SPOKANE, Wash. — Washington State University officials pulled out a who's-who of Cougar Nation to help publicly announce a major expansion of Martin Stadium.

Cougar notables Jack Thompson, Mark Rypien, Rueben Mayes, Sam Jankovich, Jim Walden and Bill Moos lent their names to the cause, along with school president Elson Floyd and Pullman Mayor Glenn Johnson, a WSU communications professor and public address announcer at football and basketball games.

"Everyone who puts on a Cougar T-shirt, or Cougar-logo polo, or anything that has Cougar on it, ought to ask yourself, 'Have I given back?'" Johnson said in the press release.

Giving back is important because WSU plans to fund the entire cost of the project, estimated in the low $30 million range, through donations and ticket sales.

There will be no request to the Legislature, such as rival Washington proposed when it recently sought $150 million in tax revenues to help fund $300 million in improvements to crumbling Husky Stadium.

Athletics director Jim Sterk said Tuesday that big drops in construction costs thanks to the economic slowdown will allow the project to proceed. Plans call for construction of 16 luxury suites, 31 loge boxes, and 1,200 club seats atop the north stands, for a total of 2,200 high-priced premium seats, Sterk said. That doubles the revenue potential of Martin Stadium.

Boosters have already pledged about $16 million, Sterk said.

Football coach Paul Wulff said an improved stadium will help recruit better athletes to Pullman. Wulff noted that Oregon and Oregon State saw their programs improve after stadium upgrades.

The premium seats will also allow WSU to tap into a high-end market that has not previously bought tickets in large numbers, Sterk said.

Prices will range from $1,700 for a seat to $50,000 for a suite for a season, Sterk said.

The school's football royalty began making its case immediately.

"This helps us stay competitive with the rest of the Pac-10 and the nation," former quarterback Jack Thompson said. "I cannot emphasize to the Cougar Nation enough: we all need to step up and support this project because it helps everybody."

Former star running back Rueben Mayes said, "What makes being a Cougar special is epitomized in attending a football game and being part of that experience."