ELLENSBURG (Sept. 19) -- Poor air quality in the Kittitas Valley has prompted the Central Washington University athletic department to move its home football game against Azusa Pacific University this Saturday, September 22, from the CWU campus to Pop Keeney Stadium in Bothell, Washington. Kickoff as also been moved up 30 minutes to 12:30 p.m.

“We're excited about having our home opener this weekend. Unfortunately because of the air quality in the Kittitas Valley being and projected to be in the hazardous range we are challenged with finding an alternative site,” said Jack Bishop, CWU athletics director. “We can't subject our players or fans to the poor air quality that's expected. The Northshore School District has been very gracious to collaborate with us to use their beautiful stadium. We hope that our fans from not only the university and Ellensburg but the west side as well will come out to support us. This creates a great opportunity for alumni and friends of CWU in western Washington to see the Wildcats play. It will be kind of a mini 'Battle in Seattle.'”

Pop Keeney Stadium (9809 Northeast 188th Street) in Bothell, a 4,500-seat stadium with artificial turf, is the home to the Bothell, Inglemoor, and Woodinville high school football teams. The stadium is located approximately 115 miles northwest of Ellensburg and 15 miles north of downtown Seattle.
 
Previously purchased tickets will be honored at the gate. Tickets will also be available at the stadium. For those not able to attend, an audio broadcast and live statistics will be available through the CWU Athletics web site at www.wildcatsports.com.

CWU (2-1, 2-0 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) and APU (0-3, 0-2 GNAC) have played each other five times previously in football, with CWU winning four of those meetings. This week's game will be the first meeting between the two schools as members of the GNAC, as Azusa Pacific is in its first season as an affiliate member of the conference for football.

Media contact: Jonathan Gordon, CWU Department of Athletics, 509-963-1485, gordonj@cwu.edu

DIRECTIONS TO POP KEENEY STADIUM (from I-405)
Take exit 23 westbound onto SR 522
Follow SR 522 west to Bothell-Everett Highway (SR 527), go right at the second stoplight
Turn left onto NE 188th Street
Stadium entrance is on the left