Last week it was announced Martin Stadium will undergo renovations to improve the gameday experience. The first phase will introduce a new scoreboard, improvements to the sound system, and add color-changing
LED field lights. The second phase will include new turf and other improvements to the fan experience.
These are some much needed, and long overdue, changes. Personally, not having to hear feedback from the referee’s mic every time they announce a penalty is what I’m looking forward to. I’m also excited to see what we can do with the new LED lights. Seeing the whole stadium light up in crimson after the Cougars score a big touchdown would be really neat.
Everything WSU announced coming to Martin Stadium will hands down improve the overall experience for the team and fans. But what are some things that WSU fans wouldn’t want to see in the renovations? What are some things that NOBODY asked for in improving their gameday experience?
New Turf Colors: Crimson and Gray
While we’re already putting in new turf, why not make it school colors? Forget the different shades of “grass green” we have right now that stripe the field; show some school pride and lay down some crimson and gray. It’s not like it hasn’t been done before. Our neighbors to the north up in Cheney have been playing on “The Inferno” for 15 years now. Out in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the Eastern Michigan Eagles have been playing on gray turf, or “concrete” for 10 years. Forget striping the stadium bleachers crimson and white; let’s stripe the actual playing surface.
Make the club seats bleachers
It seems unfair that the club seats get to sit in nice comfortable stadium seats while the students and the rest of the fans have to sit on the cold hard bleachers with no backrest. Let’s take out all those seats and switch them over to the same bleachers everybody else has to sit in.
Extend an overhang that covers the opposing benches
In the early stages of the season, when the last of the hot summer sun beats down on the WSU sideline, it seems unfair that the opposing team gets to rest up in the shade between plays. But in the winter, when it gets a whole lot colder, that sun feels good on the northern side of the field.
When opposing teams in the old Pac-12 entered Martin Stadium through the northwest corner of the field, they were greeted with a sign that read, “Welcome to Martin Stadium, the coldest stadium in the Pac-12 North.” A reminder that they will be sitting in the brutal cold and often fierce conditions for the next three and a half hours. Often times, you’ll see WSU players warming up without shirts on in the cold, showing their toughness and sending a message to the opponents that they love playing in this type of weather. Let’s play some mind games and gift the opposition an overhang that extends out from the press box to protect them from the rain or snow falling in Pullman. Show them that, yeah, we’ll let you stay dry and warm while we sit out in the cold, we’re tougher than you.
The new videoboard doesn’t show replays of questionable calls against WSU
One of the certain signs that a broadcast is favoring another team is when they don’t show the replay of your team committing a penalty you know for sure shouldn’t have been called. The opposing team fires a deep ball down the sideline that falls incomplete. You breathe a sigh of relief as the cornerback was definitely beat, but that ball was thrown at least 10 yards too far, completely uncatchable for the wide receiver. But then that yellow flag comes flying in, and the wide receiver begins to clap. “Pass interference, defense. 15-yard penalty, automatic first down.” You shout, “WHAT? That was uncatchable!” in complete bewilderment. You turn your head to the new videoboard to see the replay and see if you had missed something obvious. But instead of a replay, you just see a graphic that reads, “The referees are trying their best.” This is also true for any challenges or replay reviews. We don’t really need to see what the referees are looking at, we can trust them to make the right call.
The new LED lights glitch and the only color they can change to is purple
The new LED field lights look great! When watching the game on TV, they make the field look brighter, and that beautiful crimson and gray turf really pops. There’s only one issue. When installing the LED lights, for whatever reason the only color that they can change to is purple. Nobody knows of this glitch until WSU scores that first touchdown and the light show starts. Instead of a familiar crimson color lighting up the stadium like everybody envisioned when they installed the lights, the stadium turns purple.
Cougville/Rogers Field is now for private events only
Similar to the Hollingberry Fieldhouse, Rogers Field, or Cougville, will no longer be available to the public. It will serve as a place for private corporate events only. But not to fret, Coug fans, you can still pregame at the new official pregame spot at the Southside Cafe rotunda.
Sound off in the comments Cougar fans, what are some renovation ideas you wouldn’t want to see at Martin Stadium.
