Memorial Stadium (Seattle)

History

The stadium was designed by Seattle architect George W. Stoddard, also known for his work on the Green Lake Aqua Theater and the south stands of Husky Stadium. The stadium opened on September 26, 1947, during a "jamboree" featuring eight of the city's high school football teams. Seattle High School Memorial Stadium was dedicated later that year in memory of the Seattle youth who gave their lives in World War II. A memorial wall at the east end is inscribed with the names of over 700 fallen individuals. The following year, the stadium hosted the first widespread local television broadcast in the Puget Sound region: the Turkey Day high school football game between West Seattle and Wenatchee, televised on November 25 by KRSC-TV (later KING-TV).

The stadium was the venue for much of the opening ceremonies for the Century 21 Exposition, a World's Fair held in Seattle in 1962. In 1967, it became the first high school stadium in the country to install artificial turf. After several sellouts for the Seattle Sounders in their inaugural North American Soccer League season, a set of temporary bleachers were installed in the stadium to increase capacity to 17,925 in 1975. For soccer matches, the pitch at Memorial Stadium was 110 yd long and 60 yd wide. The Sounders moved to the Kingdome at the end of the 1975 season after attempts to negotiate for a long-term lease and management of the stadium with the Seattle School District were unsuccessful.

In 1992, the scoreboard was replaced and the field was rededicated as "Leon H. Brigham Field", in tribute to the long-time high school football coach who pushed to build Memorial Stadium while serving as the Seattle School District's first director of athletics. The scoreboard was again replaced in 2018. Plans to replace the turf surface and widen the field area were also announced prior to a visit by Major League Soccer officials in 1994 to determine its suitability to host a Seattle team. Memorial Stadium was renovated in 1999, forcing the Sounders to move to Renton Memorial Stadium for one season.

Tenants

The facility was not operated by the Seattle Center itself, but is owned by the Seattle School District and served as the "home field" for some high school football games played within the district. Memorial Stadium also hosted the first AAA (now 4A) state championship game for high school football in 1973, the first year of the state playoff system. The top-ranked Wenatchee Panthers were upset by the Kentridge Chargers, 26–24. Entering the title game, Wenatchee had given up just seven points all season and had been the top team in the state polls for four years. The stadium hosted the annual football championships for the Metro League, which were traditionally played on Thanksgiving Day.

As well as hosting two iterations of the Sounders franchise, Memorial Stadium served as home to several other pro and semi-pro sports teams. From 1967 to 1969 it was the home of the Seattle Rangers of the Continental Football League, a professional minor league. The Seattle Majestics, a women's American football team, played home games at Memorial Stadium from 2007 to 2009 before moving to French Field in nearby Kent. Seattle Reign FC of the National Women's Soccer League moved to the stadium in 2014 and played with a capacity limited to 6,000 for several seasons. They announced their move to Tacoma in January 2019 and then to Lumen Field in 2022. The American Ultimate Disc League's Seattle Cascades used the stadium for the majority of their home games from 2015 to 2025. In addition, the stadium hosted adult recreational league soccer and flag football.

Memorial Stadium served as the finish for the Seattle Marathon. The stadium has also hosted political and religious events, including five weeks of Billy Graham sermons in 1951 and a speech during the 1999 WTO protests.

Concerts

The stadium was also used periodically for concerts, particularly in connection with festivals held at the Seattle Center, like Bumbershoot. In late May 1995, The Grateful Dead performed their final three Seattle shows; they disbanded after Jerry Garcia died later that year.

Replacement project

In 2017, the Seattle School District and the city of Seattle announced plans to build a new high school and stadium at Seattle Center in response to major population growth in downtown Seattle. While no timetable had been set for construction, and no site had yet been chosen, the current Memorial Stadium site was seen as a likely location for the new project because the city and school district had agreed in 2009 that the current stadium should be torn down. In October 2018, a design studio leaked renderings of a soccer-specific stadium on the site of Memorial Stadium that was commissioned for a feasibility study.

In March 2023, Seattle Public Schools and the City of Seattle issued a request for proposals to renovate or replace the stadium. It proposes a design with at least 8,000 seats that removes view-obstructing walls and connects with the International Fountain to the direct west. The project would include $87.5 million in public funding from the city government and school district, the latter of which was approved through a 2022 property tax levy, along with other contributions from the state government. The private bidder would pay for the remaining construction costs and operate the venue, which would be used for school sports as well as concerts and cultural events beginning in 2027. Several professional teams, including Seattle Reign FC and the Seattle Seawolves of Major League Rugby, have been mentioned as potential tenants. An earlier completion in 2026 is also proposed so that the stadium would be used as a training facility during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Two proposals were presented in May 2023 to the city and school district, who planned to evaluate the proposals by the end of the month. The One Roof Partnership, a partnership between the Seattle Kraken and Oak View Group (the operator of the redeveloped Climate Pledge Arena), proposed a stadium with four stands and seats for 10,000 spectators; its design was inspired by a stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, that was being constructed for the Kansas City Current of the National Women's Soccer League. A separate bid from JLL, Poag Development Group, and the Anschutz Entertainment Group included a semi-covered grandstand and a wrapped facade. The city and school district announced their selection of the One Roof Partnership as their preferred bidder on June 15. A total of $30 million in donations were collected by the One Roof Partnership to fill a funding gap not covered by $110 million from public sources.

The February 2025 plan from Generator Studio and GGLO comprises a stadium with 6,500 seats and capacity for 8,000 total spectators with covered seating on three sides and an uncovered berm on the west side. Multiple courtyards are planned to be added around the Memorial Wall and concourses on the east and west sides. A public "farewell" event was held in June 2025 ahead of demolition.

References

References

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23. (2022-03-17). "With move to Lumen Field, OL Reign get set to embark on a new era in Seattle".
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35. (June 15, 2023). "Team behind Climate Pledge Arena picked to build $150M new Seattle Memorial Stadium". The Seattle Times.
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37. Lapworth, Emma. (February 4, 2025). "A sneak peek at the new Memorial Stadium". Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.
38. Andre, Drew. (June 26, 2025). "Seattle bids farewell to Memorial Stadium". KING 5 News.