By Brandon Hansen
Online Editor, The Easterner
After 37 years of service, the Woodward Field press box met its end when demolition of the structure began on April 19 as part of EWU’s Woodward Field Renovation Project.
“Now I know how people feel when they have their houses burn down,” said Dave Cook, EWU sports information director, “I mean all of a sudden it’s gutted, and it’s a place that I had spent a lot of time during the falls since basically the fall of 1990.”
The press box was built along with Woodward Field in 1967.
“It was very interesting to see it come down,” said Cook. “We had two crowd mic openings, and if we didn’t close them, birds would go up there, and there would be lots of droppings. The first day they went in and started pulling out all the fixtures, they pulled out one of the light fixtures and in one of those fixtures there was this big huge nest.”
This paves the way for a new press box that will be constructed in its place. It will be a two-story structure featuring donor suites on the first level and media accommodations on the second level. The structure will be much larger than the old press box.
“It was sub-par for press box standards in terms of this level of athletics,” said Cook. “A couple of years ago, when Montana State and Weber State built new press box facilities, I said at the time, ‘can I just take your old ones?’ because they were so much more accommodating in terms of media then ours was.”
It got to a point where the university could not accommodate all of the media during regional games against rivals like Montana and Idaho, said Cook.
“For TV crews, we had to stick them on top of the roof,” said Cook. “We actually built a makeshift booth for them out of canvas, so if it was cold, it was pretty miserable for them.”
One of the additions to the new press box will be a restroom, something the old one lacked. Media personnel had to use port-a-potties set above Woodward Field.
“I remember a game in 92’ against Idaho and the lines were just horrible for the porta-potties,” said Cook. “Tom Morris from an Idaho radio station kept poking his head out the back of the doors of the press box to see how long the lines were so that eventually he could go to the bathroom, it was pretty horrible.”
Cook recalled an e-mail from a writer asking for a good picture of the press box being demolished, and he replied that he was sure that the coaches would love to see a picture of the press box being demolished with the sportswriters and media inside it.
“We always had bees and flies on the windows,” said Cook. “So I had the same flyswatter up there since I started in 1990, so that was the one thing I wanted to make sure I kept from the old press box.”
The Eagles football team is excited about the changes, said Assistant Football Coach Rich Rasmusen. “These are much needed renovations.”
The football team will benefit from the new press box that will be wired for networking and fiber optics, for future games that may be broadcast.
“The upgrade brings us up competitively with the rest of the teams in the Big Sky Conference,” said Rasmusen, EWU’s tight end coach.
The new press box will be finished by Sept. 10, said Scott Rountree, project manager for T.W. Clark, the company contracted to build the structure.
“You’ve got to be sensitive to the university,” said Rountree of the building process, “There will be events and practices going on during construction.”
However, despite the new press box and all of its new features, the old press box was not without its memories.
“It was the best lunch place in Cheney,” said Steve Kerr, EWU men’s track and field coach.“You could sit up on the rooftop, and it was very quiet; you could unplug yourself from that whirlwind of activity.”
Kerr also went on to say that it was nice to look up at the press box and recognize some of the familiar faces working inside.
The demolition process actually interrupted Kerr’s practices as pole vaulters couldn’t hear their footsteps, which is something they use to time their vaults, while the pneumatic jack hammer was operating.
“I think it will be thought of sentimentally but not overly missed,” said Kerr of the old press box.
It just seemed outdated, looks outdated and was just small, said Marcia Mecklenburg, EWU women’s track and field coach.
When Woodward Field was constructed it was heralded as one of the most modern athletic stadiums in the Northwest.
However like the press box, time took its toll on the field. In 1987, the rubberized asphalt track had deteriorated so much that the university could not use it in official NCAA meets.
From 1987-1993, EWU’s invitational meet was held at SFCC, including one Big Sky Championship. The meet wasn’t held in 1991.
In the fall of 1993, the track was resurfaced and lights were installed thanks to a cooperative agreement between the university, Cheney School District and the City of Cheney.
EWU’s Woodward Field Renovation Project in 1999, new restrooms were added since. New locker rooms and office complex were completed, and a new main entrance for the stadium has been built.