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Facilities Master Plan


The Sicatoka

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Again, I don't think anyone is saying lets just wake up in the mourning and put shovels in the ground. My point is that if the school hasn't already started to put money aside for one it is an absolute shame. Fact of the matter is that 95% of the recruits that we need to be national contenders have never even heard of Grand Forks and have no interest in coming up to North Dakota. You have to give them a reason to want to come here. It doesn't matter if the Alerus is better then Memorial. If you have a car that doesn't run, you can buy an 85 pinto that does. Ya you upgraded, but you still drive a piece of crap.

Actually I am saying it. DIG DIG DIG!!!! :lol:

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For starters, I am a student (Doctoral), I attend just about every sporting event on campus, and I donate roughly $1,000 per year towards athletics (would like to do more but a man can only give what he has). I can tell that I'm out gunned here and that everybody but me is fine with the Alerus as the permanent home of UND football, I guess I should be grateful that at least we have hockey and we are definitely king of the mountain of that.

First, I applaud and thank you for your support. Regarding being out gunned and everybody thinking the Alerus is fine, I don't necessarily think that is the case. I would guess most of us would prefer to have a larger stadium on campus. I am afraid that it just isn't feasible anytime in the next 10-15 years.

Keep the passion!

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Saluki Stadium

Not commenting on Superiority. But it is a brand new 15,000 seat horsehoe stadium. (I should note that I like the Alerus.)

Their record crowd is just over 15k including the grass berm, so certainly the stadium seats less than 15k officially.

Other than the press box and the video board, the stadium is 100% high school style construction. CHEAP

SalukiStadiumAerial.jpg

Alerus is better, hands down.

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Saluki Stadium looks nice......................

So as far as venues of comparable size to the Alerus, it appears that UC Davis, Cal Poly, Southern Illinois, and Montana St. arguably have a better home venue for football than North Dakota.

It sucks that 3 of the 4 will be in the same conference as us...........................but I'll take it.

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Saluki Stadium looks nice......................

So as far as venues of comparable size to the Alerus, it appears that UC Davis, Cal Poly, Southern Illinois, and Montana St. arguably have a better home venue for football than North Dakota.

It sucks that 3 of the 4 will be in the same conference as us...........................but I'll take it.

Montana St. has a legit stadium. It is not huge, in fact, even with the add-ons this summer I believe it holds less than the Fargodome but still, beautiful setting, a good atmosphere, nicer than the Alerus as long as the fans are willing to show up.

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I've said it before and I'll say it again: if Idaho's Kibbie Dome meets the requirements for FBS football, then so does the Alerus.

Idaho has just over 12,000 vs Bowling Green and 10,000 for UND. Now without Boise State in the WAC how will Idaho meet the requirement of 15,000.

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Idaho has just over 12,000 vs Bowling Green and 10,000 for UND. Now without Boise State in the WAC how will Idaho meet the requirement of 15,000.

They can use actual attendance or tickets sold, to meet 15k. However I think that if they use tickets sold then only tickets sold for some minimum fraction of the most expensive ticket count (in other words, can't just give them away for free).

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They can use actual attendance or tickets sold, to meet 15k. However I think that if they use tickets sold then only tickets sold for some minimum fraction of the most expensive ticket count (in other words, can't just give them away for free).

That is really sad that they can't meet the 15,000 ticket limit. You'd think it wouldn't be overly difficult even with Boise in the area,

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  • 4 months later...

Nothing to do with UND's master plan, but this came out in today's PNJ regarding UWF's master plan...

The University of West Florida has drafted what President Judy Bense calls a “transformational” master plan that would cost as much as $200 million or more – none of which would come from the state or increased student fees.

“Ever since I have been president, I have been harping on the full collegiate experience,” Bense told the News Journal editorial board today.

“Of course, that includes football, it includes dorms, it includes restaurants, it includes campus life,” she said. “It includes all the things all of us enjoyed when we were in college. We will always continue to give a good education, but that is just a core of a university.”

The 2011-2021 master plan calls for:

• A massive “University Park” that will include four buildings that would stand up to seven stories tall, including housing, stores/restaurants, and classrooms; a new 160,000-square-foot student center; a 5,000-seat multipurpose/basketball stadium; a 5,000-seat football stadium; two 750-parking garages; a 120-foot bell tower and an iconic Argonaut in the middle of a large grass plaza.

The long term plan at UWF is Division I.

What happens at UWF impacts me, as the outlet shown to the left on the plan doesn't currently exist, but when it is built, it will put the campus within a 1/2 mile walk from my house.

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Does it not bother anyone that the old ralph will most likely be torn down? After some renovations, would this not be an amazing venue for the basketball team 10 years down the road?

Edit: Pardon me for being somewhat off topic.

It would cost millions to rehab the building, and probably still wouldn't be a good fit since it was built for hockey. It is a great place to put the indoor practice facility. Plus it is in the way for any future football stadium project. Things change. Remember, the original hockey arena was torn down when the old Ralph was built.
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It would cost millions to rehab the building, and probably still wouldn't be a good fit since it was built for hockey. It is a great place to put the indoor practice facility. Plus it is in the way for any future football stadium project. Things change. Remember, the original hockey arena was torn down when the old Ralph was built.

I completely understand where you’re coming from, but I just don’t believe it is a logical decision. Basketball and hockey arenas tend to play host to both sports nation-wide. Although I have never personally been in the arena, I have seen pictures, and it appears as if the sightlines and atmosphere would be outstanding. Also, couldn’t the new practice facility potentially be in the way of an addition to Memorial Stadium as you say the the Old Ralph may be?

I understand tearing the arena down if there were no other possible locations for the practice facility; I don’t know if that is indeed the case or not. Is there enough room for the practice facility just south of Memorial Stadium/Old Ralph?

Concerning costs to renovate the arena for future basketball use, and I am no expert, but I assume it would be much cheaper than building a new arena if we (hopefully) were to outgrow the Betty.

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The question is why? The betty is going to be a fine basketball arena for UND for a long time (larger bleachers on the ends could boost capacity to about 4,000)....and when UND hosts a larger venued team they can play in the Ralph...or the Alerus for that matter....I watched the Timberwolves play in the Alerus...it was a fine set up for basketball.

Playing basketball in the old REA, if you ask me, is not a good long term solution for UND basketball.

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I completely understand where you’re coming from, but I just don’t believe it is a logical decision. Basketball and hockey arenas tend to play host to both sports nation-wide. Although I have never personally been in the arena, I have seen pictures, and it appears as if the sightlines and atmosphere would be outstanding. Also, couldn’t the new practice facility potentially be in the way of an addition to Memorial Stadium as you say the the Old Ralph may be?

I understand tearing the arena down if there were no other possible locations for the practice facility; I don’t know if that is indeed the case or not. Is there enough room for the practice facility just south of Memorial Stadium/Old Ralph?

Concerning costs to renovate the arena for future basketball use, and I am no expert, but I assume it would be much cheaper than building a new arena if we (hopefully) were to outgrow the Betty.

The building was built for hockey only, so I don't think the sightlines would be as good for basketball as they are in the multi-purpose buildings. The seating is kind of flat, and the ends wouldn't have good sightlines at all. I went to a lot of games in that building. It was great for hockey, but it would be tough to put a good basketball venue in the building without spending a lot of money.

Speaking of money, it would probably cost about as much to renovate the old Ralph for basketball as what they spent building the Betty, or more. It needs a new roof. The interior would have to be gutted. All new locker rooms would need to be put in. The entry way would have to be redone. Basically, you could keep the walls (although you would probably have to redo them). It would probably cost well over $5 million to put basketball in that building.

There isn't room to put the practice facility south of Memorial. By the time you would renovate Memorial or put in a new stadium, plus put in the practice facility, plus try to keep the old Ralph, you wouldn't have room for enough parking. Plus, the long term plan wants to put a soccer facility over in that area.

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The question is why? The betty is going to be a fine basketball arena for UND for a long time (larger bleachers on the ends could boost capacity to about 4,000)....and when UND hosts a larger venued team they can play in the Ralph...or the Alerus for that matter....I watched the Timberwolves play in the Alerus...it was a fine set up for basketball.

Playing basketball in the old REA, if you ask me, is not a good long term solution for UND basketball.

When i was at the NJIT mens game I was thinking of ways they could get more seating in the Betty. Just wondering if the current "storgage area" at the Betty would accomodate larger risers in the endzones of teh Betty (kind of like the people that designed the storage at the Alerus for the old turf)? Also how high can you go before you have to worry about safety with those taller risers? Sidenote: are they gonna totally redo the court for next year or just sand down the sioux name?
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  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...

So has anyone heard anything more about a possible announcement on the IPF coming in the next week or so?

I wonder what Altru promised Kelly to talk him out of the 10 million Sanford money. Looks like Kelly's promise to fb recruits will be off the mark (another poster posted that). Altru having money problems?? Heard that Sanford is looking to up the ante to NDSU now.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/234769/group/homepage/

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I wonder what Altru promised Kelly to talk him out of the 10 million Sanford money. Looks like Kelly's promise to fb recruits will be off the mark (another poster posted that). Altru having money problems?? Heard that Sanford is looking to up the ante to NDSU now.

http://www.grandfork...group/homepage/

Sanford is going to want something in return so get ready. There is a reason why UND turned down 10 million dollars. USD took the money and paid for it. SDSU is going to realize it also.

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