Field Gulls
The Seahawks played their first 24 seasons at the Kingdome from 1976-1999 before eventually moving to Lumen Field in 2002.
Today (March 26) marks the 25th anniversary of the demolition of one of the most iconic buildings in Seattle sports history: the Kingdome.
King County Stadium, commonly referred to as the Kingdome, was the original home of the Seattle Seahawks from 1976 to 1999. Originally planned for use to lure an MLB team back to Seattle after the loss of the Pilots in 1970, the Kingdome was completed in 1976, with construction beginning in late 1972. The city was granted another MLB club in the Mariners, who were the Seahawks’ primary co-tenants for much of the stadium’s life.
Like most expansion teams, the Seahawks struggled out of the gate, going 4-10 at home in their first two seasons. However, the team’s fortunes began to turn in 1983, ending their third winning season with a playoff berth.
That year, the Seahawks won their first-ever playoff game, defeating the Denver Broncos 31-7 at the Kingdome in the AFC Wild Card round. Seattle then upset Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins in the Divisional round by a score of 27-20, eventually falling to the then-Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC Championship Game.
The Seahawks returned to the playoffs three more times during the ‘80s, exacting revenge on the Raiders at home in the 1984 Wild Card round and winning the AFC West division title in 1988. Unfortunately, Seattle did not do so well over the next 10 years, finishing with a winning record just once between 1989 and 1998.
As the calendar turned to the 1990s, the Kingdome became outdated, with multi-purpose stadiums lacking many of the features that were present in newer stadiums. In 1994, the stadium’s roof collapsed right before the start of a Mariners game, sparking the discussion of plans for new venues for both the Mariners and the Seahawks.
During this time, the Seahawks were faced with a relocation threat—in 1996, then-owner Ken Behring wanted to move the team to Anaheim Stadium, which had recently been vacated following the Rams’ move to St. Louis. Behring’s efforts failed when it was revealed that the Seahawks’ lease with the Kingdome ran through 2005, prompting him to sell the team. In 1997, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen acquired the team from Behring, and construction plans for a new stadium began soon after.
In the years following Allen’s purchase, the Seahawks steadily improved, reaching the playoffs in what would be their final season at the Kingdome in 1999. Under the guidance of new head coach Mike Holmgren, Seattle won the AFC West, securing a playoff berth for the fifth time in franchise history.
In the postseason, the Seahawks lost 20-17 against Miami in the Wild Card round, ending the team’s 24-year history at the Kingdome. On Mar. 26, 2000, two months after Seattle’s playoff loss, the Kingdome was imploded, signaling an end to nearly a quarter-century worth of memories for the city’s sports culture....
