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Waldo Stadium

Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, MI, home of Western Michigan. Capacity 30,200. Opened October 7, 1939.

Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, MI
Waldo Stadium, Kalamazoo, MIPhoto: Whippdog, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Capacity
30,200
Opened
1939
Surface
FieldTurf
Roof
Open air
Elevation
800 ft
Western Michigan here
88–⁠51 games on file since 2001
College GameDay
once

Since it opened: Western Michigan is 219–⁠127–⁠2 in home games from the 1943 season on. Our source names a game’s stadium only from 2001, so that count takes every earlier home game not marked neutral and may include a few played elsewhere.

Biggest games here

From the games on file here, 2001 on: title and postseason games, meetings of two ranked teams, upsets by our pregame Elo ratings and the biggest swings in CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.

Crowds season by season

Average and biggest crowd at Waldo Stadium by season, 2001 to 202610k20k30k40k2001: 22,396 a game over 5 games; biggest 33,9762002: 18,878 a game over 6 games; biggest 28,2682003: 18,838 a game over 6 games; biggest 25,3162004: 15,997 a game over 5 games; biggest 21,6432005: 18,906 a game over 5 games; biggest 24,4972006: 18,625 a game over 5 games; biggest 24,8062007: 19,494 a game over 6 games; biggest 32,1292008: 19,683 a game over 5 games; biggest 26,2622009: 20,330 a game over 5 games; biggest 27,8962010: 14,255 a game over 6 games; biggest 19,3272011: 19,985 a game over 5 games; biggest 26,6742012: 14,579 a game over 6 games; biggest 22,5362013: 17,347 a game over 5 games; biggest 24,1632014: 15,625 a game over 5 games; biggest 22,2262015: 19,441 a game over 6 games; biggest 30,8852016: 23,838 a game over 6 games; biggest 28,0422017: 15,886 a game over 6 games; biggest 25,7322018: 18,293 a game over 6 games; biggest 24,2822019: 17,937 a game over 6 games; biggest 22,3282021: 13,690 a game over 6 games; biggest 18,7162022: 16,567 a game over 5 games; biggest 22,8752023: 17,563 a game over 4 games; biggest 21,8802024: 17,626 a game over 5 games; biggest 23,5372025: 20,194 a game over 6 games; biggest 29,2992026: 25,058 a game over 3 games; biggest 29,700200120062011201620212026

Biggest crowds on file

33,976Illinois State at Western Michigan2001
32,129Indiana at Western Michigan2007
30,885Michigan State at Western Michigan2015
29,700Boise State at Western Michigan2026
29,299Central Michigan at Western Michigan2025

Bars are each season’s average crowd, dots its biggest (the record in orange), the dashed rule today’s capacity. Attendance is on file for most games from 2001 on.

College GameDay here

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from Waldo Stadium once, first in 2016.

Nov 19, 2016Western Michigan 38, Buffalo 0Sangren Pedestrian Mall

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of College GameDay locations (CC BY-SA).

Weather on game day

Coldest kickoffs

Hottest kickoffs

Snow at kickoff

Coldest game days before 2004

Hottest game days before 2004

Snow on game day

Kickoffs: the NOAA report nearest kickoff from the closest weather station (NOAA NCEI Integrated Surface Database). Game days: the day’s high and snowfall at the NOAA station nearest the stadium, for Western Michigan’s home games before 2004 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, public domain).

The stadium’s history

Former names
Western State Teachers College Field
Opened
October 7, 1939
Surface over the years
FieldTurf (2006–present)
NexTurf (2000–⁠2005)
Prescription Athletic Turf (1992–⁠1999)
Astroturf (1974–⁠1991)
Natural grass (1939–⁠1973)
Expanded
1973, 1989
Renovated
1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2015
Record crowd
36,361 (September 16, 2000 vs. Indiana State)

From the stadium’s Wikipedia article, Waldo Stadium.

From above

50 mN ↑
The stadium’s footprint, north up: about 190 by 200 meters (630 by 640 feet), the field in green. Outline from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Recent games here

Oct 10, 2026Western Michigan 38, Kent State 7
Sep 26, 2026Boise State 32, Western Michigan 7
Sep 12, 2026Western Michigan 49, Monmouth 14
Nov 11, 2025Western Michigan 17, Ohio 13
Nov 1, 2025Western Michigan 24, Central Michigan 21
Oct 11, 2025Western Michigan 42, Ball State 0
Sep 27, 2025Western Michigan 47, Rhode Island 14
Sep 20, 2025Western Michigan 14, Toledo 13
Sep 6, 2025North Texas 33, Western Michigan 30
Nov 30, 2024Western Michigan 26, Eastern Michigan 18
Nov 6, 2024Northern Illinois 42, Western Michigan 28
Oct 26, 2024Western Michigan 52, Kent State 21

Pouring rights

PepsiCo has the stadium’s soft-drink pouring rights. Official source.