Best seats and worst seats you've had at Husky Stadium?

During my recent pod episode with Race Bannon, I was talking about sitting in the rain in 1977 (near the tunnel) and watching the garbage bags swirl around the stadium in the wind and rain. Race stated/joked that they were undercover with Tyee tickets.

In 1981, we moved to the south side upper deck near the goal line. We were seated directly beneath the drip line from the upper deck, so sometimes the rain would be a nuisance to say the least.

In 1987, the new upper deck arrived (I was 16 years old at that point). Dad got tickets on the 15 yard line of the north upper deck. Really nice tickets. I got a sunburn for the inaugural game against Stanford. (Daryl Franklin with 214 receiving yards).

By the early 90s, Dad's tickets moved to the 40 yard line. It was a huge blessing for me to witness the prime years from those seats.

By the mid 90s, I would attend 2-3 games a year with dad and then buy tickets to other games on my own. But I remember somewhere around 1996, when my dad was paying more money than ever, but he got moved from the 40-yard line down to the 15-yard line. I haven't often seen dad totally pissed off, but I remember that day well as we sat in our seats. He was cursing and muttering. The following Monday he wrote a letter to Barbara Hedges saying how he had been a season ticket holder since 1957 and felt like the UW had stabbed him in the back. I don't remember what response he received, if any. (I'm assuming someone got back to him.)

The worst seats I ever sat in would be:

1982 - when my peewee football team sat in the end zone wooden bleachers for the UTEP game. I couldn't tell the difference between the 30-yard line and the 50-yard line. Horrible.

1990 - My roommate Rikki and I went to the Cal game, and sat in the Fun Zone. Again, hard to tell where the ball was on the field at times.

2003 - Went with Dawn to the Oregon game, sat in the north upper deck about ten seats from the top. Watched little ants running around on the field below. Horrible.

Best seats:

1983 - Sat in the press box for the Stanford game. My dad had a business associate who had two passes and gave them to dad. That was cool. Huskies won 32-15 and Sterling Hinds ran for 188.

2003-2005 Covered a handful of games in the press box for *******.***, until a certain writer demanded that I be removed. But those were great seats and a good experience that I was grateful for.

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1to392831weretaken

Q: Wouldn't the pressbox also be watching little ants running around?

For my answer, I don't get a chance to make it to games often, so I try to make it count and get good seats. Criteria: Closest to the field while being undercover. Ideally, then, I look for seats in the second deck, north side. The upper deck seats are the cover, and the field is really close. I also actually prefer watching a game end-on instead of from the side (easier to see plays develop, holes open, secondary coverage, etc.), but none of those seats are covered. Therefore, I look for north side, second deck, close to the corner as possible without being exposed to the rain.

Standford 2016, the beard and I were very front row of 232. Amazing seats, amazing crowd, amazing game.

Worst seats? Arizona 2013. Buddy at work was longtime season ticket holder, and his seats were right on the field in the northwest corner. That was one of those monsoon games. Took my dad, and we both left like drowned rats.

CSB tim: Long time friend of mine used to work at the high-price lobbying firm that lobbied for both Seattle pro stadium votes. After the Seahawk Stadium vote was successful and construction was underway, his firm got their choice of season tickets in the new stadiums. One of the owners of the firm happened to be friends with the stadium architect and asked where the best seats in the house would be. So I got to join my friend for a game in 2008 in the best seats in the house: West side upper deck, very front row, 50 yard line splitting our seats. Kicked back, feet up on the scoreboard in front of us. Instead of putting names on the charter seats, they just had the vote count (I think it was "56-44" or something like that) engraved on the little plaques. Anyway, right at the beginning of the game, Koren Robinson takes a 90 yard slant pass to the house to take a 7-0 lead over the Eagles. That was the end of the good times, as the Eagles proceeded to plunger and the Eagles fans in attendance got more... Eagles-fanish.

TheHB

I’ve been everywhere, man. But for about three years I got to watch games in the old press box, and it stands as my favorite place. The view was like being one of the seagulls that used to descend upon the field near the end of every game (when they were all played at 12:30). You could see everything from up there, plus you could hear the coaches yelling and the reporters laughing.

Saw the first game with the new north upper deck against Stanford there. Most memorable game unfortunately was probably the loss to Oregon State when UW was like a 50 point favorite.

Good times.

Worst seats … old east endzone. Watched the ‘95 Apple Cup there in the rain with a bunch of Cuog. At least UW won.

Fishpo31

Have sat all over (no press box), and for me the worst seats were either end zone, especially before the removal of the track. In one of the Lockner years, for the AC we were up high about the 40 on the south side. My wife is a bigger doog than I am, and after we were seated, she looked at me and said, "When I have to go to the restroom, I'm not coming back up here"...she held out for three quarters, and was terrified the whole time, especially with the shaking as a result of the plungering.

Had great seats during Gilbyham, one of my boys couldn't give away his business's comp tickets to clients (no one wanted them), so we sat Tyee, 45 yd line. Our season tix were about 20 rows up north on the 25. Had access to sideline passes in the early / mid 90's, the speed and violence was staggering...

HairyBallsDawg

I once watched part of a game from the roof of the UW Medical Center.

The view of the game wasn't very good but the view of the hot nurse that had the key was perfect.

vadawg

East end zone, OSU have no idea of year but….it sucked.

pawz

I've sat all over the stadium ...

Old Stadium

Best -

Don James Center - those were the tits. AINEC. It also used to be the only place you could get a beer in the stadium. I sat there twice.

South side, upper deck, front row. Never the same place twice, but front fuckin row at least 4x. I might be getting this mixed up slightly because this went across two seasons. For sure saw Sark beat Pete. Shook like a motherfucker. Probably my all-time favorite seats.

Family friends had seats on the 25 yard line, lower level under the upper deck seats. Those were great because it didn't matter which way the wind and rain were blowing, you would be bone-dry. Saw the 2000 OSU game there that came down to a field goal. Then saw a OSU deluge game where the rain was coming down horizontally. Still dry.

Worst -

Sat within arms-length of the moat multiple times. Never had a problem with the east end zone bleachers, save the elements.

2 or 3 rows from top, north upper deck near the east corner for Picket to Williams to win the AC.

New Stadium

Don James Center.

Luxury Suites - once per year for the last 4.

The first ASU gayme that saw a deluge managed to have someone hand me like 4 or 6 tickets to the President's Suite. That was cool. At the tim, they had 3 luxury suites combined together. I had a higher-up ask what I was doing there and I just held up my ticket and didn't say anything. FU.

Same family friends have 8 seats on the 25, well back from the drip line in south lower level. Thankfully there has yet to be a rainy gayme where the wind and rain came from the northwest. Sit here most gaymes.

Handicap seats behind the south side lower seats. Those are great because you sit above the section so it's totally unobstructed view, even if sitting.

No bad seats - yet.

Parking

E12, E20, E17, E97, N24 (and a secret spot that's been clutch over the years).

For the first gayme of the New Husky Stadium, my buddy scored a parking pass under the south side stands. We got there 5 hours before the game and hot boxed the shit out of the car. As far as my buddies and I are concerned, we were the first people to get blunted IN the new stadium. Good tims.

CFetters_Nacho_Lover

Always sat on the south side except for 4 games: 87 against somebody, ASU in like 89 upper north deck, upper deck but in the blazing hot fucking sun vs Wyoming I think in 02, and just below the DJ Center vs Oregon in 2017.

The upper deck and the blazing hot fucking sun were both miserable. Sitting below the DJ Center was a great fucking view but I was soaked despite my layers of wet weather gear.

South side seats. Someone already mentioned the handicapped seating area. I didn’t have tickets there but watched the Troy Williams vs the fighting bitchforks monsoon game with @DeLarry and @volcanodawg. I tried like hell to scheme my way into getting tickets in that section after that. My brothers had upper south side deck tickets in the front row and as someone already mentioned, those were good seats.

RaceBannon

My dad had 4 - 50 yard line seats that he used for clients and friends not his loving son. In 1968 my brother ran away and my mom didn't want to go to the game. Better seats for me. My first game - a 7-7 tie. I've been on jobsites with better language than I heard that day

In 1970 we caught the Sixkiller fever and the folks bought tickets in the student section for my brother and I to go see Michigan. Good seats

Later my dad got a couple of end zone seats and I went to the USC game with the head of the Washington State Patrol - my pals. A few years later a Stater caught my brother and I doing 100 up the 5 from Vancouver to Olympia with a case of beer. He called my dad instead of jail. The endzone sucked

In 73 the folks split up and mom got two of the 50 yard line Tyee seats. Nice

Mike "Que" Lude came in and sets up the seat license and out the door we went to a lower seat on the 15 yard line south side

When the new deck opened I took over and went purple to get prime seats north side where we stayed until 2007 when I dropped.

TrumpsWall

Old press box. Used to bounce around pretty good in there when the huskies were doing well. 1980. Two times on recruiting trips.

Alexis

Section 19, row 28. 1979-86. North side, about the 10 yard line or so. Great time. Near the band. Cheerleaders parked in front of a young Alexis. Robb Weller was cool.

After the remodel, 1987 one year upper deck, Northwest corner. Way too high. Stupid.

1988-next remodel. Section 20, tunnel 18, South side, under cover, second row from top of lower level. 2 minute jaunt to the charter bus and private bathroom and free beer. Loved it. Kept us out of the weather but couldn't see where punts went as they went out of view. Actually bought the Tunnel 18 sign during the remodel auction. It's on my stairs heading down to the basement.

Since then, have been in each corner, currently section 126. Best section that doesn't give money to tyee. I'm a pour.

Worst seats (other than 1987) Qwest Field. Fuck that place.

YellowSnow

OLD HUSKY STADIUM

Best: Bought the basically "free" student tickets before I started at UW. I think they were like $10 a game. The old student section were the best seats in the house.

Worst: Then cause of being a row peter puffer I got the free seats in the student athlete section which was like Section 15 or 17 down by the end zone. Pretty shitty. Not @PurpleBaze give us your tired and pour immigrants @section8 shitty, but still pretty shitty.

PurpleThrobber

1989 - living out of the area and came back for Apple Cup. Bought 'view obstructed' tickets from scalpers.

Watching the game from literally Row 1 behind the Husky bench was special. Sort of could see the tops of players helmets on the crowned field. Kind of.

IF the ball got within the 20 yard line on either end, could see about half the play.

MelloDawg

Best seats - Old HMB seats on the 50yd line

Worst seats - Old HMB Alumni seats on the track.

RaceBannon

Best seats - Old HMB seats on the 50yd line

Worst seats - Old HMB Alumni seats on the track.

I was at Band Day with the Olympia Bear Marching Band in 72 or so. We got folding chairs on the track

I was pretty much the only band guy that actually wanted to watch the game

NERDS

DerekJohnson

Best seats - Old HMB seats on the 50yd line

Worst seats - Old HMB Alumni seats on the track.
I was at Band Day with the Olympia Bear Marching Band in 72 or so. We got folding chairs on the track

I was pretty much the only band guy that actually wanted to watch the game

NERDS

Damn! I forgot about those days in the late 70s and 80s when there'd be hundreds of band members on folding chairs on the track and surrounding area. I think the Army game in '88 had an announced crowd of like 74,000 because of the band. BTW, we almost lost that game, but Chico Fraley had a pick 6 in the fourth quarter to give the Dawgs the lead.

booker14

Worst: East end zone for '86 BYU game - bad seats great beat down of BYU, 1990 season tickets in the horseshoe about half way up looking straight down the north sideline - couldn't tell what was going on past about the 30 yard line.
Best: 2006 Fresno game 50 yard line front row of north deck with great weather (got them on stub hub). Fresno missed an extra point in the 4th to lose the game. Also been in the Don James center with the boss's tickets a couple of times in 2016 and 17. Can't beat those seats but the games were so meh I don't remember which ones they were.

greenblood

I’m assuming the correct answer is any seat during the 2008 season?

DerekJohnson

Best seats - Old HMB seats on the 50yd line

Worst seats - Old HMB Alumni seats on the track.
I was at Band Day with the Olympia Bear Marching Band in 72 or so. We got folding chairs on the track

I was pretty much the only band guy that actually wanted to watch the game

NERDS
Damn! I forgot about those days in the late 70s and 80s when there'd be hundreds of band members on folding chairs on the track and surrounding area. I think the Army game in '88 had an announced crowd of like 74,000 because of the band. BTW, we almost lost that game, but Chico Fraley had a pick 6 in the fourth quarter to give the Dawgs the lead.

Actually the announced crowd was over 76,000 for the '88 Army game

LebamDawg

Sat all over, did not mind the weather except sitting north upper deck for the OSU game, must have been 36 degrees and rain/sleet blowing the entire game - left early.
North second to last row was awful for the opening game against the Tree. Seemed like it got to 110 under the cover. Hated that, turned to talk to a friend and the gal behind us had here feet on the bench back wearing a mini-skirt. I missed most of the game and the view backwards was better than the game. White panties.

Old stadium - sat about 15-20 rows up on south side 15 yard line not bad.
Upper Deck remodel. after the white panties game joined Tyee and got great seats at the 5 yard line. Had seats 3-6 and 5 rows from the front. USC guy (flew with rich parents up for game) sat next to me for the all I saw was purple game. He gasped every time we crunched Marinovich.
Newest remodel - aisle seats right in front of the beer deck. Easy to go pound one and sit down again. but used to get seats from a friend I worked with that had no life so he had front row upper deck 50 yd line seats. He also has prime bassetball seats.

Worst seat was in the end zone - the view was OK but this asshole in front of my wife was so fucking drunk he blew lunch for 30 minutes straight. I finally talked his friend to get him and his buckets of vomit out of there. So if any of you remember me getting at you - no hard feelings it was just a game.
Best end zone seat - I was the drunk SOB sitting in the wooden bleachers, me and me bud had each brought a half rack of Rainier to the game, dropped one and it fell under the seats. Usher let me under to get it and brought it back to our seats. Guy with his wife in front of us is joining in and having a few to his decked out wife with a bouffant hairdo (this is the 70's) as I pop one of the beers for the guy her bouffant became a sponge for the spray. Needless to say she was pissed, the three guys drinking said OOPS and continued. I bet he did not get laid. I know I did not.

TheHB

@Section14A would approve of this thread.