Fargodome

Fargodome is an indoor athletic stadium in the north central United States, located on the campus of North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, North Dakota. Opened 31 years ago in late 1992, the facility is owned by the City of Fargo and built on university land. Not an actual dome, its seating capacity is 18,700 for football and over 25,000 for full arena concerts. Its approximate elevation at street level is 900 feet (275 m) above sea level.

Fargodome
View from east in 2009
Fargo is located in the United States
Fargo
Fargo
Location in the United States
Fargo is located in North Dakota
Fargo
Fargo
Location in North Dakota
Full nameGate City Bank Field at the
Fargodome
Address1800 University Dr N
LocationNorth Dakota State University
Fargo, North Dakota, U.S.
OwnerCity of Fargo
Capacity18,700 (football)
Concerts
  • Gate City Bank Theater: 3,500
  • Half house: 11,000
  • 3/4 house: 16,000
  • End stage: 22,000
  • Center stage:26,700
SurfaceArtificial turf
Construction
Broke groundApril 26, 1990 (1990-04-26)
OpenedDecember 2, 1992 (1992-12-02)
Construction cost$48 million
($108 million in 2022[1])
Architect
  • Sink, Combs, Dethlefs
  • Triebwasser, Helenske & Associates
[2]
General contractorIndustrial Builders, Inc.[2]
Main contractorsMeinecke-Johnson
Tenants
Fargo-Moorhead Fever (CBA) (19921994)
North Dakota State Bison (NCAA) (1993–present)
Fargo Freeze (IFL) (2000)

Fargodome is the home field of the Bison football team, which competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). NDSU is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and prior to the 1993 season, the football venue was Dacotah Field, adjacent to the south. The stadium also hosts the university's commencement ceremonies as well as many large concerts, other sporting events, and trade shows.

History

The building was originally planned to be modeled on the Tacoma Dome and have an inflatable roof. However, as the design evolved, it was decided to have a fixed hard roof, although the dome name stuck.[3]

Volunteers fill sandbags in the Fargodome during
the 2009 Red River flood
  • November 1987: Fargo Parks Superintendent Bob Johnson and City Council President Ranen Nicholson proposed a plan for convention and athletic facilities in Fargo.
  • January 1988: Proposed plan was modified to include a single stadium to be built on North Dakota State University land, that would be financed in part by a half-cent sales tax.
  • December 1988: Voters approved half-cent sales tax
  • April 1989: Architects hired and construction process begins
  • December 1992: Fargodome opens
  • January 1994: Hosts Snow Bowl NCAA Division II football all-star game between 1994 and 2000
  • December 2002: Fargodome celebrates its 10th anniversary
  • December 2006: Initial talks underway to attach a 6,000–9,000-seat stadium to the Fargodome, for use as a basketball arena for the North Dakota State University basketball teams, as well as smaller performances.
  • March 2009: The Fargodome is used for the filling and storage of sandbags during the flood.
  • August 31, 2012: The newly installed AstroTurf, funded by a $1 million donation from Gate City Bank and Fargodome reserve funds for total cost of $2.9 million, premiered in the North Dakota State Bison football team's first game of the season against Robert Morris. Gate City Bank’s donation led to renaming of the field after the company.[4]
  • October 10, 2012: The Fargodome hosted a preseason NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves won the game 84–70.
  • August 2016: Replaced 4 older corner video boards with new HD boards, and added 2 new large (100'x30') Video Screens at a cost of $7.7 million.[5]
  • July 2022: Replaced the older version AstroTurf with a new version, funded by the Fargodome's reserve funds for a total price of $1.1 million, which also includes upgrades to the Magic Carpet system that rolls out the turf onto the stadium floor.[6]
  • August 2023: Proposed renovation plans were unveiled for the Fargodome. The plans would add on a convention center space to the south side of the dome that would eliminate the south parking lot. The plans also called for a new upper level concourse in the southeast corner of the stadium, a remodel of the press box on the east side, removal of the never-used north side press box, and a new club level lounge at the top of the west side. Lastly, the project calls for a removal of Albrecht Boulevard on the west side of the dome, to make way for an addition to the building and move the tailgating lot closer to the stadium.[7] The proposed cost is $140 million and is planned to be paid for with $30 million from the Fargodome's reserve fund, as well as a quarter-cent city sales tax increase and a three percent lodging tax increase. Fargo residents will vote on the proposed renovation plan during a special election in December.[8]

Events and acts

The Fargodome has held events such as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, USHRA's Monster Jam, Rib Fest, World Wrestling Entertainment, World Championship Wrestling, and other local, regional, and national events. The facility briefly played host to the Fargo Freeze Indoor Football League team in 2000, though the team played just one season.[9]

College wrestling

The Asics/Vaughan Cadet and Junior National Wrestling Championships (freestyle, Greco-Roman wrestling) takes place every year in the Fargodome in the month of July.[10]

Entertainment

Many famous acts have played the Fargodome including Elton John, Katy Perry, Cher, Guns N' Roses, Fleetwood Mac, Journey, The Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam, Garth Brooks, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Shania Twain, Taylor Swift, AC/DC, Paul McCartney, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Aerosmith, Poison, Nsync, Neil Diamond, Billy Joel, Kiss, Beach Boys, Faith Hill, Bryan Adams, Ozzy Osbourne, Luke Bryan, Pink, Reba McEntire, Dixie Chicks, Lady Antebellum, Bruce Springsteen, Tim McGraw, Def Leppard, Metallica, Prince, Justin Timberlake, Mötley Crüe and many others. The Fargodome is also capable of hosting events on ice such as Disney on Ice, and traveling broadway.

Date Artist(s) Opening act(s) Event Name Attendance Revenue Notes
March 21, 1993Guns N' RosesBrian May Band[11]Use Your Illusion Tour
December 8, 1997PrinceJam of the Year Tour[12]
September 18, 1998Garth BrooksThe Garth Brooks World Tour
September 19, 1998
September 20, 1998
December 5, 1998Shania TwainLeahyCome On Over Tour
February 17, 1999 The Rolling Stones Jonny Lang No Security Tour 21,970 / 21,970 $1,501,183
November 6, 1999 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Reunion Tour 17,245 / 20,000
December 3, 1999NSYNCNSYNC in Concert
September 29, 2002 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band The RIsing Tour
August 17, 2004MetallicaMadly in Anger with the World Tour[13]
September 6, 2013Taylor SwiftEd Sheeran
Casey James
The Red Tour21,073 / 21,073$1,661,578
January 11, 2014PinkThe KinThe Truth About Love Tour21,879 / 21,879$1,613,670This show was originally scheduled to take place on October 27, 2013, but was postponed due to vocal rest. This concert used to hold the record for highest attendance and ticket sells record in the venue's history, until she broke her own record in 2019.[14]
February 7, 2014Justin TimberlakeDJ FreestyleThe 20/20 Experience World Tour15,639 / 15,639$1,329,810This was his first concert in the state of North Dakota.
February 14, 2014Toby MacHits Deep Tour
July 12, 2014Paul McCartneyOut There18,220 / 18,220$2,247,472This was his first concert in the state of North Dakota.
August 23, 2014Katy PerryKacey Musgraves
Ferras
Prismatic World Tour21,843 / 21,843$1,660,459
November 16, 2014Mötley CrüeThe Final Tour--
October 12, 2015Taylor SwiftVance JoyThe 1989 World Tour21,067 / 21,067$2,219,188This concert was originally planned to take place on September 9, but was postponed to October 12 to avoid any potential scheduling conflict with the Houston Astros potentially making the 2015 Major League Baseball postseason.[15]
February 11, 2016AC/DCTyler Bryant & The ShakedownRock or Bust World Tour19,308 / 19,308$2,049,080[16]
May 5, 2016Garth BrooksThe Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood73,480$5,100,000[17]
May 6, 2016
May 7, 2016
May 8, 2016
June 4, 2016James TaylorBefore this World Tour
June 18, 2016Justin BieberPost Malone
Moxie Raia
Purpose World Tour12,451 / 12,451$1,177,819[18]
August 4, 2017Bruno Mars24K Magic World Tour
August 24, 2017Tim McGraw and Faith HillNatalie HembySoul2Soul: The World Tour
October 17, 2018Ed SheeranSnow Patrol
Lauv
Divide Tour17,762 / 17,762$1,766,790
May 4, 2019PinkJulia MichaelsBeautiful Trauma World Tour22,164 / 22,164$2,927,135
September 14, 2019Bob Seger-Roll Me Away: The Final Tour--
October 30, 2019Celine DionCourage World Tour10,473 / 12,239$1,174,539
August 11, 2021Guns N' RosesMammoth WVHGuns N' Roses 2020 Tour9,100 / 10,087$988,411
July 27, 2022Machine Gun KellyAvril Lavigne
Willow
Mainstream Sellout Tour11,908 / 11,908$714,355
April 6, 2023Red Hot Chili PeppersThe Strokes
King Princess
Global Stadium Tour19,331 / 19,311$2,067,826
August 11, 2023Def Leppard
Mötley Crüe
Alice CooperThe World Tour--
August 19, 2023 Pink Brandi Carlile
Grouplove
KidCutUp
Summer Carnival - -
November 5, 2023 Shania Twain TBA Queen of Me Tour - -

Gate City Bank Theater

The Fargodome's Gate City Bank Theater is home to theatrical productions, produced locally and touring.

Expansion and renovations

The Fargodome is currently studying an expansion of its permanent seating. The current capacity is 18,700 with an additional 100 seats to be added during the winter 2015.[19] The addition of 5,000 to 7,500 seats has been discussed since 2011, but is now being seriously considered after several straight years of sold out NDSU Bison football games. That would bring the total capacity for football games to around 25,000. The additional seating would require major structural changes to the dome, including moving the press boxes from the east side to the west side. The west side has been reinforced and could handle extra levels, whereas the east side has a lobby that was not designed to bear any extra load.

In summer 2016, the stadium video boards were replaced with 12 new interior displays featuring SMD LED technology including two large 30'x100' High Definition video/scoreboards on each endzone, 12'x24' screens behind those large screens for those seated behind the board, and four large 20'x22' High Definition video boards (one in each corner), the $7.7 million project also provided for four ribbon displays on the seating fascia 3' high and 33' long along with a portable 15' x 25' screen which can be moved around on gameday, the project also renovated the electronics room and provided for new computer and graphics technology. These screens replaced the 6 old boards installed in 2002. In total, the new boards provide for 8,500 square feet (790 m2) of LED boards in the dome. The contract also provided for an increase from 3 to 5 High Definition cameras for additional angles, one of the cameras has a 55x extra zoom for close up play.

In the summer of 2022, the stadium replaced its aging AstroTurf with a newer version. It cost the Fargodome $1.1 million, which it paid for using the stadium reserve funds, that also included upgrades to the Magic Carpet system that rolls out the turf onto the stadium floor.

Crowd noise

The Fargodome during a North Dakota State Bison football game

In 2011, the Fargodome was ranked as the 49th best stadium in college football by BleacherReport.com.[20] The article states

There aren't many indoor venues in college football, but the few that do exist at the non-FBS level are very unfriendly to any visiting team. That effect is only amplified in a playoff atmosphere.

The Fargodome is routinely ranked as one of the loudest college football stadiums in the country. On December 14, 2012, The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead measured the Fargodome crowd noise from the press box during an FCS playoff semifinal game between North Dakota State and Georgia Southern. According to The Forum, the maximum crowd noise exceeded 111 decibels, and the decibel meter consistently read 102–106 during the game.[21] During a 2013 playoff game between North Dakota State and Furman, the crowd noise was measured at 115 decibels.[22]

See also

References

  1. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  2. Archived July 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Archived November 22, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  4. "New AstroTurf fielding rave reviews". INFORUM. August 31, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  5. http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/region/3934281-fargodome-oks-95-million-new-video-boards
  6. "Dom Izzo's Missouri Valley-Summit League Notebook - Lots of Turf Coming to NDSU and SDSU lands the champs". Fargo Forum. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  7. "Proposed $131 million Fargodome project could significantly impact Bison football fans". inforum.com. Forum of Fargo/Moorhead. August 22, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  8. "City eyes new sales tax, lodging tax, to fund Fargodome expansion, conference center". inforum.com. Forum of Fargo/Moorhead. August 22, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  9. Jul 22nd 2013 - 6pm, Forum News Service |. "Indoor Football League ponders Fargo expansion, too". Bemidji Pioneer. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  10. "USA Wrestling Fargo".
  11. "ON THIS DAY IN QUEEN HISTORY - 21 MARCH". Brianmay.com. Retrieved March 21, 2022. In 1993 - The Brian May Band played the Fargodome, Fargo, North Dakota, USA.
  12. "Throwback Thursday: Prince's 1997 Fargodome show as reviewed..." INFORUM. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  13. "Metallica Setlist at Fargodome, Fargo". setlist.fm. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  14. "Pink". thetruthaboutlovetour.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014.
  15. "Date Change for Taylor Swift Concert at FARGODOME". Valley News Live. July 27, 2015. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  16. Lamb, John. "AC/DC not too old to rock 'n' roll". INFORUM. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  17. "Fargodome made more than $500,000 on Garth Brooks concerts". INFORUM. June 21, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  18. "Event Information | FargoDome".
  19. "Fargodome officials consider adding seats for Bison games | INFORUM". Archived from the original on October 26, 2014.
  20. "Ranking the Greatest Stadiums in College Football, Final 2011 Edition". Bleacher Report. December 5, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2013.
  21. "NDSU to study decibel levels at playoff football game".
  22. "NDSU fans reach 115 decibels at playoff game".

46°54′10.93″N 96°48′5.58″W

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