Husky Stadium has been the home of Washington Huskies football on the University of Washington campus in Seattle since it opened on November 27, 1920. Built into a hillside overlooking Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains, the stadium’s open east end and U-shaped bowl give it one of the most scenic settings in college sports, a view that has earned it the nickname “the greatest setting in college football.”
Beyond its scenery, Husky Stadium is famous for its sound. In a 1992 game against Nebraska, the crowd noise reached a measured 133.6 decibels, a mark that stood as the loudest crowd ever recorded at a college football stadium for more than three decades until Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium registered 137 decibels in 2023. A $280 million renovation completed in 2013, the largest capital project in university history, lowered the playing field, removed the old running track, and rebuilt the stadium’s lower bowl while preserving its signature roofline and views.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Washington Huskies football (NCAA)
- Location: University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
- Opened: November 27, 1920
- Capacity: About 70,083
- Renovation: 2011–2013, $280 million
- Notable fact: Recorded 133.6 decibels vs. Nebraska in 1992 — the loudest college football crowd on record for over 30 years, until Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium hit 137 decibels in 2023
The Game-Day Experience
Husky Stadium’s design amplifies its atmosphere as much as its acoustics. The bowl’s steep seating and cantilevered metal roofs, which cover nearly 70% of the seating along the sidelines, trap and reflect crowd noise back down toward the field, an effect fans and players have compared to playing inside a drum. Combined with a passionate student section moved to the west end zone during the 2013 renovation, the stadium routinely ranks among the loudest venues in college football.
The open east end of the stadium frames views of Lake Washington, the Cascade Mountains, and the university’s rowing crews on the water below, a backdrop that sets it apart from nearly every other major college football venue in the country.
A Century of History
Designed by the architecture firm Bebb and Gould and built for about $600,000, Husky Stadium opened in 1920 and has undergone several transformations since, including changes in playing surface from dirt to natural grass, AstroTurf, FieldTurf, and back to a newer generation of AstroTurf. The stadium briefly hosted the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks in 1994 and again in 2000-2001 while their new stadium was under construction, and it has also served as a concert and event venue for the Seattle area.
Explore more: Explore more legendary stadiums.
Husky Stadium FAQs
When did Husky Stadium open?
Husky Stadium opened on November 27, 1920, on the University of Washington campus in Seattle.
What is Husky Stadium’s capacity?
Husky Stadium seats about 70,083 fans, a figure set after the 2011-2013 renovation added luxury suites that reduced the previous capacity of roughly 72,500.
Is Husky Stadium still the loudest college football stadium?
No. Husky Stadium’s 133.6-decibel reading from a 1992 game against Nebraska held the record for over 30 years, but Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium broke it in 2023 with a 137-decibel reading, becoming the current record holder.
Get More from Husky Stadium
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Husky Stadium, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.