$150-Million for Husky Stadium? A Cougars Fan Says No

The U. of Washington wants $150-million from taxpayers to pay half the cost of upgrades for Husky Stadium. (U. of Washington photo)

A $300-million renovation plan for the University of Washington’s Husky Stadium has raised adrenalin levels in Olympia, the state capital, as the plan’s supporters and opponents huddle to work out their next moves.

The university wants access to $150-million in tax revenue for upgrades for the 72,500-seat facility, according to an engaging Associated Press roundup of insults the two sides have traded—including one critic’s comparison of a state senator to Boss Hogg, a character on The Dukes of Hazzard.

The $150-million would pay for half of the renovation project, which the university says will improve the stadium’s ability to withstand earthquakes, make it more accessible for handicapped fans, and make it more comfortable. The university would come up with the other $150-million on its own.

But the university must first persuade state legislators to let King County divert money to the stadium from a tax on hotel rooms, rental cars, and restaurant meals. The tax is currently used to pay off stadiums for Seattle’s professional sports teams.

Critics of the plan are rallying around a Washington State University alumnus, Mike Bernard, who says that the University of Washington’s football program is “very rich” and that the program should pay for the renovations on its own. Also, he says that if taxpayers start footing bills for one of the state’s Pac-10 teams, they should—to keep the playing field level, as it were—dole out some money for the other team too.

For their part, Washington State University officials say they’re staying out of the fray—unless the University of Washington does get the money, in which case they may ask for help with renovations to the stadium in which the Cougars play.

Washington State University’s athletics director, Jim Sterk, has been hoping to raise $40-million to add another 2,200 seats to Martin Stadium, but the project’s Web site says the project has been blocked by “the current state of the economy” and problems in the credit markets.