Bleeding Purple and Gold: The Unique Culture of UW Football

Scott Pirak, Jack Olsen and Ellie Kawaguchi

The W, after being accepted into the University of Washington and becoming a student, the first task a freshman can complete as a newly admitted student is being a part of the “W” photo that takes place at husky stadium with the rest of the new members taking part in the first-year program festivities. Husky stadium is also the home of the husky football athletic program, the greatest setting in college football, and 70,138 roaring fans for 7 Saturdays every year. Husky Football has been a sense of pride and passion for many fans in the Seattle area and the impact the team has on our community extends beyond game day due to the teams work within the community through corporate sponsors, hosting community out-reach events and the connection that the topic of UW football creates for individuals from different backgrounds. In addition, the passion surrounding husky stadium and the team creates a strong culture of success and inclusivity.

Through the passion for its fans and the fans passion for Husky Football, the team has helped turn the University of Washington into Brooks’ idea of a  thick institution as the program creates an identity and holds many of the traditions that are a part of the university and UW football to have strong fan engagement season in and out and create a strong sense of community and culture. Teddy Purcell, a member of the university of Washington football team mentioned the importance of the crowds engagement stating “On game days, this is kind of specific but I think the sing-alongs are cool all the stuff that involves the players and then the fans start singing along too things like that, also captain husky, all the stuff that goes into game day is super sweet and having the student section in the endzone is super sweet… it’s super cool and separates us from other universities”. Captain Husky who is pictured below has played a pivotal role in creating a culture and engaging the fans as after the first points scored by Washington after halftime. Captain Husky provides a positive and fun in-game experience that engages and connects fans regardless of age and background and players together creating a high energy atmosphere through the shared passion of husky athletics. This activity demonstrates the university’s role as a thick institution through a set of collective rituals where shared tasks are completed, the long tenured story of Captain Husky and its origins, and idiosyncratic culture for the pursuit of a common goal of an eventual Washington victory.

Athletics, UW. Return Of Captain Husky. 20 Oct. 2018. Husky Stadium. CC BY-NC-ND.

In this image Captain Husky, in his purple and gold husky superhero outfit, leads the stadium in a traditional “H!-U!-S!-K!-I!-E!-S! HUSKIES! HUSKIES! HUSKIES!” chant for a home football game. 

Another idea is that UW football ties into the idea of the collegiate way. In a reading, Toma describes the collegiate way as special communities formed because students reside in the same area. This stands true for UW football because the students who reside at the UW Seattle campus will show up to support their Huskies no matter what. No matter the time, weather, or any other factors, the UW fans will show up. Through this time spent together supporting a common interest like UW football, the UW fanbase creates connections among themselves and have created a community of their own that is unlike any other. This idea is emphasized in the Tik Tok video, posted by College Gameday where Pat McAfee, one of the hosts of College Gameday talks about the husky fans and how blown away he is by their commitment to supporting the huskies. This is a perfect example of the husky fan base and culture because it shows how dedicated they are to support the football team and the community football has created for all these students.

Being a fan of the University of Washington Football team is more than just the college it represents, it’s a culture. It’s a thick institution with an identity and follows the collegiate way in uniting the students of Seattle. Outside of that, fans from all over the world tune in on gameday to support their favorite team in purple and gold. A quote coming from two fans who were studying abroad in Rome during the national championship game and unable to attend said that “It kills us. We are two of the biggest fans we know.” It’s because of fans like this that show just how serious it is for those who follow the Huskies. Through extreme passion, energy, and a relentless commitment to the team no matter the circumstances, the fans of UW Football really are special.

We opted out of AI tools to research, drafting or post-story edits. Our story ideas are our own. 

References:

1. Athletics, UW. Return of Captain Husky. 20 Oct. 2018. Husky Stadium. No creative common license given.
2. Brooks, D. (2017, April 18). How to Leave a Mark on People. The New York Times. https://nyti.ms/2pwdTYz
3. College Gameday (@collegegameday). (2023, December 14). The #washington #husky fans are LOUD this AM (Video). Tiktok. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwVCAEJ/
4. Toma, J. (Spring 1999). The Collegiate Ideal and the Tools of External Relations: The Uses of High-Profile Intercollegiate Athletics. New Directions For Higher Education, 81-91.