9/6/2012

Contact:
Darin Watkins, WSU News, 509-335-4456, darin.watkins@wsu.edu

By Robert Strenge, WSU News

Cougar football comes home to a new Martin Stadium

PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State University will play the first home football game of the 2012 season and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the construction of a recently remodeled Martin Stadium this weekend, taking on the Eagles of Eastern Washington University for the first time in more than a century in a matchup that begins at noon on Saturday (Sept. 8).

WSU won the only two previous football matchups between the two universities, winning 46-0 in 1907 and 73-0 in 1908. Both games were played in Pullman. New Cougar Head Coach Mike Leach has encountered EWU more recently, however, posting a 49-24 victory over the Eagles while at Texas Tech in a 2008 season opener in Lubbock, Texas.

By mid-week, fewer than 800 tickets remained available for the opening home game. The WSU Athletic Department anticipates near sell-out crowds for all five home football games this season. Earlier this year, last year’s season ticket holders renewed tickets at an unprecedented rate of 99 percent, while the total number of season tickets sold jumped by 24 percent, or roughly 4,000 tickets, to near-record sales levels.

As always, WSU’s home football weekends will be packed with a variety of activities and events for the Cougar faithful of all ages. Fans and visitors arriving for the game, however, will want to take into account a number of key changes, particularly as they relate to parking accommodations and the location of certain pre-game events.

Game Day Parking

General parking for home football games is available on-campus in designated parking areas on the eastern side of the campus for $20. Visitors will note that some general parking areas in some locations on campus have been re-designated and are no longer available for general parking. Vehicles not parked in designated parking areas for home football games are subject to citation. General parking permits can be purchased online prior to game day or at the entrances to the lots on game day. General parking lots are filled on a first come, first served basis. A campus general parking map is available online at http://www.parking.wsu.edu/File/FB_GP_sm.jpg. For additional information regarding general parking, call WSU Parking & Transportation Services, (509) 335-PARK (7275).

Recreational vehicle parking permits for the home opening weekend were sold out by mid-week, but remain available for all subsequent home games this season. Overnight RV parking tickets are available only to recreational vehicles that are fully self-contained (no hookups are provided) and must be pre-purchased online. RV parking information is available online at http://www.parking.wsu.edu/RVParkingRegions.

For the convenience of those who might wish to park off-campus, WSU has teamed up with Pullman Transit to establish six local Park and Ride locations where fans can park vehicles for free and catch a Cougar-themed Pullman Transit bus for the ride to Martin Stadium. The Park and Ride lots will be opened three hours prior to each home game and are available at the following locations:

Valley Road Play Fields; Valley Rd. and Merman Dr.
Chief Joseph Apartments; Terre View Dr. between Merman Dr. and North Fairway Rd.
WSU Research Park; Eastgate Blvd. and Terre View Dr.
Pullman Aquatic Center; Larry St. and Hall Dr.
Airport Rd. and SR 270
Living Faith Fellowship on South Grand Ave.

A map of Park and Ride locations is available at http://www.parking.wsu.edu/File/gameday_parknride.jpg. More parking information is available online at www.parking.wsu.edu/Gameday2 or www.pullman-wa.gov/departments/police/parking/wsu-game-day-parking.

Cougar Corridor

In an effort to give fans from Spokane a faster and more enjoyable route to the game, WSU and local community and law enforcement officials this weekend will establish the Cougar Corridor, a marked diversion route from Highway 27 at Rosalia, which will provide fans a faster route south through a number of local towns to Pullman. Volunteers will keep businesses (and bathrooms) open along the way and offer additional food and beverages to fans.

Cougville, Cougar Mania & Cougar Den

The general area of Rogers Field to the west of Martin Stadium will be the site of a number of activities which open three hours prior to game time. Cougar Mania, the corporate tent area, remains located on Rogers Field. Just adjacent to the west, Cougar kids will find Cougville, a relocated play area complete with activities and inflatables. To the east, under the Martin Stadium scoreboard, fans can meet and socialize in the Cougar Den. Food and refreshments are available in all three locations.

Of note, this weekend

Because of the anticipated attendance, students are encouraged to arrive prior to kick-off to secure a seat.
Stadium Way will be closed beginning at 9 a.m.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Martin Stadium will be held at 8:30 a.m. at the entrance to the stadium luxury boxes (by the CUB).
The Cougar Prowl walk will commence at 9:30am – with the unveiling of the Athletics Department’s new WSU buses.
The grand unveiling of the Paul G. Allen Center for Global Animal Health will take place at 10 a.m. Paul Allen is expected to attend.

For a complete list of activities on campus: www.footballweekends.wsu.edu.

For a complete list of athletic related information: http://www.wsucougars.com/gameday/.

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