Martin Stadium sits on the Washington State University campus in Pullman, Washington, and has been the home field of the Washington State Cougars football team since it opened on September 30, 1972. It replaced the fire-damaged Rogers Field on the same site and takes its name from Clarence D. Martin, who served as Washington’s governor from 1933 to 1941.
Set amid the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse region, the stadium has grown and changed shape through a series of expansions and renovations spanning more than four decades. Today it seats about 32,952 fans, a figure reached after a major south-side renovation added premium seating in exchange for some general-admission capacity, making it the most intimate venue in the Pac-12.
Stats at a Glance
- Team: Washington State Cougars football
- Location: Pullman, Washington
- Opened: September 30, 1972
- Capacity: about 32,952
- Playing Surface: FieldTurf (Revolution Fiber, installed 2014)
- Record Attendance: 40,306 (vs. Stanford, Nov. 15, 1997)
The Ride Experience
A Cougars home game at Martin Stadium means tailgating across a campus built into the Palouse hills, then settling into a bowl that was dramatically reshaped in 1979 when the running track was removed and the field lowered by about 16 feet, adding more than 12,000 seats and pulling fans closer to the action.
The stadium is also one of only a few FBS venues that still uses double-support goalposts for every home game, a small but distinctive touch that longtime Cougar fans point to as part of the stadium’s character.
Decades of Expansion
Martin Stadium’s growth came in stages: a 1975 north grandstand rebuild pushed capacity to roughly 26,500, the 1979 field-lowering project added thousands more seats, and a string of 21st-century projects, including concourse upgrades completed in 2008 and the Southside and West End-Zone football operations projects completed between 2011 and 2014, modernized the facility while trading some older general seating for premium club seats, suites, and loge boxes.
Since 2021, the playing field itself has carried a sponsorship name, Gesa Field, under a ten-year agreement with Gesa Credit Union, even as the stadium itself keeps the Martin name honoring the former governor.
Explore more: Explore more iconic stadiums.
For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Sherpa-lined and windproof, with a waterproof back for wet bleachers. Folds into its own pouch.
For late-season football, outdoor hockey and October park nights. Shake, pocket, and stay warm for hours.
Martin Stadium FAQs
When did Martin Stadium open?
Martin Stadium opened on September 30, 1972, replacing Rogers Field, which had been damaged by fire in 1970.
What is Martin Stadium’s capacity?
The stadium seats about 32,952 fans, a figure set after the renovation projects completed in 2014 traded some seating for premium club and suite spaces.
Who plays at Martin Stadium?
It is the home field of Washington State University’s Cougars football team, located on the WSU campus in Pullman, Washington.
Get More from Martin Stadium
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Martin Stadium, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo: Spicypepper999 / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.