Editing Lumen Field (section)

=== College ===
[[File:Air Force at Qwest.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|alt=In an American football game, a runner with the ball faces a defender while a blocker locks with another defensive player. |[[2005 Washington Huskies football team|Washington]] hosting [[2005 Air Force Falcons football team|Air Force]] in [[2005 NCAA Division I-A football season|2005]]]]

Lumen Field has hosted several college football games. The hometown [[Washington Huskies football|Washington Huskies]] played their [[2005 Washington Huskies football team|2005]] season opener against the [[2005 Air Force Falcons football team|Air Force Falcons]] at the stadium in [[Tyrone Willingham]]'s first game as [[head coach]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Ted |last=Miller |title=What you see is what you get with Willingham |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |date=August 26, 2005 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/preview05/news/story?id=2140417 |access-date=January 7, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Huskies Falcons">{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=252462005 |title=Washington 17, Air Force 20 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=November 22, 2009}}</ref> The Huskies played their entire [[2012 Washington Huskies football team|2012]] home schedule at the stadium while their home field, [[Husky Stadium]], underwent a $250 million renovation; to expedite the start of the renovation by three weeks, the Huskies and the [[2011 Washington State Cougars football team|Washington State Cougars]] also played the [[Apple Cup]] in [[2011 Washington Huskies football team|2011]] at then-CenturyLink Field.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Condotta |first1=Bob |title=Huskies will play 2012 football season and 2011 Apple Cup at Qwest Field |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-huskies/huskies-will-play-2012-football-season-and-2011-apple-cup-at-qwest-field/ |access-date=May 21, 2023 |work=The Seattle Times |date=September 30, 2010}}</ref> The stadium hosted its second Apple Cup in September 2024 after the Huskies moved to the [[Big Ten Conference]] and agreed to a five-year Apple Cup schedule with the Cougars.<ref>{{cite news |last=Yamashita |first=Andy |date=September 9, 2024 |title=Jedd Fisch ponders UW-WSU rivalry future before Saturday's Apple Cup |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-football/jedd-fisch-ponders-uw-wsu-rivalry-future-before-saturdays-apple-cup/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=September 17, 2024}}</ref>

From [[2002 Washington State Cougars football team|2002]] through [[2014 Washington State Cougars football team|2014]], the stadium hosted a [[Washington State Cougars football|Washington State Cougars]]' non-conference [[Home (sports)|home game]] each season (except for [[2010 Washington State Cougars football team|2010]]). This included the 86th "[[Battle of the Palouse]]" against the [[2003 Idaho Vandals football team|Idaho Vandals]] in [[2003 Washington State Cougars football team|2003]].<ref name="ESPN August 30, 2003">{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=232420070 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030923084504/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=232420070 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 23, 2003 |title=Washington State 25, Idaho 0 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=November 16, 2009}}</ref> The attendance for the dozen Cougar games ranged from 30,927 to 63,588.<ref name="Seattle Times 2009-09-09">{{cite news |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/cougars/2009834606_coug10.html |title=Washington State has no agreement to play at Qwest Field beyond Saturday |last=Grippi |first=Vince |date=September 9, 2009 |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=September 15, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090913070157/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/cougars/2009834606_coug10.html |archive-date=September 13, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Seattle Times 2009-11-03">{{cite news |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/budwithers/2009854995_withers13.html |title=Cougars football team is no match for Hawaii, falls 38–20 |last=Withers |first=Bud |date=September 12, 2009 |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=November 3, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923031353/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/budwithers/2009854995_withers13.html |archive-date=September 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Rutgers rallies in 4th to beat Cougars 41-38 |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=400547993 |work=ESPN |date=August 29, 2014 |access-date=January 21, 2016}}</ref> CenturyLink Field is approximately {{convert|300|mi}} from WSU, but closer to many alumni in the Seattle metro area. The university's athletic director said that an attendance of 50,000 was needed to make it worth moving the game from [[Martin Stadium]] in [[Pullman, Washington|Pullman]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=4864809 |title=Wazzu to return to Qwest Field in 2011 |date=January 27, 2010 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |access-date=February 11, 2010}}</ref> The Cougars went 6–6 in their annual Seattle home game, which generated additional revenue that was invested in facilities for the football program while also increasing exposure to the western side of the state.<ref>{{cite news |last=Eaton |first=Nick |title=WSU Cougars discontinue annual football game in Seattle |url=http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2014/08/27/wsu-cougars-discontinue-annual-football-game-in-seattle/ |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |date=August 27, 2014 |access-date=January 21, 2016 |archive-date=January 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128040402/http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/2014/08/27/wsu-cougars-discontinue-annual-football-game-in-seattle/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In April 2009, it was proposed that the annual Apple Cup between the Seattle-based Huskies and the Pullman-based Cougars be hosted at CenturyLink Field for six&nbsp;years beginning in 2010. The two programs could not reach an agreement on how to divide tickets. Pullman's business community had expressed concerns that playing the game away from the [[Palouse]] would be detrimental to the local economy.<ref name="Seattle Times 2009-04-24">{{cite news |first=Nicholas |last=Geranios |title=WSU won't seek Apple Cup at Qwest |date=April 24, 2009 |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009118803_apfbcapplecupqwest2ndldwritethru.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=April 25, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428101219/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009118803_apfbcapplecupqwest2ndldwritethru.html |archive-date=April 28, 2009}}</ref>

Qwest Field hosted the second and final [[2002 Seattle Bowl|Seattle Bowl]] in late [[2002–03 NCAA football bowl games|2002]], in which [[2002 Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team|Wake Forest]] beat [[2002 Oregon Ducks football team|Oregon]] 38–17.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=223640154 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030117074238/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=223640154 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 17, 2003 |title=MacPherson's three TDs power Wake's rout |publisher=ESPN |access-date=November 10, 2009}}</ref> The inaugural [[2001 Seattle Bowl|Seattle Bowl]] was played a year earlier at Safeco Field, but the game was discontinued when organizers could not secure financing before 2003. Later attempts to revive the [[Seattle Bowl]] were unsuccessful.<ref name="ESPN 2003-12-17">{{cite news |title=Seattle Bowl may be back in '04 |date=December 17, 2003 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=1688663 |access-date=September 16, 2009}}</ref> The Seattle Sports Commission led a push in 2008 for a new bowl game starting in 2010 that would have been a fundraiser for [[Seattle Children's|Seattle Children's Hospital]].<ref name="Seattle Times 2008-08-13">{{cite news |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/college/group-pushing-for-new-bowl-game-in-seattle/ |title=Group pushing for new bowl game in Seattle |last=Condotta |first=Bob |date=August 13, 2008 |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=May 21, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080817114330/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/collegesports/2008109637_seattlebowl13.html |archive-date=August 17, 2008}}</ref>

Lower division [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] teams have played at the stadium throughout the years. From 2003 to 2008, the [[NCAA Division II|Division II]] football teams from [[Western Washington Vikings football|Western Washington University]] and [[Central Washington Wildcats football|Central Washington University]] met each year in a rivalry game called "The Battle in Seattle." Central won all but the 2004 game, and each meeting attracted more than 11,000.<ref name="Seattle Times Battle In Seattle">{{cite news |first=Craig |last=Smith |title=Battle in Seattle / Central quarterback attracts NFL interest |url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/collegesports/2008254202_battle11.html |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=April 18, 2009 |date=October 11, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014055251/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/collegesports/2008254202_battle11.html |archive-date=October 14, 2008}}</ref>  Western (of [[Bellingham, Washington|Bellingham]]) discontinued its football program after the [[2008 NCAA Division II football season|2008]] season, but Central (of [[Ellensburg, Washington|Ellensburg]]) agreed  to continue the series with [[Western Oregon Wolves|Western Oregon University]] (of [[Monmouth, Oregon|Monmouth]]) for games in 2009 and 2010. "Battle in Seattle VII" saw Central make a comeback to win 23–21 in front of 5,374.<ref name="Daily Record October 19, 2009">{{cite news |url=http://www.kvnews.com/articles/2009/10/19/sports/doc4adcd80cb2173018707102.txt|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127093331/http://www.kvnews.com/articles/2009/10/19/sports/doc4adcd80cb2173018707102.txt|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 27, 2013 |title=Small crowd shows up to Battle in Seattle VII |last=Abbott |first=Ian |date=October 19, 2009 |work=Daily Record |access-date=November 12, 2009}}</ref>

On October 31, 2009, the [[Football Championship Subdivision|Division I FCS]] [[2009 Eastern Washington Eagles football team|Eastern Washington University Eagles]] played a home game in Seattle for the first time. Along with the goal of drawing alumni from the [[Seattle metropolitan area|metropolitan area]], the athletic directors from both Eastern Washington (of [[Cheney, Washington|Cheney]]) and Washington State had expressed the importance of connecting with alumni at receptions and other events on the western side of the state.<ref name="Seattle Times 2009-09-09" /><ref name="The Olympian 2009-03-27">{{cite web |url=http://www.allvoices.com/news/2831939/s/30871834-eastern-washington-s-football-schedule-includes-game-at-qwest-field |title=Eastern Washington's football schedule includes game at Qwest Field |work=The Olympian |access-date=September 27, 2009 |date=March 27, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131010113714/http://www.allvoices.com/news/2831939/s/30871834-eastern-washington-s-football-schedule-includes-game-at-qwest-field |archive-date=October 10, 2013}}</ref> Billed as the "Showdown on the Sound", the game was a 47–10 victory over the [[2009 Portland State Vikings football team|Portland State Vikings]].<ref>{{cite news |title=E. Washington 47, Portland St. 10 |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293040331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111115850/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recap?gameId=293040331 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 11, 2012 |publisher=ESPN |date=October 31, 2009 |access-date=November 11, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Eastern vs. Portland State |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/oct/31/eastern-vs-portland-state/ |work=[[The Spokesman-Review]] |date=October 31, 2009 |access-date=November 11, 2009}}</ref> According to Eastern's athletic director, Qwest Field's rental was $50,000 for the day.<ref name="SpokesmanReview 2009-11-01">{{cite news |url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/01/qwest-experience-worth-doing-again/ |title=Qwest experience worth doing again |last=Bergum |first=Steve |date=November 1, 2009 |work=The Spokesman-Review |location=Seattle |access-date=November 1, 2009}}</ref> The stadium subsequently hosted a game on September 11, 2010, between Eastern and Central; coined the "Battle of the Sound", the game saw Eastern prevail over Central 35–32.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Collingwood |first1=Ryan |title=10 years after the title: Central Washington gave Eastern Washington all it could handle in Seattle |url=https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/sep/06/10-years-after-the-title-central-washington-gave-e/ |access-date=May 20, 2023 |work=The Spokesman-Review |date=September 6, 2020}}</ref>