Basic Information
Stadium: Waldo Stadium
Location: Kalamazoo, MI (42.28552, -85.60091)
Owner: Western Michigan University
Primary sport: football
Year constructed: 1939
Listed capacity: 30,200
Date last visited: October 2023
Stadium information: https://wmubroncos.com/facilities/waldo-stadium/4
Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)
Built in 1939, Waldo Stadium is one of the oldest stadiums in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Unlike some other older stadiums, Waldo Stadium offers a great mix of old and new. The main (south) stands are built on the side of a hill, so you enter the south stands from the top but the rest of the seating from near field level. You see this bowl or semi-bowl design in many older stadiums; see Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA or Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, OH for example. It is an old-fashioned way of improving the pedestrian flow, but it still works. The stands are graded steeply, so every seat gives a good view of the field relative to its position in the stadium. The stadium takes an interesting approach with video boards; it uses several smaller video boards rather than 1 big one. Such an approach is unusual, but again it seems to work. Like many MAC schools, Western Michigan does not enjoy the fan support it did a couple of decades ago. That fact plus the fact that Waldo is one of the larger stadiums in the MAC makes it feel a little empty and cavernous. That said, I enjoyed watching a game here even in rainy weather, and you will probably enjoy coming here too.
Detailed Review:
Gameday Atmosphere: Western Michigan has a very friendly fan base, even to opposing fans. After walking into the stadium, I accidentally dropped my gloves while trying to put my ticket/phone away. Another fan pointed them out and picked them up for me! The marching band sounds great with lots of brass. The stadium's size created a lot of empty seats on the rainy afternoon I came here, so it felt a little cavernous. They could probably tarp-over a few thousand seats to make the stadium seem more occupied.
Seating: mostly bench seating. Some benches have backs, and there is some chair seating.
Field View: the stands are graded steeply, so most seats are elevated well above field relative to their position in the stadium. Thus, most seats give a good view of the field.
Audio/Video: 3 small video boards; loud audio system
Concessions/Hot Dogs: the beef hot dogs are not super big, but they have a pleasant flavor. They also serve brats, which is a nice menu item for a college football stadium.
Pedestrian Flow: fans can enter from both the top and the bottom of the main stands, so pedestrian flow is very good.
Parking: $10, all on the south side of the stadium because of its location on the edge of campus.
