Gonzaga Stadium

Gonzaga Stadium was an outdoor sports stadium in the northwest United States, located on the campus of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.^[9] The home of Gonzaga Bulldogs football, it was built in five months and opened in 1922;^{[2][4][6][10]} the first game was against Washington State on October 14, won by the Cougars with a late field goal, 10–7.^[11] After the opening loss, Gonzaga was undefeated in the next ten games at the stadium, with eight wins and two ties.^[10]

Gonzaga Stadium

Spokane Location in the United States Show map of the United States Spokane Location in Washington Show map of Washington (state)
Location	Gonzaga University Spokane, Washington, U.S. (site: Foley Center Library)[1]
Coordinates	47.667°N 117.4005°W / 47.667; -117.4005
Owner	Gonzaga University
Operator	Gonzaga University
Seating type	wood bench
Capacity	1922: 10,000 [2] 1913:   2,000 [3]
Surface	Natural grass
Construction
Broke ground	May 16, 1922 [4][5][6][7]
Opened	October 14, 1922; 102 years ago (1922-10-14)[2][4] (GU vs. Washington State)
Renovated	1931 (lights)[4][6]
Closed	1947; 78 years ago (1947)
Demolished	1949 [1]
Construction cost	$100,000 (in 1922)[2] ($1.88 million in 2024[8])
General contractor	Huetter Construction Co.[4][6]
Tenants
Gonzaga University (multiple sports)

The football field had a conventional north-south alignment at an elevation of approximately 1,900 feet (580 m) above sea level. Lights were installed in 1931,^[4][6] between the field and the running track.^[1]

Like many colleges, football was stopped at Gonzaga during World War II and the last season was in 1941.^[12][13] The program had been in financial difficulty,^[14][15][16] and was not resumed after the war; the stadium seating was demolished in 1949.^[1][4]

Gonzaga Stadium was used for city high school football until it was deemed unsafe by the city after the 1947 season.^[17][18][19] The wooden venue hosted a professional preseason game in 1946 under the lights, between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers of the new All-America Football Conference.^[20][21] High school football moved to Ferris Field in 1948 for two years, then to the new Memorial Stadium in 1950, later named for Gonzaga alumnus Joe Albi in 1962.

The stadium site made its debut as a football venue in 1913, when Gonzaga hosted Inland Empire rival Idaho on October 11.^[22][23][24] At its opening, it had seating for 2,000 and room for fifty automobiles to line up.^[3]

Present day

The football field of Gonzaga Stadium is currently occupied by the Foley Center Library (1992) and the Foley Lawn.^[1][25] The Crosby Student Center, originally a library, was constructed in 1957 on the site of the northern end of the west grandstand.^[26][27] A statue of Bing Crosby outside the north entrance was dedicated in early 1981.^[28][29]