Seattle Pacific University does not have a football team. This is due to the fact that football is by far the most expensive (though also the most lucrative) of American sports, and even when SPU was in the black, there was no way to fund either a football team or the construction and maintenance of facilities for one.
While the school’s fans of soccer, volleyball, basketball, rowing, cross country and track and field can start following those teams on campus, football fans do not gain any new loyalties.
There is a great variety of college football fans on campus, many of whom come in already being a fan of a college team. Fifth-year communications major Gurv Basra, for example, is a lifelong fan of the University of Washington Huskies.
“Definitely a big Dawgs fan,” Basra said. “I’ve been a fan since I was a young kid. I’ve definitely gotten deeper ever since I’ve gotten into college.”
Junior music education major Hannah Marsh similarly got into Husky football early.
“My dad is a really big fan of the Huskies. He’s a football coach himself, so we would always go to games when I was a kid, and we went to a bunch of games all through my life,” Marsh observed.
On the other hand, Neena Marcus, a sophomore nursing major, became a fan later in life, having gone to her first game on Sep. 23, 2023, a game in which they won 59-32 against the University of California Bears.
“I’m more of a recent fan. Just being in Washington or being in the States, I feel like football is a big thing, and being in Seattle, it’s like, oh, UW,” Marcus noted. “And my boyfriend is in the marching band, and so I went to the game to see the game but also to see him.”
The Huskies have had their ups and downs in the third millennium. In 2000, they went 11-1 and won the Rose Bowl. In 2008, that unfortunate year of Seattle sports when the Sonics left for Oklahoma and the Mariners traded away Adam Jones, the Huskies played their part and went 0-12. Ten years later in the 2018 season, the Huskies made the Rose Bowl again but lost to Ohio State University.
In 2023, the Huskies are a powerhouse, led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and a dominant wide receiver core of Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan. They bulldozed out to a 6-0 start, capped off by an instant classic 36-33 win over the University of Oregon Ducks, which brought them to a #5 national rank and a real shot at making the college football playoff.
Basra expressed excitement for the Huskies’ prospects.
“I think our chances are really high, especially after this big win against Oregon,” Basra noted. “We still have a bunch of big games coming up too, but I think that the chances are there.”
On Oct. 21, the Huskies played the Arizona State Sun Devils, a team that has played well against Washington over the past few years despite consistently being one of the worst teams in the Pac-12.
Early on, it seemed like the Dawgs might let that streak continue. The normally dominant offense had an uncharacteristically sloppy game, as Penix threw two picks and the team had two fumbles, neutering the Huskies’ first-half efforts.
The team’s offensive struggles continued throughout the game, but the defense held Arizona State to just one touchdown, and the Huskies went into the fourth quarter down 7-6. The Sun Devils got into the red zone, but junior Huskies cornerback Mishael Powell intercepted a pass from Arizona State quarterback Trenton Bourget and ran it all the way for a 90-yard pick-six. The Huskies never gave up the lead after that, winning 15-7.
Throughout the game, Husky fans were extremely energetic, filling Husky Stadium with their yells and stomps and cheers, while the marching band blew their horns and beat their drums.
Basra compared that to what he feels is a comparative lack of sports spirit on SPU’s campus, both for Falcon athletics and for other local sports.
“I’m about to say, SPU has no energy. I’m just gonna be straight up with you on that,” Basra noted. “Honestly, I don’t really hear a whole lot, maybe like a few conversations, but there’s not really a whole lot surrounding Husky football or just sports in general here at SPU.”
Marsh, however, likes the energy at both SPU and UW, but for different reasons, citing both as exciting environments with electric energy.
“I think, obviously [Husky football] is a lot bigger because it’s a bigger stadium, bigger event,” she stated. “But, I think that SPU does a really good job, the fans of soccer and volleyball and basketball do a really good job of supporting the teams.”
Fans from SPU show up to Husky Stadium, and Husky players, such as Powell, are happy to have them.
“I think it’s good. I think that small schools, you know, SPU or other small colleges, they don’t have football teams, so I’m just happy they’re not rooting for the other team in Pullman [Washington State University],” Powell said. “They’re here to root for us, so I’m grateful to have them.”
