We need a new arena. Badly.

[TheBisonator]

I was recently looking over construction pics of the Betty Center at UND, which is just about complete. Now even though we're not at rivalry with UND anymore, I still felt I needed to comment on it. I was looking at some pics of the construction, and I can tell you this thing looks a lot better than the BSA. Seriously. It's better lighted, the seats look a lot more comfortable, and they won't be using wooden bleachers in that place.

It's a sad statement of our facilities for basketball and volleyball when Division II UND has a better auxillary arena than our main one. I mean, we're in Division I now. We should have had a better basketball/volleyball arena built a LONG time ago. Even long before we even considered moving up to DI.

Here's an example of how crappy the BSA is: I was watching one of the spring practices at Dacotah Field this year, and I saw Cory Vartanian kick some field goals towards the east goalpost, and on a couple occasions the football boinked off the bottom corrugated-tin facia and hit the plaster soffit below the facia and knocked a good sized chunk of plaster off. (Next time any of you walk right under the BSA between Dacotah and the BSA and look up above, you'll see what I mean.)

I was saying to myself that Cory is literally demolishing the BSA...

And one more thing: The weight facilities at the BSA SUCK. I lifted weights at the BSA one time, and I decided I would do all my lifting at the Wellness Center from then on.

Look, the Wellness Center kicks ass, and will kick more ass when the addition is complete in a couple years. The FFD kicks ass. But the BSA SUCKS and The BBF SUCKS EVEN MORE. We really need a new arena, and we need it BADLY. I don't think we can afford any more discussion on this among the higher-ups. We need to start PLANNING it NOW and start constructing it very soon, because I think it'll eventually affect our home scheduling in DI. There will be some serious concequences for a DI team that has this crappy of an arena.

Are we gonna let a piddly little Division II school to the north go way ahead of us in this regard? I mean, we're North Dakota State University. We need to stay on the cutting edge as far as facilities go.

[NDSU_grad]

Couldn't agree more. Has anybody seen any plans on what the BSA will look like after the renovations?

[Bison_Dan]

You have to realize that we don't have a billionaire leaving us cash for buildings. Maybe the students would want to fund the new building? I agree that we need a new arena, maybe next to the dome and attached.

[Tatanka]

++

[Bisonguy]

Maybe Cory Vartanian was contracted to do demo work on the BSA ;D.

The administration knows a new arena, or at the very least an extensive revamping of the BSA is needed. It's part of the capital drive that is going on. The bleachers would be gone if the BSA is remodeled.

What's so bad about the weightlifting facilities in the BSA? It's leaps and bounds better than when it was on the north end of the BSA. Weightlifting for athletics centers around speed and strength, and they have plenty of what is needed for that- Olympic platforms, power racks, Hammer-Strength jammers, and benches- What more do you need?

[Bisonfan1234]

I've heard the weight lifting facilities at the BSA are not comparable to those at the Wellness center because the types of the weights used by each are completely different.

The wellness center probably has a bunch of shiny, new machines while the BSA has the same old squat racks and bench presses. However, free weights are what ever university in America uses to train athletes.

However, I agree completly that we need new facilities.

I especially agree with this:

I agree that we need a new arena, maybe next to the dome and attached.

We should build it in the north FargoDome parking lot and it should be connected (I don't think many park in the north anyway).

Then, as soon as possible, the BSA, Dacotah field, those tennis courts, and the BBFH al need to be completely demolished. Dacotah, the BSA, and the tennis courts could then be used for needed parking lots and the BBFH could be prime real estate for new dorms or whatever.

Then somewhere on the campus they can build a new practice facility with indoor track, weight room, courts, and training rooms (maybe a pool too).

That's my idea any way.

[TheBisonator]

I've heard the weight lifting facilities at the BSA are not comparable to those at the Wellness center because the types of the weights used by each are completely different.

The wellness center probably has a bunch of shiny, new machines while the BSA has the same old squat racks and bench presses. However, free weights are what ever university in America uses to train athletes.

However, I agree completly that we need new facilities.

I especially agree with this:


We should build it in the north FargoDome parking lot and it should be connected (I don't think many park in the north anyway).

Then, as soon as possible, the BSA, Dacotah field, those tennis courts, and the BBFH al need to be completely demolished. Dacotah, the BSA, and the tennis courts could then be used for needed parking lots and the BBFH could be prime real estate for new dorms or whatever.

Then somewhere on the campus they can build a new practice facility with indoor track, weight room, courts, and training rooms (maybe a pool too).

That's my idea any way.

I think if they're gonna build a new arena connected to the FFD, then if they demolish the BSA, Dacotah and the tennis courts, they should build on that site a new multi-purpose athletic facility with an indoor football field, track, basketball courts, athletic offices, weight room, training room, swimming pool, etc.

[Bisonfan1234]

I'd much rather see that go towards parking and have the practice facility located more convienently for the athletes.

Actually, I think it would work great to have a weight room, meeting rooms, and offices for football, volleyball and basketball at the dome as well.

Then you'd just need an indoor track and some practice courts.