Alerus Center gameday or Fargo Dome gameday

[SiouxFootballField]

Which stadium do you think is the nicest? And what stadium do you guys think has the best gameday atmosphere.

I know UND has seen more success in the last 10 years, and that may go UND way but all in all which stadium do you think is the best?

[BisonSuck]

As hard as it is to say this, the Fargodome would be more realistic. More seats = more fans = more tickets = more revenue. No matter how much we look at the situation, both administrations are looking at this game as a money maker. It is the only game of the year that you can guarantee a sell out... on either schedule. With Fargo having the ~7,000 (approx.) seat advantage... it's a no brainer.

[Brent_Bobyck]

I have to admit that Fargodome has the advantage of 20,000+ capacity and seats that go all the way around the field, but I think the atmosphere at the Alerus Center is a lot better. The fans get into the game a lot more. I've been to a couple of NDSU games at the Fargodome when they were playing somebody other than UND, and their fans just don't seem to have the same energy that I've seen at the Alerus Center consistently. I saw a the Bison play UNC a couple of years ago and SDSU about 8-10 years ago, and both times I thought the place was way too quiet. The only times I've seen a good football atmosphere at the Fargodome were for Sioux/Bison games.

All that having been said, I personally don't care for either venue as a football stadium. They're both great for concerts, but I like my football to be played outside. To me, the concept of playing the game under a roof is sacrilege. Just look at how the Minnesota Vikings lost their mystique after going from Metropolitan Stadium to the Metrodome. I long for the days of Sioux/Bison games at Memorial Stadium and Dakotah Field. I've always had a preference for Memorial Stadium... especially in the years prior to 1985 when they played on real grass. I may be biased because so many Saturdays of my youth were spent at that place, but I can't think of any venue better than Memorial Stadium to see a Sioux football game.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree, Memorial Stadium is great for football. I loved the Sioux Bison games when it would be 10 below zero. I couldn't feel my toes or fingers but I still managed to have a wonderful time.

During halftime they would let people down on the sidelines to warm up by the heaters behind the Sioux bench. Good times.

[ESPNInsider]

I still remember the first time I walked up the ramp on the Sioux side of Memorial Stadium on a sunny Saturday afternoon. I was 9 years old and it was just after halftime so you could go in for free. We walked up and the first thing I noticed, don

[Let'sGoHawks!]

I remember the old memorial stadium much like you do. I can add, during the first few games, the wasps/hornets got so bad with all the soda cups around. I remember when the parachute guy used to land on the field, i loved that as a kid.

[Brent_Bobyck]

This is a little off subject but still a great memory. How about back at the Old Ralph when you could stomp on the little Coke cups after games and it would echo throughout the building. If you were gutsy you would step up to the Large cups for a deeper sounding echo. Good Stuff.

Also how about the mats underneath the bleachers at Hyslop. They would stack them underneath there during games and all the little kids, including a young Brent Bobyck, would jump around in them. Doing so was risking getting in trouble by the 7'7" (seemed like it at that age) bald campus cop. What is his name? He has been there forever.

Times were much better when you were a kid. Didn't have to go to work and your parents would pay for your season tickets!

[Let'sGoHawks!]

This is a little off subject but still a great memory. How about back at the Old Ralph when you could stomp on the little Coke cups after games and it would echo throughout the building. If you were gutsy you would step up to the Large cups for a deeper sounding echo. Good Stuff.

Also how about the mats underneath the bleachers at Hyslop. They would stack them underneath there during games and all the little kids, including a young Brent Bobyck, would jump around in them. Doing so was risking getting in trouble by the 7'7" (seemed like it at that age) bald campus cop. What is his name? He has been there forever.

Times were much better when you were a kid. Didn't have to go to work and your parents would pay for your season tickets!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The old Ralph cup stomping! I remember the car rides home listening to the post game show on the radio and hearing the popping noises. Times were much better when we were kids!

[Brent_Bobyck]

Getting back to football. I skipped a 9th grade basketball tryout just to go tailgate before a Sioux Bison football game at Memorial Stadium. I will be honest, I was about as good at basketball as Mark Mangino is at figure skating but it still was a lot to give up for a football game. If I could go back, I would do it again in a heart beat for another Saturday at good 'ole Memorial Stadium.

[HockeyMom]

I still remember the first time I walked up the ramp on the Sioux side of Memorial Stadium on a sunny Saturday afternoon.  I was 9 years old and it was just after halftime so you could go in for free.  We walked up and the first thing I noticed, don

[ESPNInsider]

Getting back to football. I skipped a 9th grade basketball tryout just to go tailgate before a Sioux Bison football game at Memorial Stadium. I will be honest, I was about as good at basketball as Mark Mangino is at figure skating but it still was a lot to give up for a football game. If I could go back, I would do it again in a heart beat for another Saturday at good 'ole Memorial Stadium.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Red River coaches were very happy that you chose the football game as well!

[Brent_Bobyck]

The Red River coaches were very happy that you chose the football game as well!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Doesn't matter to me. I ended up hoisting an intramural basketball championship trophy over my head! Holla.

[SiouxFan4Life05]

I have to admit that Fargodome has the advantage of 20,000+ capacity and seats that go all the way around the field, but I think the atmosphere at the Alerus Center is a lot better. The fans get into the game a lot more. I've been to a couple of NDSU games at the Fargodome when they were playing somebody other than UND, and their fans just don't seem to have the same energy that I've seen at the Alerus Center consistently. I saw a the Bison play UNC a couple of years ago and SDSU about 8-10 years ago, and both times I thought the place was way too quiet. The only times I've seen a good football atmosphere at the Fargodome were for Sioux/Bison games.

All that having been said, I personally don't care for either venue as a football stadium. They're both great for concerts, but I like my football to be played outside. To me, the concept of playing the game under a roof is sacrilege. Just look at how the Minnesota Vikings lost their mystique after going from Metropolitan Stadium to the Metrodome. I long for the days of Sioux/Bison games at Memorial Stadium and Dakotah Field. I've always had a preference for Memorial Stadium... especially in the years prior to 1985 when they played on real grass. I may be biased because so many Saturdays of my youth were spent at that place, but I can't think of any venue better than Memorial Stadium to see a Sioux football game.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Being a Sioux fan, I should probably pick the Alerus Center over the Dome, but I just can't. It is quite possibly one of the worst stadiums ever built. It looks like crap, has way too little seating, and what's up with the low roof and the lack of endzone seating? I can't believe anyone would come to give a concert there over the Dome. Grand Forks should've taken a page from Fargo's book and thought about what they were doing before they built it.

[Diggler]

That low roof is great for FB games though.

[fightingsioux4life]

Being a Sioux fan, I should probably pick the Alerus Center over the Dome, but I just can't.  It is quite possibly one of the worst stadiums ever built.  It looks like crap, has way too little seating, and what's up with the low roof and the lack of endzone seating?  I can't believe anyone would come to give a concert there over the Dome.  Grand Forks should've taken a page from Fargo's book and thought about what they were doing before they built it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

SiouxFan4Life05,

I have to disagree with you here. The Fargodome is only intimidating if it is full, which doesn't happen very often. It is so cavernous inside that the crowd noise isn't that effective unless all 19,000 seats are full and everyone is making noise. The last Sioux-Bison game at the Dome was technically a sellout, but there were a lot of empty seats (UND finished 5-6 that season, NDSU finished 2-8). The atmosphere was dead. The only good thing about the game is that we won (12-6, I believe).

The Al doesn't hold as many people, but the ceiling is lower (which increases the noise) and the fans are right on top of the field. The noise level is incredible, especially during close games. For my money, quality is more important than quantity.

And how can you badmouth the Al when we've lost a grand total of 4 games since we started playing in there in 2001? It's the best home field advantage in D-II football. I don't care what it looks like from the outside, I care about the results on the inside.

[SiouxFan4Life05]

[TheGreatSiouxNation]

A Head Coach for one of the lesser sports at NDSU told me this summer that NDSU is looking into building a 35,000 seat open air stadium out by the North Dakota Horsepark on land that SU owns. He also told me within the next 10 years they are going to make a serious push to DI-A for football. Sounds pretty far fetched except this source is a very good friend of mine. Anyone else heard anything like this???

[fightingsioux4life]

The Al?!?  That is just stupid.  Dakotah field would be a better place to play in it's current state.  And how can you say its quality? That crap-heap is made out of tin.  I hope a tornado comes through and wipes it out.  Then UND can collect the $20 from insurance that it's worth.  Besides, football is meant to be played outdoors.  Outdoor football in North Dakota is the ultimate home field advantage.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ask UC-Davis, North Alabama, Pittsburg State or anybody else who has played (and lost) playoff games in the Alerus Center if they think we have the best home field advantage in D-II. I think the answer would be yes. I loved the outdoor atmosphere of Memorial Stadium and there are Bison fans who are still upset that the Bison moved indoors. But you can't argue with success and that is what we've enjoyed at home since 2001. Three of those four home losses were in 2002, which was just a bad year all around. The other loss was in 2001 against Omaha (one blocked punt away from an undefeated season! ). If all you want to focus on is your hatred of the Alerus Center and indoor football, be my guest. I'll just continue to enjoy games at the Al (hopefully well into November this year).

[fightingsioux4life]

A Head Coach for one of the lesser sports at NDSU told me this summer that NDSU is looking into building a 35,000 seat open air stadium out by the North Dakota Horsepark on land that SU owns.  He also told me within the next 10 years they are going to make a serious push to DI-A for football.  Sounds pretty far fetched except this source is a very good friend of mine.  Anyone else heard anything like this???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would not be surprised if this was true. It fits right into the arrogance and conceit that is prevelant in the NDSU/Fargo/Imperial Cass-Clay County area. Of course, NDSU and their allies in Forum Communications will paint this as another step in moving to "the highest levels in athletics, academics and research", blah, blah, blah. But all it will accomplish is to forever remove NDSU's football program from any sort of national title contention. If Chapman and Taylor think that NDSU would be anything more than another Buffalo, Florida Atlantic or Louisiana-Monroe in D-IA, then they're in for a shock. The Bison would be smart to stick with D-IAA football, but again this is NDSU we are talking about.

[bincitysioux]

Of course, NDSU and their allies in Forum Communications will paint this as another step in moving to "the highest levels in athletics, academics and research",....

Let's not forget that it is Forum Communications (WDAZ/FSSN) that also holds the television rights to Sioux athletics. And Sioux athletic events are those which Forum Communications (rightfully so) chooses to export throughout the country via satellite. The Forum newspaper is obviously a homer for the Bison, but the parent company has its priorities straight. I'm sure there is a reason they don't invest in producing more than 2 or 3 NDSU sporting events per year, while at the same time broadcasting nearly 30 UND events.

As far as the Alerus/Fargodome debate goes, I prefer the Alerus. The fact is that both are community event centers, that were built big enough to hold football games. Neither was built with an excessive amount of $$ to lavish the places with many luxuries. When walking through the concourse of either building, one gets the feeling of being in a concrete high school basement. The one advantage the dome has is the location of the Suites, and how they are built. I always liked that. At least when you go to the Alerus, you KNOW that it will be a great, loud, fun atmosphere. When you go to the Fargodome, it had better be a sell-out if you are expecting that same atmosphere. 15,000 in the Dome, is not as loud, adrenaline-filled, pumped up, shear excitement as 9,000 in the Alerus is. And when the Alerus is full, bring your earplugs. Just ask UC-Davis, or NDSU for that matter. When NDSU was in the NCC, I don't think that any game they had against UNO, SCSU, etc was ever as loud or intimidating to what those same programs have faced in the Alerus.

[fightingsioux4life]

Let's not forget that it is Forum Communications (WDAZ/FSSN) that also holds the television rights to Sioux athletics.  And Sioux athletic events are those which Forum Communications (rightfully so) chooses to export throughout the country via satellite.  The Forum newspaper is obviously a homer for the Bison, but the parent company has its priorities straight.

Good points, but you forgot to mention WDAY television and radio and their radical homerism for all things NDSU. A college friend of mine who lives in Fargo has a satellite dish. When it came time to choose his ABC affiliate, he picked WDAZ (Devils Lake, Grand Forks) over WDAY (Fargo). He just can't stand how they slobber all over NDSU all the time. Yes, local stations are always a little bit of a homer for the hometown team, but I think WDAY TV and radio and the Fargo Forum newspaper take it to a sickeningly low level. The Forum's recent articles and editorials slamming UND and hyping up NDSU as the greatest thing since sliced bread were totally over the top, even for them.

If the suits recognize the popularity and marketability of Sioux athletics, that's awesome. But that philosophy doesn't extend too far down the food chain at Forum Communications. I just felt that fact needed to be pointed out.

[SiouxMeNow]

A Head Coach for one of the lesser sports at NDSU told me this summer that NDSU is looking into building a 35,000 seat open air stadium out by the North Dakota Horsepark on land that SU owns.  He also told me within the next 10 years they are going to make a serious push to DI-A for football.  Sounds pretty far fetched except this source is a very good friend of mine.  Anyone else heard anything like this???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

...and I thought I WAS DELUSIONAL

Well..Why not? They're already the "best team" in di-AA despite not being playoff eligible for another 3 years and "came close" to winning a conference title in that refugee di-AA band-aid conference they stuck together...

BUT they have been rejected by a real di-AA conference in the Big Sky!! So obviously teams are scared of them!

I'm sure Fargo could fill a 35,000 seat stadium They never had a (real - VERIFIABLE!) crowd over 11,000 at Dakota Field even in their NC heyday - which was...20 years ago! Someone needs to mow the grass down there..."minor" ndsu coaches are smoking it!!

[dakotadan]

[IowaBison]

A Head Coach for one of the lesser sports at NDSU told me this summer that NDSU is looking into building a 35,000 seat open air stadium out by the North Dakota Horsepark on land that SU owns.  He also told me within the next 10 years they are going to make a serious push to DI-A for football.  Sounds pretty far fetched except this source is a very good friend of mine.  Anyone else heard anything like this???

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I've heard similar things, but

1) I hope they aren't true.

2) They sound quite (too) ambitious.

[siouxrunner]

Having never been to the Fargodome, I can't really comment on the original topic of this post, but the talk about Memorial Stadium got me thinking...

Why not hold the first home game of the season at Memorial Stadium? The weather is usually still nice, and it would be great for the fans that remember the old games there. From what I understand, the school pays quite a bit of money to rent the Al each game it plays there...why not save some of that money, put some of it into refreshing Memorial, and hold a UND Tradition game there to start every year?

"Refreshing" the stadium would take quite a bit of money, probably more than they would normally pay the Alerus to hold a game there, but I would be willing to bet that some alumni would help out. I don't know, maybe its a crazy idea, but I would be willing to pay a little extra to see the Fighting Sioux play a real home game outdoors again.

[UND92,96]

I imagine there's a question as to whether the contract between UND and the Alerus even allows UND to play a home game anywhere other than the Alerus during the term of the contract.