Seahawks rent Husky Stadium for 2000 and 2001 seasons

UW, Hawks agreement awaits regents, city council approval

The UW and the Seahawks have reached agreement on the use of Husky Stadium for Seahawks’ home games during the 2000 and 2001 seasons, while the new football/soccer stadium is under construction on the site of the Kingdome.

The agreement will be presented to the UW Board of Regents for approval at the Board’s meeting tomorrow.

The Seahawks will pay $305,000 per game in rent, of which $205,000 will be to rent Husky Stadium and related athletic facilities, plus $100,000 per game in rent for access to the campus, including parking facilities. The Seahawks will pay operating expenses to Intercollegiate Athletics for day-of-game costs. The University and Seahawks representatives will work together to develop the detailed plans for sustaining campus access as well as transportation services when the Seahawks play at Husky Stadium.

Revenue from the rental of Husky Stadium will be directed toward the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics’ facilities upgrade program. Revenue from the campus rental is being proposed to fund a $1.6 million project approved by the Regents in April to expand the University’s UWIRED Commons computing facilities in Odegaard Undergraduate Library.

During each of the two seasons, the Seahawks expect to play 10 home games in Husky Stadium, with the possibility of two additional games, depending upon any post-season playoff games. The Seahawks will pay rent associated with access to the campus, including boat moorage, as well as use of the stadium and related athletic facilities such as locker rooms.

“Both the Seahawks and the UW want to make these games at Husky Stadium a well-planned and successful experience—for Seahawks fans coming to the UW, as well as for the students, faculty and staff of the UW and neighbors in the surrounding communities,” said UW Executive Vice President Weldon Ihrig. “We believe we have the framework in these agreements to do that.”

Now that the University and the Seahawks have agreed fundamentally on conditions of use of the University’s facilities, Seahawks representatives will continue discussions with the affected communities to address ways to mitigate their concerns. As a starting point in addressing community concerns, the Seahawks agreed not to sell alcohol in Husky Stadium and not to hold home Seahawks games on Mondays through Fridays. The organization is also committed to work with the NFL to avoid scheduling home Seahawks games on the same weekends as Husky home games.

Other issues are being addressed—such as significantly increasing the use of transit ridership on game days and ensuring fans do not park in residential zones. The Seahawks also agreed to maintain access to the UW Medical Center for patients, visitors and staff, as well as maintain open access to campus facilities by students, faculty and staff on Seahawks game days. The overall goal is to minimize game-day traffic by relying on alternative means of transportation.

Under an agreement between the city of Seattle and the UW for use of Husky Stadium, the Seahawks will next request Seattle City Council approval to use the stadium for Seahawks games. City council approval includes presentation by the Seahawks of a satisfactory Transportation Management Plan designed to mitigate traffic impacts on the University and the surrounding communities. Council action is anticipated this summer. ¶

Bob Roseth, News & Information