Waldo Stadium

Waldo Stadium/Football Office
Bill Brown Alumni Football Center
Western Michigan University
1903 West Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5422

Ticket & Game Day Information
Directions & Parking Information
WMU Tailgating Information

Capacity:
30,200 (1989 – Present)
25,000 (1973 – 1988)
15,000 (1939 – 1972)

Surface:
FieldTurf (2006 – Present)
NexTurf (2000 – 2005)
Prescription Athletic Turf (1992 – 1999)
Astroturf (1972 – 1991)
Natural Grass (1939 – 1972)

Broke Ground: 1938
Opened: October 7, 1939

Waldo Stadium has been home to the Western Michigan football team since the 1939 season. Since then, WMU has had 10 perfect seasons at home, capturing three in the 1940's and the 2000's, tied for the most in any one decade (1941, 1942, 1947, 1966, 1982, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2006, 2008). The Broncos' most successful decade to date was the 1990's when the team went a combined 38-13 (.745).

The origins of Waldo Stadium date back to 1939. Built at the cost of $250,000, the venue was constructed as part of a new athletic plant at WMU which also included the construction of Hyames baseball field. Later that season, the football facility — which included an eight-lane track — was dedicated to WMU President Emeritus Dwight B. Waldo, the school’s first president and a strong advocate of Bronco Athletics.

Waldo Stadium has gone through multiple renovations during its storied history. In 2003, the east end of the stadium was enclosed by the $25-million Donald J. Seelye Athletic Center, which at its zenith reaches eight stories tall. In 2013, the University spent $1.3 million on a new FieldTurf Cool Play surface to replace the previous playing field which had been in place since 2006.

Prior to the start of the 2015 season, the stadium was given three new video boards to install, thanks to a $2 million gift from 1988 Western Michigan alum Alec Gores. The main video board in the east end zone measures 27x41 feet. There are also two auxiliary video boards attached to the exterior of the Seelye Athletic Center by where the team enters on the field, which each enter 19x35 feet.

Western Michigan's attendance record at Waldo Stadium was set during the 2000 opener with 36,361 fans, while the 1999 season set a record for attendance average in a season with 26,874.