seats filled their space. These $1.7 million worth of additions were

paid for by the ASUW.Included in this renovation

was the famous roof, with its defining cantilever shape that forces noise down toward the field. Larry White, who has worked in the athletic department for 35 years and is currently the UW’s facilities manager, remembers the 1950 project for its size.

“In 1950, they decided to build the south upper deck, which greatly enlarged the stadium,” White said. “When I moved to Seattle when I was three, I remember sitting in my house over in Wallingford, and I could hear and see the crowd in the upper deck.”

Over the next six years, three coaches tried and failed to establish themselves; then, in 1957, the UW hired Jim Owens. As Owens developed the team into a West Coast power, taking the Huskies to three Rose Bowls in his first seven years, the stadium underwent a slight development as well. During the 1960s, spectators began to refer to what was still known then as Washington Stadium as Husky Stadium, a name that stuck through the decades.

Yet another renovation occurred in 1968, when 3,000 more seats were added to the rim. But a bigger change happened to the field itself, as Husky Stadium became the first college football field to install AstroTurf. Because the turf was the first of its kind in college football, the Husky football office kept shoes

for visiting teams to wear when playing in Seattle.

After the final game of the 1986 season, the wooden south bleachers were removed and construction on new stands began. For 37 years, the south stands had stood with a roof protecting the upper deck from the elements; now it was time for a roof on the north stands as well.

However, everything came to a stunning halt in February of 1987. On the afternoon of Feb. 24, a section of the upper deck was being lowered when it slipped out of the crane. Nobody was hurt in the accident, but what happened the following morning is what brought national attention to Husky Stadium.

“We were sitting in our shop, which was basically underneath the overhang of the stadium where they were building,” White said. “And a supervisor shows up and says, ‘We’ve got an issue and we think you should leave your shop.’ We left, and we were standing out in the parking lot, and we started to hear this sound. The whole thing just started slowly to fall over. It was like slow motion.”

After the collapse, construction workers hustled, working night and day and eventually built the south stands back up. White said that construction workers finished at approximately 10 p.m. the night before the first game of the 1987 season.

During its history, Husky Stadium developed numerous structural issues, which made the

most recent renovation necessary. The $261 million project began in November 2011, and forced the Huskies out of their home for the 2012 season. “It’s been fun,” White said. “You first see it and it’s just a conceptual drawing, but once you get into it, every day I see something new. It’s bright, it’s colorful, it’s airy. People are not going to think it’s the same stadium.”

The new renovations eliminated the track that had previously surrounded the field and added new amenities, team offices, player lounges, and several other improvements.

“It looks like it’s going to be a lot louder without the track,” quarterback Keith Price said. “I came every few months, and there was something new every time. Now, it’s amazing. I sat in my locker for 30 minutes and just coming from the old facilities to the new ones, it’s amazing.”

Head coach Steve Sarkisian said that the new stadium gives the team a space bigger than the one they had in the last Husky Stadium. And he noted just how important that space is.

“The biggest thing I think that everyone notices is how efficient the setup is,” Sarkisian said. “There is no wasted time or wasted space. We are all really humbled to have this facility for us, and now we have to put a great product on the field.”

Reach reporter Daniel Rubens at [email protected]. Twitter: @drubens12

Husky Stadium: A retrospectiveThe Daily // Husky Stadium Edition 13Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013

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WELCOME BACK Much of Husky Stadium’s reconstruction was intended to improve the fan experience at games. With rising ticket prices, the features of the stadium had to compete to draw a crowd.

DAWG PACK4

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8 ENTRANCES

SCOREBOARDS

5SIDELINES6 LOWER BOWL

7 SOUTH STANDS

3 SUITES1CONCESSIONS

THE NEW HUSKY STADIUM

TRASHRegular trash cans were removed. To minimize confusion about recyclables and compostables, fans are now encouraged to leave their garbage at their seats.

CONCESSIONSThe concession stands were remodeled into islands to reduce lines, and lower-priced concessions were moved into the student section.

1SCOREBOARDSA new, larger, high-defi nition scoreboard was attached to the east end zone and ribbon boards were installed around the stadium.

2SUITESLuxury suites and patio suites were built into the middle of the stadium.

3DAWG PACKThe UW student section was relocated to the west end zone of the stadium. The UW band will be in front of the student section and have easy access to the fi eld.

4

SIDELINESThe track was removed and seats were moved closer to the sidelines.

5LOWER BOWLAll of the lower seats in the stadium were remodeled to maximize comfort and views.

6SOUTH STANDSThe original south stands were demolished and replaced to improve overall safety.

7ENTRANCESBoth the student and regular ticket-holder entrances were remodeled to reduce lines.

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HUSKY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Photos by Joshua Bessex | The Daily

The Daily // Husky Stadium Edition 14-15Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013

9 TRASH 9

SAT, AUG. 31BOISE STATE

SEATTLE, WASH.

SAT, SEPT. 14ILLINOIS

CHICAGO, ILL.

SAT, SEPT. 21IDAHO STATE

SEATTLE, WASH.

SAT, SEPT. 28ARIZONA

SEATTLE, WASH.

SAT, OCT. 5STANFORD

STANFORD, CALIF.

SAT, OCT. 12OREGON

SEATTLE, WASH.

SAT, OCT. 19ARIZONA STATE

TEMPE, ARIZ.

SAT, OCT. 26CALIFORNIA

SEATTLE, WASH.

SAT, NOV. 9COLORADO

SEATTLE, WASH.

FRI, NOV. 15UCLA

PASADENA, CALIF.

SAT, NOV. 23OREGON STATE

CORVALLIS, ORE.

FRI, NOV. 29WASHINGTON STATE

SEATTLE, WASH.

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By Imana Gunawan The Daily

In the past, Husky Stadium has prided itself on its capacity, attendance, and picturesque setting. After the renovation, sustainability is also one of the stadium’s strong suits.

A committee of approximately 30 people, known as the Green Team, led the UW’s efforts for a sustainable stadium. The team divided the initiatives into several focuses: infrastructure, measuring and reporting, construction, and stakeholder and fan engagement.

In order to measure and report the stadium’s energy usage, the team will put in place a new energy management system. Karen Baebler, assistant athletic director of UW Sports Operations, said the stadium is the first building on campus to install this system, which allows the team to track energy usage in different areas over the course of a game weekend and even pinpoint which equipment is drawing the most energy.

“I think one of the reasons the stadium is built as green as it is is because it’s a priority for our athletic director and priority for the University of Washington,” Baebler said.

Another new initiative is a change in waste management. Similar to other sports facilities, such as CenturyLink Field and Safeco Field, waste in Husky Stadium will now be divided into compost and recycling, with no option for garbage. According to Baebler, mixed waste typically increases the risk for contamination, so patrons can now leave their garbage at their seats to be disposed of by the staff after the game.

In addition, the team will also work to get fans involved and knowledgeable about the stadium’s green initiatives through public-service announcements and other messaging. The Sept. 21 game will be themed “Commitment to Community,” at which the athletic department will promote its goal of reducing overall waste at UW sporting events. Concessioners and stadium staff will also be involved in the stadium’s green initiatives.

“There were a lot of things that were done that no one may have even noticed [if they had not been] as sustainable,” Baebler said. “But because [sustainability] was a focus from the beginning, it was something that everybody was thinking about and planning for.”

During construction, stadium contractors and architects found ways to manage energy efficiently, such as reusing or recycling 95 percent of construction waste and reducing carbon emissions from garbage trucks carrying the waste. Usage of LED lighting and locally sourced construction products, implementation of a no-waste water runoff policy, and salmon-safe practices were also part of the stadium’s green initiatives.

Despite the UW’s emphasis on sustainability, Husky Stadium’s renovation will increase greenhouse gas emissions. Once completed, the new $261-million stadium is projected to increase greenhouse gas emissions by over 1,000 metric tons, a 50-percent rise from the previous stadium. The increase comes directly from new additions to the stadium complex, such as the Football Training and Operations Facility and the Bone and Joint Clinic. However, the reconstruction also comes with increased efforts to make the structure more sustainable.

Baebler said it is still unclear to what degree greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced in the long run. She said this is because there was no comprehensive measurement of the previous stadium’s emissions, so the team could not make accurate calculations yet.

According to Aubrey Batchelor, program supervisor of the Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability (ESS) office, these initiatives have made UW and Husky Stadium a pioneer in sustainability among other Pac-12 schools.

“On the whole, I would say most universities are not thinking about this or doing this,” Batchelor said. “That being said, within the Pac-12, we’ve got 12 of the greenest schools in the country. As a whole, there’s no one standout leader yet,

but University of Washington is right there at the top.”

Last year, the Sierra Club named the UW among the “coolest schools” in America for its work in sustainability. The club said the UW’s main accomplishment was its ability to obtain LEED Gold certification for all of its buildings. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifies buildings based on their sustainability and effect on the environment. There are four levels of certification determined by a point scale: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

The stadium is also in the process of obtaining a LEED certificate for its existing structures, according to AECOM, the architecture firm overseeing the rebuild. Subsequently, the current renovation will also be submitted for LEED certification.

“We are certainly going through the process of getting [the stadium] LEED-certified,” Baebler said. “We just don’t know what level that will be yet.”

The UW is not the only Pac-12 school that had sustainability in mind during a stadium’s rebuilding. The renovation of Autzen Stadium, home of the Oregon Ducks, also included sustainable upgrades such as drip irrigation, stormwater treatment landscapes, recycled materials, and energy-efficient lighting.

The Husky Stadium reconstruction was overseen by Wright Runstad & Company and was privately funded, unlike the renovations of the HUB and the Ethnic Cultural Center.

ESS Director Claudia Frere said it’s a good sign that, despite the separate funding, the green initiatives will continue to be implemented.

“It’s privately funded, but it’s a choice that they’re going with sustainability,” Frere said. “It’s an uplifting sign that it’s not just because they’re being told to, but it’s a deliberate choice to go that route.”

Reach Science Editor Imana Gunawan at [email protected]. Twitter: @imanafg

REPPING PURPLE,GOING GREEN

Joshua Bessex | The DailyDuring construction of the new Husky Stadium, contractors and architects reused and recycled 95 percent of construction waste, including concrete.

CONSTRUCTION PRACTICESDuring construction, the debris and construction waste were separated on sight and reused in order to reduce greenhouse gases from transportation. The goal was to recycle a minimum of 96 percent of debris.

SALMON-SAFEThe stadium renovation was certi� ed by Salmon-Safe, a non-pro� t that uses a peer-reviewed program to protect water quality and restore the habitat of local salmon. The pollution prevention program certi� es based on safe management practices.

TURFThe football � eld’s synthetic turf was reused and installed at another local � eld.

CONCRETEThe crushed concrete from the former stadium was used as � ll material on site. The new concrete is environmentally friendly and has a reduced carbon footprint.

BENCHESThe aluminum benches from the former stadium were salvaged and turned into drink rails and more in the new Husky Stadium.

LEED GOLD CERTIFICATIONUW athletics is pursuing LEED Gold Certi� cation for the building. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certi� es buildings based on sustainability and environmental practices.


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1919

Recruiting revamped

The new football operations building features team meeting rooms, recruiting lounges, player lounges, and weight rooms that are exclusive to the UW Football program. UW athletics | Courtesy photo

Gregg Bell | Courtesy photo

“The Husky Stadium experience has always been a key component when it comes to recruiting. It’s always been the constant.”Chris Fetters, Dawgman.com

By Kevin Dowd The Daily

A t its most basic level, success in major college football depends upon recruiting, which in turn depends upon convincing high-school athletes your program is cool. Good coaching can win

games, but without the players, it can only take you so far.Every coach and every program in the country knows

this, of course. And when all 124 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision are competing each year for the same thousand or so high-level recruits, every advantage counts.

This is why Oregon has a bigger wardrobe than Coco Chanel and why the Ducks recently opened up a football operations facility, rumored to cost approximately $70 million, which wouldn’t look as out of place as Darth Vader’s control center on the Death Star. It’s why USC has a two-story room devoted to housing its Heisman Trophies. It’s why Alabama this summer installed a waterfall in its locker room.

And at least in part, it’s why the UW spent upward of $250 million to spruce up Husky Stadium. In addition to exterior improvements to the lower bowl and south upper deck, the stadium now also has new locker rooms, weight rooms, meeting rooms, a recruit lounge, and a player lounge.

The renovations likely won’t be complete until the end of August and so recruits haven’t yet seen the genuine article. But according to Chris Fetters, who covers UW recruiting for Dawgman.com, the Huskies’ new digs are already making an impression.

“In general, I think they’re pretty blown away,” Fetters said. “The overriding sense has been 100 percent positive,

The renovated locker rooms feature personalized lockers with players’ numbers, names, and hometowns.

See RECRUITING, page 23


202020

By Jack Truitt The Daily

F ew sports venues across the country can match the nearly 100 years of history of Husky Stadium. As the home of the

Huskies for both good times and bad, Husky Stadium has seen countless games, plays, and moments that Husky fans will never forget.

So it should be no surprise that a heavy weight of expectations came with the job of renovating the stadium.

“It’s like being given the task to renovate Fenway Park,” said Brad Schrock, a founding principal architect at 360 Architecture, the firm hired to design the new stadium.

Lead designer Matthew Hallett and the rest of the design team, which included architects, engineers, and graphic designers, understood that using the stadium’s scenic location and well-established shape were key in creating something that was new and reinvigorating while still classic, remaining faithful to its past.

“We tried to take advantage of what we noticed were the great qualities that were already there, the vista out to the lake and the proximity to campus and the profile that it already has. “We just wanted to exploit those and not detract from those with our design.”

The design process went through many stages. By the time 360 Architecture was hired, many of the basic elements of the renovation, such as removing the track, had been established. But their design proposal was the first to include a complete rebuild of the southern part of the stadium and to place the new football operations building in the heart of the structure at the western end of the facility.

Schrock said that the UW wanted a stadium that fit in with the rest of the athletic village.

“It needed to relate to Hec-Ed and feel like this is an extension of the campus,” he said.

Schrock added that it became apparent early on in the project that the ideal stadium would be subtle as opposed to overly modern.

This helped inspire the new brick facade that fronts the football operations building facing Montlake Boulevard.

“We felt like that was the opportunity to create the connection back to campus and create a pedestrian feel,” Schrock said.

However, the aesthetics of a stadium mean little compared to the fan experience. With the quality of high definition television broadcasts and the ever-increasing price of going to sporting events, the team at 360 was

aware the experience at Husky Stadium would have a lot to compete with in order to woo fans to Montlake.

“It’s something we talk about with every one of our sports facilities,” Schrock said.

Schrock said that the setting and already iconic structure of Husky Stadium were some of the biggest advantages the designers had to work with.

In order to use those facets to their full potential, every seat in the house has to be a good one. Schrock said it is a balancing act to ensure everyone has a good view of the action while not making the upper decks too steep or too far from the field.

With the removal of the track, the entire geometry of the western bowl was changed to allow those seats to be moved closer to the field. And despite the total seat capacity slightly decreasing, there will be more seats in the lower bowl than before. Husky Stadium now has one of the smallest total sideline area of any stadium in college football.

“All those seats are as close to the playing field as we can get ‘em,” Shrock said. “The seating decks are

overhanging the decks below them, and all that adds up to an intimacy and energy level that you just can’t get in your living room.”

It will also be a lot noisier than any living room. Already home of the loudest decibel-level recording ESPN’s College Gameday had ever measured, the new proximity to the field will only make things louder. Additionally, the structure is made up entirely of bent-plate steel (most structures are concrete); it will make every foot-stomp, yell, and clap that much louder.

The students will make much of that noise. And while the Dawg Pack is being moved to the west end zone, the team at 360 kept students in mind throughout the design process.

“The student population is such an important component of the environment on game days,” Schrock said. “We said from the very beginning there should be a celebration of the student entrance, and there should be a part of this stadium that should be all about the students. … That west concourse is really geared as a student concourse.”

The design team used tiered bleachers and standing terraces for

seating and “The Path of the Pack” will open with the new student entrance. Two gold lines guide students into their new section of the stadium. The familiar statue of a husky has been moved to this path.

As with any project of such a large scale, there were challenges throughout the process. The most difficult aspects were building the stadium in a confined space between Hec Ed, the softball field, as well as dealing with the ongoing Sound Transit light rail project. Making sure the structure lined up correctly with existing tunnels and other infrastructure also proved difficult.

Despite these complications, the project went remarkably smoothly given how easily large-scale construction jobs can get out of control both logistically and economically.

The design team was most proud of getting the most out of the budget they were given.

“I think there’s an incredible value for this stadium,” Schrock said. “The budget we had to work with wasn’t extreme, by any means, and I think

BEHIND THE DESIGN

360 Architecture tackles the build of iconic Husky Stadium

360 Architecture | Courtesy photos

Top: By the time 360 Architecture was brought onto the stadium renovation project, many of the basic elements were already established. 360 Architecture’s design proposal included a complete rebuild of the southern part of the stadium. Above: The brick facade near the main entrance of the stadium was planned to connect the stadium to campus.

See 360 ARCHITECTURE, page 23


21

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23

and it’s hard to think it would be anything but.”

But space-age lockers and Playstations around every corner only go so far. Perhaps just as important as the specifics is the idea of newness they represent. The majesty of Husky Stadium and the UW’s academics have always drawn recruits; Fetters believes the renovation is a cherry on top of an already delicious sundae.

“The Husky Stadium experience has always been a key component when it comes to recruiting. It’s always been the constant,” he said. “The whole idea that Husky Stadium is coming into the modern era is really exciting, for the local recruits especially.”

Two years ago, Mercer Island quarterback Jeff Lindquist — now a redshirt freshman — was one of those recruits. He echoes the belief that the new facilities are just one more factor in recruits’ decisions, not the end-all, be-all.

“(The facilities) definitely helped, but it wasn’t the selling point for me,” Lindquist said. “I

was kind of sold by the Husky values of what football players are. It definitely helped, but it wasn’t the only thing that pulled me here.”

Every recruit is different, of course, and what may be a deciding factor for one could be a non-starter with another.

Cleveland Wallace is another redshirt freshman to whom facilities were only a contributing factor in his decision to come to the UW. He said Steve Sarkisian and the rest of the coaches didn’t push their new facilities in his recruitment because, well, they didn’t need to.

“It kind of pushed itself,” Wallace said.

But that probably won’t be the case for every recruit, particularly ones, for example, who are a fresh off a tour of Oregon’s newest football palace. The price tag may be steep, but the renovations of Husky Stadium ensure the UW can stack up against anyone in the Pac-12 in the arms race that is recruiting.

“Washington is keeping up with the Joneses,” Fetters said, “which is what they need to do.”

Reach Editor-in-Chief Kevin Dowd at [email protected]. Twitter: @KevinDowd

RECRUITINGfrom page 19

The locker rooms are located in the new football operations building in Husky Stadium. Gregg Bell | Courtesy photo

“The whole idea that Husky Stadium is coming into the modern era is really exciting, for the local recruits especially.”

Chris Fetters, Dawgman.com

360 ARCHITECTUREfrom page 20

360 ArchitectureCourtesy photos

Left: Many elements of the stadium, such as the front entrance, were built to be subtly modern in order to fit in with the rest of the UW’s facilities. Below: A large part of the design process addressed the fan experience — making sure every seat is a good one while also making the stadium even louder than before.

what the university is going to realize out of that is really good.”

The stadium is complete with all the modern amenities one would expect from a new sports venue, with multiple high-definition screens and “ribbon boards” that surround the entire bowl.

There were rumors of a double-sided scoreboard, so that boaters could see what was going on from Union Bay, but the idea never got enough traction to be implemented — though it would be possible to later add on to the existing structure.

One unique feature will be the

design of the new concession stands. Rather than the traditional, three-walls-and-a-counter design that is most common, new “island” concession stands will allow for a better flow of movement and hopefully shorter lines to deal with in the concourse.

The team at 360 hopes they have improved what they believed was already one of the best game day experiences in college football.

“It was a meaningful, special project,” Hallett said. “It’s the most dramatic college football stadium in the country, with this backdrop.”

Reach reporter Jack Truitt at [email protected]. Twitter: @JackStoneTruitt


24

BattleRoyaleKEVIN DOWD THUC NHI NGUYEN JOE VEYERA JUSTIN LESTER

The competitors

The fi eld

1. What will you miss most about the old Husky Stadium?

KEVINThe helmet car. I have a permanent appointment at UW surplus until that bad boy rolls in.

THUC NHIRIP Helmet Car. You’ll be missed dearly. I’ll visit you in the Museum of History and Industry.

JOEI was devastated to hear that the removal of the track meant the end of the helmet car. I loved that thing!

JUSTINThe Dawg Pack covering an entire side of the stadium. Although it will still contain plenty of intoxicated kids, I’m not sure the student section will be as much of a factor as it’s been in the past.

2. What’s your favorite addition to the new venue?

KEVINIs it selfish to say the new press box? Yes? I’m excited to check out the Touchdown Terrace. That’s a view there’s never been before at Husky Stadium.

THUC NHIA press box that won’t shake. And it’s just in time for me to take my seat in there. Perfect.

JOEAwesome helmet car aside, getting rid of the track and moving the lower bowl closer to the field was addition by subtraction.

JUSTINTo be honest it hasn’t changed much structurally, only everything is of much higher quality. But I love the new outdoor suites, reminiscent of the ones at Safeco Field.

3. How will the movement of the Dawg Pack affect the season?

KEVINThe actual play on the field? Barely, if at all. The enjoyment of the season for the students? It’s the same seats they had at CenturyLink last year, so not as much as one might think. But it still sucks.

THUC NHIOverall, it’ll probably have minimal effect on the results, but it will wreak havoc on the Go Huskies chant. That’s the most important thing here, right?

JOEI always thought the student section served as a catalyst to get the rest of the crowd involved. By putting it in the end zone, my fear is it just won’t be quite as loud or imposing as it once was.

JUSTINIt definitely won’t be a positive effect. There was just something about the opposing team having to stare down thousands of purple shirts from its sideline. Students will just need to cheer twice as loud.

4. The renovation cost $261 million. If you had that kind of money, what would you do with it?

KEVINSee question one. I’d spend the rest on gas (she probably doesn’t get great mileage) and hotels for my never-ending helmet-car road trip.

THUC NHIIron Man suit. It’s the only possible way for me to become a real superhero.

JOEI’d actually be able to afford tickets where the student section used to be.

JUSTINWhat do you mean, if? Have you seen my salary for The Daily?

File photo | The Daily



Stock photo | sxc.hu

Reach all reporters at [email protected]. Twitter: @UWDailySports


25

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26

By Thuc Nhi Nguyen The Daily Steve Sarkisian is pissed off. The fifth-year head coach keeps looking at the record books and all he sees staring back at him are 7-6 records.

The Huskies have three consecutive 7-6 seasons, two straight bowl game losses, and one big chip on their shoulder.

“The guys we have on our team understand that it’s a championship-caliber team and nothing else,” quarterback Keith Price said when the Huskies opened fall camp on Aug. 5. “We’re not settling for anything else but championship-caliber practices and championship-caliber performances.”

Last season, Price’s performance was anything but championship-caliber. After setting the record books ablaze with a 33-touchdown season and 66.9 completion percentage in his sophomore season, Price declined drastically. He tossed only 19 touchdowns against 13 interceptions and committed critical turnovers late in games, including an interception in overtime of the UW’s heartbreaking Apple Cup loss and yet another pick in the waning moments of the bowl-game loss to Boise State.

However, after much offseason “soul-searching,” Price could be on the verge of another eye-popping season. In the UW’s new up-tempo attack, Price thrived in spring camp and is the clear leader of the offense. He has typically excelled in no-huddle situations, which fits perfectly with the UW’s new scheme.

While Price will be under the biggest microscope, he won’t be without co-stars. The UW has talent everywhere on the offensive side of the ball, from the backfield (running back Bishop Sankey, coming off a

1,439-yard season) to the middle of the field (Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who owns almost all the receiving records for a tight end at the UW), to out wide (receiver Kasen Williams, an athletic freak and a cornerback’s worst nightmare). Together, the quartet will aim for the top of the Pac-12 and hope to stake its claim as a premier offense in the conference.

On the defensive side of the ball, a stellar linebacking group that includes sophomores Shaq Thompson and Travis Feeney and junior John Timu anchors the Huskies as the secondary tries to find a worthy replacement for Desmond Trufant, whom the Atlanta Falcons made the No. 22 pick in last year’s NFL draft.

In his first season of college football, Thompson jumped right into the fire, starting every game and earning honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors. He emerged as a reliable defensive force for the Huskies, but the memories from last year aren’t all that happy.

“The last two games, they hurt,” he said. “They’re still burning through our souls. But now, we came through in the summer to prepare for something like that to never happen again.”

The Huskies don’t like talking about last season. They’ve described it as “mediocre” and “frustrating,” and they adamantly contend that they’re much better than their record suggests. But in the end, Sarkisian conceded to the numbers, saying a 7-6 is “who we are.”

Sarkisian hopes that will change this season, and if it doesn’t, then he won’t be the only one pissed off.

Reach Sports Editor Thuc Nhi Nguyen at [email protected]. Twitter: @thucnhi21

FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

Quarterback Keith Price hopes to shake off a lackluster junior campaign as he leads a potent UW offense into his fi nal season.Photos by Joshua Bessex | The Daily

Junior Kasen Williams provides a dangerous scoring threat for the Huskies as he returns as the team’s No. 1 reciever.

“We’re not settling for anything else but championship-caliber practices and championship-caliber performances.”Keith Price, quarterback


27

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W A T C H M O R E

channel 27channel 27channel 27channel 27channel 27This week on UW|360, meet football player and academic standout, John Timu, plus life-saving heart tissue regeneration from UW Medicine.

SUNDAY 9PM


BY THE NUMBERS

4 consecutive seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher

Chris Polk rushed for more than 1,000 yards for three consecutive seasons from 2009-2011, and Bishop Sankey picked up right where the current Philadelphia Eagle left off. In his first year as a starter, Sankey rushed for 1,439 yards and 16 touchdowns.

6

different combinations used by the Huskies last season on the offensive line

The injury bug bit the UW’s offensive line hard last year, taking down would-be starters Colin Tanigawa, Erik Kohler, and Ben Riva within the first two weeks of the season. Another lineman, Colin Porter, had to retire because of shoulder injuries before the year started. Due to the constant shuffling of the offensive line, pass protection was spotty at best, as the Huskies allowed 38 total sacks for 248 yards lost. If the Huskies want to compete for the top spot in the conference this season, the offensive line play will have to greatly improve.

261

million dollars spent on the renovation of Husky Stadium

After a season playing at CenturyLink Field, the Huskies return home to the shores of Lake Washington. The renovation has added numerous features to enhance the fan experience, including the removal of the track to bring the stands closer to the field and the construction of state-of-the-art, football-exclusive features, such as a weight room, a new locker room, and a new medical center.

15 seconds between plays for the Huskies during fall camp

If you can’t beat them, join them. The Huskies in the past have gotten torched by the up-tempo offenses such as Oregon, so head coach Steve Sarkisian is joining his Pac-12 rival by implementing his own version of the no-huddle that he hopes will give the UW a chance to knock off the Ducks.

60

points scored by the UW’s opponents off turnovers from Keith Price

Quarterback Keith Price was simply a turnover machine last season, committing 20 of the team’s 28 turnovers (13 interceptions and seven fumbles). Many of them proved costly, especially glaring mistakes late in the season, including two turnovers in the overtime loss against Washington State and the game-ending interception against Boise State in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas.

SCHEDULE

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SAT, AUG. 31 BOISE STATE* SEATTLE, WASH.

SAT, SEPT. 14 ILLINOIS** CHICAGO, ILL.

SAT, SEPT. 21 IDAHO STATE SEATTLE, WASH.

SAT, SEPT. 28 ARIZONA SEATTLE, WASH.

SAT, OCT. 5 STANFORD STANFORD, CALIF.

SAT, OCT. 12 OREGON SEATTLE, WASH.

SAT, OCT. 19 ARIZONA STATE TEMPE, ARIZ.

SAT, OCT. 26 CALIFORNIA SEATTLE, WASH.

SAT, NOV. 9 COLORADO SEATTLE, WASH.

FRI, NOV. 15 UCLA*** PASADENA, CALIF.

SAT, NOV. 23 OREGON STATE CORVALLIS, ORE.

FRI, NOV. 29 WASHINGTON STATE SEATTLE, WASH.

28


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