Non college Sports In Grand Forks

[northernraider]

Bismarck already has a Northwoods team coming in 2017, NAHL, and now in the running for an independent basketball league. TRF is scheduled to get a junior hockey team. Why has there not been any discussions about Grand Forks being home to a non-college team? The city has 3 large indoor sport arenas and Icon Center, all of which could use another tenant. 

www.inforum.com/node/4016204

[82SiouxGuy]

All of the hockey arenas are already booked solid. Even ICON is busy. It was built in part so that Grand Forks could host youth hockey tournaments and the occasional figure skating competition. The other buildings are so packed with practices and regular games that Grand Forks held very few youth tournaments. That is changing. The Betty is fully scheduled with UND events. Really, the only building that might have the necessary time available might be the Alerus Center, and that would probably depend on the schedule. They would have to schedule around UND football needs and other events already scheduled. Plus it is a huge building that may not work well for a minor league basketball team.

UND takes a huge chunk out of the sports entertainment dollar in Grand Forks. It also takes a huge chunk out of the sponsorship dollars available in Grand Forks. Places like Bismarck, Minot, Mitchell, and Rapid City don't have anything like UND to compete against. Cities like Fargo and Sioux Falls have much larger population and business bases, which allow them to support more things. They can support college and professional teams much easier.

Independent league baseball was tried in Grand Forks by 2 different organizations and they didn't work. There is a semi-pro football league with a team in Grand Forks, it is barely a blip on the radar as they enter into their 3rd(?) season. They play mainly in June and July at Cushman Field. You would also need to find an owner that wants to put a team in Grand Forks. I believe that the baseball teams were owned by groups of businessmen. Most professional leagues prefer single owners.

[darell1976]

Why didn't minor league baseball work for the Grand Forks Varmints? Was it the city or the league? I loved seeing them in 1996  in their innagural season. Now with UND losing baseball Kraft Field will be pretty empty unless it's used by the park board. Would be a nice rivalry with the FM RedHawks and Winnipeg if they can get in the same league as them.

[SiouxVolley]

13 hours ago, darell1976 said:

Why didn't minor league baseball work for the Grand Forks Varmints? Was it the city or the league? I loved seeing them in 1996  in their innagural season. Now with UND losing baseball Kraft Field will be pretty empty unless it's used by the park board. Would be a nice rivalry with the FM RedHawks and Winnipeg if they can get in the same league as them.

Kraft Field is a large part of the problem.

If UND or Grand Forks had unlimited funding, women's soccer would be moved to the parking lot north of the HPC.  The parking spots would be replaced with a ramp north of Memorial.  Then the existing soccer field east of the REA can be replaced with real brick baseball stands and field.  Maybe even a minor league team can be added.

[nodak651]

2 hours ago, SiouxVolley said:

Kraft Field is a large part of the problem.

If UND or Grand Forks had unlimited funding, women's soccer would be moved to the parking lot north of the HPC.  The parking spots would be replaced with a ramp north of Memorial.  Then the existing soccer field east of the REA can be replaced with real brick baseball stands and field.  Maybe even a minor league team can be added.

I know in the master plan, that is where they show a soccer field, but I think it is kind of a waste to ruin that parking lot.  With the addition of the HPC, can they use the old practice fields to the south of memorial and the HPC?  Is there room?  Would hate to get rid of that big parking lot if they ever renovate memorial.