Mountaineer Bowl

The Western State Mountaineers displayed Mountaineer Bowl for the first time in 1948. Western immediately fell in love with the new playing field as they won that first game 20-0 over Colorado School of Mines.

Today Mountaineer Bowl ranks as the highest collegiate football field in the world at 7,750 feet. One of the best settings for a collegiate football game or track meet in America, the Bowl can hold 3,000 fans.

Mountaineer Bowl features a pair of press boxes. One for the game-day staff and one for radio and working media.

The Bowl also features an official collegiate track.

Mountaineer Bowl is also home to both Gunnison High School football and track and field.

In 2005, the Bowl received a brand new eight lane track and a new scoreboard (including a messageboard system and a new audio system).

Paul Wright Gym

Paul Wright Gym has been a work in progress since the initial building was built in 1951.Today the gym is known as one of the loudest in the region. At 7,723 feet, Wright Gym is the Highest Collegiate Gym in the World.

The current swimming pool joined the gym in 1960 and in 1965 the wrestling room was added to the east side of the gym.

The biggest change of all came in 1998 as a 40,000 square-foot renovation and addition was completed. The renovation included a new 2,500 square-foot weight room with 5,000 pounds of free weights added and also a locker facility for visiting teams and new locker facilities for both the general student population and men’s and women’s athletic teams.

The Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame room was also added during the renovation. The room features a meeting room, trophy cases and the Hall of Fame. Also added was a new training room that features whirlpool baths, five taping tables and a separate examination room. Volleyball and women’s basketball also received new lockerrooms and team rooms. Upstairs, six classrooms were added that enabled the KREC department to conduct all of its classes in one area for the first time ever.

Paul Wright Gym is named after the one of Western State’s early coaches and leaders. Instrumental in getting skiing organized as an NCAA sports, Wright taught and coached at Western for 38 years. He also served the Gunnison Community as mayor, judge, selective service board member and Rotarian.