The Fabulous Fargo Dome

[JBB]

Future of the Fabulous Fargo Dome:

The FFD is the largest facility in the Red River Valley. Its hard for it to compete with smaller +10,000 venues. It has a lot of open dates.

I think the FFD should be converted into an ice facility. A 21,000 seat outdoor stadium, with expansion capability to 35,000 would be built for football. Attached or on the same site would be a new sports arena more the capacity of say 10,000 or even less. This would be for BISON Basketball and provide a smaller arena that could compete more efficiently with the grand forks sheds.

The benefits are clear:

Hockey would fill more dates for the FFD than football, especially if the women started a program.

Fargo would get a badly needed mid sized facility practically paid for by the NDSU BB teams.

NDSU football would be able to grow. Right now the capacity of the FFD is the capacity of BISON Football. 7,000 more loyal fans and the BISON will need more seats. University of Montana had to expand and its likely NDSU may have to add seats.

The BSA would be freed up for remodeling to its highest and best use.

Its something to think about either when the current turf is starting to get old or the avg attendance is showing a steady upward trend.

[WYOBISONMAN]

An interesting thought that merits more consideration...

[roadwarrior]

LOL

JBB, have you been talking to Bison1234?

[Junior]

The Fargo Dome would be lousy for hockey in my opinion. Check out the Stanley Cup Playoffs and you will see what I mean.

[JBB]

I never watch hockey, but sight lines are good in the FFD. *If NDSU is going to have hockey something is going to have to change. *NDSU Football is going to outgrow the Fargo Dome. *Its cheaper to build a football stadium than an ice arena of adequate size.

[roadwarrior]

Who besides our friends up north are talking about hockey anyway? I thought this hockey at NDSU thing died a couple of years ago.

[bballfan]

I think it will be awhile before anyone has to start thinking about a 35,000 seat football stadium. Man you guys, is the Fargo Dome even ten years old yet, and you want to replace it? I think the football averages will have to be closer to 16000 before their would be any consideration of a new venue, and with ticket prices likely rising in the next couple of years, that will be tough to accomplish.

[roadwarrior]

My prediction: The Fargodome will be home to Bison Football for at least the next 30 years.

[WYOBISONMAN]

The part I liked is the outdoor stadium. I think that when Bison FB went indoors it sort of "sterilized" the atmosphere.

[Hammerhead]

It also took away a big playoff advantage (if we ever get back to the playoffs :() when hosting teams from California and down south.

Has Fargo collected enough sales tax revenue to pay for the dome yet? If I remember correctly, the tax will be collected for 20 years.

[JBB]

Its not impossible at all to think NDSU could have enough demand to outgrow the FFD in the next 10 years, especially after they become playoff eligible again. Then what are you going to do? We have the Fargo Dome because we did outgrow Dacotah Field.

Dacotah Field was built in 1938, but had to be expanded twice in its 55 year history, once in 1972 and again in 1987. The Fargo Dome cant be expanded. With the huge gowth in this area and a winning team demand could increase faster than the average, which is about every 11 years since 1972 if you include the opening of the FFD as an expansion.

[roadwarrior]

I believe the sales tax to pay for the dome expires sometime in 2008.

[bisononce]

We've all heard the snipes about indoor football. Consider this: Indoor football becomes passe' and the Bison outgrow the Fargo Dome. We need to save Dakotah, or at the very least the footprint. It is in a perfect location...

[BisonMav]

We've all heard the snipes about indoor football. Consider this: Indoor football becomes passe' and the Bison outgrow the Fargo Dome. We need to save Dakotah, or at the very least the footprint. It is in a perfect location...
Good point! It is a perfect location.