Jump to content
SiouxSports.com Forum

Adding seats to the Alerus and Sioux DI football...


Bison101

Recommended Posts

Justwanted you guys to know that it sounds like your new AD has his head screwed on straight. Making the Alerus a 15,000 plus facility is crucial for the future of your program. The perfect scenario for both No-dak schools is to get into the Big SKy. There has been rumors for years that some big Sky members have DI aspirations. Perhaps at a later date this could be looked at for its future core members. UND, NDSU, ISU, MU, MSU.... Anyways that is speculation. Just glad to see he is upgrading facilities and having the infastructure in place before they (you) make the move.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Justwanted you guys to know that it sounds like your new AD has his head screwed on straight. Making the Alerus a 15,000 plus facility is crucial for the future of your program. The perfect scenario for both No-dak schools is to get into the Big SKy. There has been rumors for years that some big Sky members have DI aspirations. Perhaps at a later date this could be looked at for its future core members. UND, NDSU, ISU, MU, MSU.... Anyways that is speculation. Just glad to see he is upgrading facilities and having the infastructure in place before they (you) make the move.

I wonder who going to pay for it? The alerus already is a money loser, I doubt that the city will put more money into it. UND will not put money into a city owned building. It's fun to say lets add 4000 seats but again who pays?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Come on "Bison Dan", be careful with that knife; it cuts both ways: city-owned FargoDome just came up red in its latest numbers and NDSU just put money into locker rooms and offices there.

The money would come from the rest of Buning's musings --> a $35 MM capital campaign for athletic facilities.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Come on "Bison Dan", be careful with that knife; it cuts both ways: city-owned FargoDome just came up red in its latest numbers and NDSU just put money into locker rooms and offices there.

The money would come from the rest of Buning's musings --> a $35 MM capital campaign for athletic facilities.

Show me the report were the FargoDome came up red? I can show you the report in the Fargo Forum where the Dome made a little over 100,000. Putting up some offices that the fb coaches will use for the next 90 years is a little different than adding seats to the building.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Show me the report were the FargoDome came up red? I can show you the report in the Fargo Forum where the Dome made a little over 100,000. Putting up some offices that the fb coaches will use for the next 90 years is a little different than adding seats to the building.

Did it come up red? No, my mistake. It came up short of expectations, but was black about $100k. Either way, NDSU put money into a city-owned facility. And won't Alerus be around for "the next 90 years" also?

As far as "who pays", at this point the answer is "pays for what?" Nothing has been formally proposed. So what's to worry about?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did it come up red? No, my mistake. It came up short of expectations, but was black about $100k. Either way, NDSU put money into a city-owned facility. And won't Alerus be around for "the next 90 years" also?

As far as "who pays", at this point the answer is "pays for what?" Nothing has been formally proposed. So what's to worry about?

nothing...this was a thread started by a Bison fan - obviously aimed at irritating sioux fans...and immediately contributed to by ANOTHER bison fan. You do the math!

PS - I've heard the Fargodome has had lingering problems with black mold since they "done got flooded" a few years ago and there are several lawsuits out there waiting to be filed for various health problems associated with employees. Geez - I hope something like that doesn't hurt their bottom line! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry I'm a little uninformed in this topic but where exactly would these 4,000 seats go in the Alerus?

That's the 35 Million $$ question! There is one end where the Al could possibly expand (by knocking out a WALL and making one end a horseshoe) but personally I don't think it's feasible. The Canad expansion cuts down that space. You might be able to add another level of suites above the current level but otherwise I can't find anymore space beyond that is available. If we need it - I hope we can find it...if not, well -we'll have to deal with it. Personally - I think the AL is a lot more FB friendly in terms of environment and atmosphere than ANY other local indoor FB facility.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did it come up red? No, my mistake. It came up short of expectations, but was black about $100k. Either way, NDSU put money into a city-owned facility. And won't Alerus be around for "the next 90 years" also?

As far as "who pays", at this point the answer is "pays for what?" Nothing has been formally proposed. So what's to worry about?

I thought that you were alluding to this discussion regarding the Fargodome being in the red.

http://www.bisonville.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaB...;num=1138653090

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think if there is going to be any expansion of existing facillities, Bunning needs to figure out how to get about 1,000-1,500 more seats in the Betty, rather than worry about getting another 4,000 seats in the Alerus which usually has about 3,000-4,000 empty seats in it on Saturdays.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think if there is going to be any expansion of existing facillities, Bunning needs to figure out how to get about 1,000-1,500 more seats in the Betty, rather than worry about getting another 4,000 seats in the Alerus which usually has about 3,000-4,000 empty seats in it on Saturdays.

The reported attendance figures at the Al has been discussed quite a bit, but the games I went the to there were never 3-4,000 empty seats in that place.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's the 35 Million $$ question! There is one end where the Al could possibly expand (by knocking out a WALL and making one end a horseshoe) but personally I don't think it's feasible. The Canad expansion cuts down that space. You might be able to add another level of suites above the current level but otherwise I can't find anymore space beyond that is available. If we need it - I hope we can find it...if not, well -we'll have to deal with it. Personally - I think the AL is a lot more FB friendly in terms of environment and atmosphere than ANY other local indoor FB facility.

Yeah, that would be option I would go with right there. Knock out that end wall and put seating in the endzone. You guys could then move the students over to there, and would have less problems with having to move the students around when it comes to playoff time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

siouxmenow still in a state of delusional thinking! :huh:

The Fargodome is set up perfect for fans, better than the Alerus. It get pretty loud during the regular season but come playoffs, a person can barely think in the Fargo dome. I was down there once for the Dakota Bowl and i tell you what, those high school fans really know how to make some noise. Anyone who has witnessed a game at either place and isn't kidding themselves will tell you that the atmosphere is way better at the Alerus. Its loud in the Fargodome, but the noise is unbearable in the Al.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The reported attendance figures at the Al has been discussed quite a bit, but the games I went the to there were never 3-4,000 empty seats in that place.

13,500 capacity minus ~9,400 per game = ~4,100 empty seats. I agree it doesn't look like that many empty seats, but that's what it is. The atmosphere at the Alerus can be deceiving. 11,000 in the Al creates the same atmosphere as a sold-out Fargodome. As someone who goes to every single football game, it is pretty easy to see those 3,000-4,000 empty seats when Ferris St. or Auggie is in town, but it looks alot different when St. Cloud or UNO is visiting. At any rate, the fb attendance doesn't concern me. I think drawing between 9,000 and 10,000 fans with only three home conference games, none of which are against our biggest rivals, a year is pretty damn good. Now just think what attendance could grow to if UND were to ever join the Big Sky. A DI schedule that incuded Montana St., SDSU, and NDSU IMO would probably bring average attendance up around 11,000.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that with indoor facilities it is pretty difficult to expand seating.....you really can't raise roofs to get more height, and I am sure knocking out an exterior wall would be tough too as all exterior walls would be load bearing. I would suspect the dollars to expand almost any indoor arena would be huge.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that with indoor facilities it is pretty difficult to expand seating.....you really can't raise roofs to get more height, and I am sure knocking out an exterior wall would be tough too as all exterior walls would be load bearing. I would suspect the dollars to expand almost any indoor arena would be huge.

Some buildings are built with expansion in mind. A specific wall or section may be built so that it can be removed to expand the building. I have no idea if the Alerus Center was built that way or not. But I believe that the rafters are anchored on the east and west walls which may make it possible to expand to the south.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Then why is UND chicken to come back and play?

It's not a case of being "chicken". At this point the game would have meaning for only ONE side of the contest (that being UND because they are the only ones with a post season potential). When NDSU becomes playoff eligible, the game will have meaning for both teams again - will NDSU still be anxious to have the Sioux on their schedule? I think not, because a loss would impact their post season chances and scheduling Valpairiso would make more sense. I miss the Sioux/Bison matchup, not because of any rivalry but because the game was always meaningful in its overall implications. When we can get back to that i would like to see the game scheduled, until then I really don't care what or who the Bison play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Who wants to see these two programs continue to play with the deck stacked in favor of either one team or the other? When both schools offered the same number of scholarships it was a great rivalry. Had they continued to play with the deck stacked in favor of the Bison it would have tarnished the legacy of the rivalry. The fact that NDSU wanted so badly to play UND again after going D-1AA and adding the additional scholarships just goes to show how desperate they were to find a way to get that Nickel Trophy back. It reeked of a kid who gets beat up by the playground bully and then rounds up 10 buddies to challenge the bully to a 10 on 1 fight. I suspect that if they had won the last Sioux/Bison game the Bison wouldn't have cried so much about UND not wanting to play them again. If maintaining the annual Sioux/Bison game was as important as they say it is now, they should have stayed in the NCC until both schools were ready to move at the same time. If moving to D-1AA was more important than playing the Sioux, so be it. But if that is indeed the case, I don't want to hear about anybody from NDSU having anything to say at all about UND. It should not matter to them what UND does. As much as I once enjoyed the rivalry, after all the crap that has been spewed from Fargo in recent years I don't care if the Sioux ever play the Bison again. Let them co-exist in different conferences, completely oblivious to each other, if and when UND goes D-1AA.

What crap would that be special K? I think most people will agree that most of the crap came from up North. Other than that I agree with your post. I still can't see why UND is exploring the move to DI when nothing has changed for them since the Bison moved up. Oh well jealousy is alive and well in gf.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Who wants to see these two programs continue to play with the deck stacked in favor...

apparently THEY do because they might actually win :lol: SERIOIUSLY! I think I should be named a URINAL MODERATOR on this board because I have to power to turn any thread into a pissing contest ;):)

sorry but I WILL defend UND against all lurkers and trolls! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The fact that NDSU wanted so badly to play UND again after going D-1AA and adding the additional scholarships just goes to show how desperate they were to find a way to get that Nickel Trophy back. It reeked of a kid who gets beat up by the playground bully and then rounds up 10 buddies to challenge the bully to a 10 on 1 fight. I suspect that if they had won the last Sioux/Bison game the Bison wouldn't have cried so much about UND not wanting to play them again.

Dude please tell me you don't beleive that. A 5 minute conversation with Gene Taylor will show you that there is nothing farther from the truth. And i'd defintly have to argue that NDSU would have more to lose from a UND-NDSU game right now. A loss to UND would be very detrimental to the Division 1 support from its fans and community. Just somthing to think about...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...