PULLMAN, Wash. – It’s Homecoming weekend at Washington State University and a full slate of events will kick off Friday in advance of Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. Pac 12 football game at Martin Stadium between the Cougars and the visiting Golden Bears of the University of California.
By mid-week, nearly 3,500 tickets remained available for the game.
Friday
As always, Friday’s main Homecoming event will be the Pep Rally and Homecoming Bonfire – a perfect way to start off the weekend alongside fellow WSU alumni, students, faculty and staff. Special appearances will be made by WSU sports teams, Butch T. Cougar, and notable guest speakers. Wear your Crimson, stay warm by the bonfire, raise your voice with the WSU Cheer squad and dance to the sounds of the WSU Marching Band. The event begins on Flag Lane near the intersection of Cougar Way and Stadium Way, behind Mooberry Track.
Also slated for 6 p.m. on Friday will be the popular sellout dinner series, Feast of The Arts, which begins with a reception at Museum of Art/WSU with hors d’oeuvres and progresses into a four-course gourmet meal prepared by WSU’s School of Hospitality Business Management students and faculty. Each course is expertly paired with premium wines from Wine-By-Cougar wineries located across the region. Additional information and online registration for the event is available at http://feast.wsu.edu.
Beasley Coliseum will also be open Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m., for Derby Con, a roller derby match between the Rolling Hills Derby Dames and the Moses Lake Columbia Basin Roller Derby. The local junior derby team, The Wheat Whackers, will also hold a demo match from 7 – 7:30 p.m. The main bout begins at 8 p.m. Suggested donation at the door is $5. The event supports Circles of Caring Adult Day Services in Pullman.
Saturday
As always, game day Saturday will feature KickOff at the CUB, offering food and fun for Cougs of all ages. Beginning at 4:30 p.m. in the M.G. Carey Senior Ballroom of the CUB, fans can get into the Coug spirit with family-fun activities, giveaways, delicious tailgating food, an appearance by the Cougar Marching Band and country-wide football game coverage displayed on large-screen TVs. Two affordable menus are provided by University Catering. Beer and wine service is provided by Southfork Public House.
Also, on Saturday, the general area of Rogers Field to the west of Martin Stadium will be the site of a number of activities that 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 play area complete with activities and inflatables. To the east, toward the Martin Stadium scoreboard, fans can meet and socialize in the Cougar Den. Food and refreshments are available in all three locations.
Parking
General parking for home football games is available on campus in designated parking areas on the eastern side of campus. General parking permits can be purchased online prior to game day for $15 or at the entrances to the lots on game day for $20. General parking lots are filled on a first come, first served basis. Game Day parking information and a link to a campus general parking map are available online here. For additional information regarding general parking, call WSU Transportation Services, 509-335-PARK (7275).
For the convenience of those who might wish to park off-campus, WSU has teamed up with Pullman Transit to establish 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. Buses are scheduled to arrive and depart from each location at approximately 15-minute intervals. The Park and Ride lots will be opened three hours prior to each home game.
A map of Park and Ride locations is available at http://bit.ly/ZibJxZ.
Overnight RV parking permits for this weekend’s game have been sold out. Additional RV parking information is available online at http://bit.ly/1tCs3T0.
Fans should also note that Stadium Way will be closed from three hours before kickoff until 1½ hours after the end of the game. Find helpful Gameday Traffic and Travel information at http://bit.ly/1whpyHS.
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 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 towns to Pullman. Volunteers will keep businesses (and bathrooms) open along the way and offer food and beverages to fans.
For a complete list of activities on campus, see www.footballweekends.wsu.edu.
For a complete list of athletic related information: www.wsucougars.com/gameday/.
Media contact:
Robert Strenge, WSU News, 509-335-3583, rtrenge@wsu.edu