Sports in brief: Roos’ gift has EWU seeing red

Football: Eastern Washington will give new meaning to being “in the red zone” if its plans for a new football turf materialize.

Former Eastern Washington University football standout Michael Roos of the Tennessee Titans has pledged $500,000 toward the university’s “Red Turf” project at EWU’s Woodward Field.

The project, which still needs additional funding, includes the installation of a red synthetic playing surface. The red artificial field will be the first of its kind, not just in NCAA Division I football, but in the entire country.

Eastern athletic director Bill Chaves said he hopes the project can be funded and completed in time for the 2010 season.

“There is no doubt that one of Boise State’s claims to fame has been their blue turf, and like it or dislike it, it has certainly brought them a tremendous amount of notoriety,” Chaves said. “In a similar vein we have a tremendous opportunity at Eastern to do the same by differentiating ourselves with the red turf while providing a superior playing surface.”

Sounders shoot for 32,000 fans

Soccer: The Seattle Sounders FC will cap season-ticket sales at 32,000 for the 2010 season. That’s 10,000 more than their first season, when the Sounders averaged a league-record 30,943 per match.

Seattle says its season-ticket package includes 15 regular-season MLS matches and three international friendlies yet to be announced. The team says fewer than 1,000 season-ticket packages remain.

Associated Press

Cougars won’t play in Seattle

College football: After eight years, Washington State University’s annual football trip to Seattle is taking a hiatus.

The Cougars announced Wednesday they were unable to put together an agreement to hold a contest at Qwest Field for the upcoming season. But athletic director Jim Sterk announced there is an agreement in place to play UNLV at the venue Sept. 11, 2011.

The Qwest game, which began in 2002, is the foundation of the school’s Seattle Week. In the eight years, WSU was 5-3, drawing as many as 63,588 to the home of the Seahawks to see the first game versus Nevada. Last year’s game, a loss to Hawaii, drew 42,912, the second-smallest crowd in the series.

Vince Grippi