Photos by Benjamin Evensen, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.43
Beasley Coliseum 225 N Grand Ave Pullman, WA 99164
Year Opened: 1973
Capacity: 12,058
Lacking in Pullman
Located in the southeast corner of Washington in the Palouse region, a few minutes from the Idaho border sits Washington State University in Pullman. A Pac-12 school of 19,756 at the main Pullman campus, the Cougars men’s and women’s basketball teams play at the Beasley Coliseum on campus which seats 11,671. It was opened in 1973 and is named for Wallis Beasley, a sociology professor and executive vice president who died in 2008.
The first game at Beasley Coliseum was an exhibition game between the NBA’s Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trail Blazers. The first Cougar men’s game was in 1973 against LSU. It has played host to the NCAA Tournament three times, hosting sub-regionals in 1975, 1982, and 1984, while teams such as UCLA, Michigan, Georgetown, and Duke participated in, top-15, for those years.
Overall, Beasley Coliseum is a nice venue that has a good atmosphere when the team is winning. That isn’t happening much these days though, and today Beasley Coliseum is a very good, but not great, college basketball arena.
Food & Beverage 4
The food options are not lacking in selection, and while the prices are not overly high for a sporting event, they certainly are not low. Hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, candy, Coke products, and popcorn are all in the $3-$6 range, while special food items like sandwiches and pizza are a bit more. If the prices were a little lower a 5-star rating would be awarded, but for now, it receives a 4-star.
Atmosphere 1
The team isn’t winning and has not had much success at all in quite some time, but you would expect so much more for a Saturday game against a top-15 conference opponent (this game was against #13 Utah). The arena had no more than 3,000 people and the student section was almost non-existent. More fans will come with wins, but for this type of game and the atmosphere that was there, it was pitiful.
Neighborhood 3
The arena isn’t close to much walking-wise except for student housing and dorms, and if you drive into downtown Pullman you will find a good amount of restaurants and bars in this college town. Nearby Moscow, Idaho, about a ten-minute drive, is full of restaurants and bars as well. There just is almost nothing for miles and miles outside of Pullman and Moscow, and not many places to go from there.
Fans 1
Much like I explained in the atmosphere section, the fans are lacking in attendance and noise. There isn’t anything positive about the fans at Cougar basketball games as of late.
Access 2
Pullman is a very isolated town with not much near it. About a 2-hour drive from Spokane, a 4-hour drive from Seattle, and a 5-hour drive from Boise on two-lane highways. During brutal winter conditions, it can be dangerous. There is a small regional airport that comes from Seattle, Spokane, and Lewiston, Idaho if you wish to fly into Pullman. Parking isn’t ideal near the arena and it may require high pries or walk from a distance.
Return on Investment 4
The prices for Cougar games are not that bad, with upper deck tickets around $10 and lower bowl tickets around $25 and up. Some games will charge more when it is a marquee opponent like the University of Washington. Overall though, the price of admission is worth the game.
Extras 2
If you like seeing colleges, head over the Moscow, ID just a few minutes away to see the University of Idaho. Martin Stadium is also right across the street 2-hour4-hour Beasley Coliseum. Otherwise, there 5-hourthe fromaren’t too many extras.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Beasley Coliseum is a nice arena, but while the team is doing so poorly the venue is empty and very unenergetic. With team success, it is not a bad arena by any means to see a Pac-12 basketball game.
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