FACILITIES & DIRECTIONS

SEELYE INDOOR CENTER

The Donald "J" Seelye Athletic Center, which began construction in the winter of 2001, officially opened its doors to Western Michigan University athletic programs on January 13, 2003.

The WMU women’s soccer team was the first to take advantage of the state-of-the-art facility with an early-morning workout.

The $25 million facility was officially opened in the fall of 2003 with a dedication ceremony that featured both university and community leaders. All Bronco programs in need of the turf bay now have access and have the ability to escape from the frigid winter temperatures in Michigan.

Bronco athletic squads will train on a newly installed 80x60-yard field covered with FieldTurf. The surface was redone in May of 2013, a project which combined with new FieldTurf in Waldo Stadium, cost $1.3 million.

The field which multiple teams practice on, has had new graphics added in the spring of 2016 to reflect the championshp success had by the football team, baseball team, softball team and the men's and women's soccer team.

The Seelye Center also houses several luxury suites for home Bronco football games, which also double as offices for selected members of the Bronco coaching staff. The facility includes an equipment room, training room and severl locker rooms.

The Varsity "W" Club Room provides a plentiful space for special events, including press conferences and weekly coach luncheons.

DIRECTIONS

• From I-94: At exit #74, turn north onto US-131, go 2.7 miles, see continued directions from US-131 below.
• From US-131: Exit #36A (Stadium Drive East) and proceed 2.5 miles. After crossing Oliver Street (in between basketball arena and softball field), the second right will be the entrance (Lot 7) to the Seelye Center. The Seelye Center is the building located at the east end of the football stadium.

WALDO STADIUM

Waldo Stadium has been home to the Western Michigan football team since the 1939 season. Since then, WMU has had 10 perfect seasons at home, capturing three in the 1940's and the 2000's, tied for the most in any one decade (1941, 1942, 1947, 1966, 1982, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2006, 2008). The Broncos' most successful decade to date was the 1990's when the team went a combined 38-13 (.745).

The origins of Waldo Stadium date back to 1939. Built at the cost of $250,000, the venue was constructed as part of a new athletic plant at WMU which also included the construction of Hyames baseball field. Later that season, the football facility — which included an eight-lane track — was dedicated to WMU President Emeritus Dwight B. Waldo, the school’s first president and a strong advocate of Bronco Athletics.

Waldo Stadium has gone through multiple renovations during its storied history. In 2003, the east end of the stadium was enclosed by the $25-million Donald J Seelye Athletic Center, which at its zenith reaches eight stories tall. In 2013, the University spent $1.3 million on a new FieldTurf Cool Play surface to replace the previous playing field which had been in place since 2006.

Prior to the start of the 2015 season, the stadium was given three new videoboards to install, thanks to a $2 million gift from 1988 Western Michigan alum Alec Gores. The main videoboard in the east end zone measures 27x41 feet. There are also two auxilary videoboards attached to the exterior of the Seelye Athletic Center by where the team enters on the field, which each enter 19x35 feet.

Western Michigan's attendance record at Waldo Stadium was set during the 2000 opener with 36,361 fans, while the 1999 season set a record for attendance average in a season with 26,874.