Football Field

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

I was in Missoula and went over to watch the Griz scrimmage on Saturday. Wow, is their stadium nice. In my opinion, there is no substitute for a true, outdoor field. UND needs to get back to an outdoor field. Yes, it was just a scrimmage, but it was easy to tell that it was a great place to watch a football game. The atmosphere just isn't the same in a dome as outside.

[tnt]

But when you get 5000 less fans in late October and November, it is hard to argue with playing indoors. I would love them to play outdoors as well, but there are literally a lot of "fair" weather fans.

[airmail]

Since we started playing in the Alerus, I've noticed a lot more kids attending games than there were at Memorial. I would guess the climate control makes it easier on parents' ears and they're more likely to bring the whole family along.

I'll admit it, the loud and comfortable Alerus atmosphere has been very easy to adapt to.... I'm more than used to it at this point.

[dakotadan]

It's not exactly the same topic but the thread title fits.

[url="http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=47848

[bincitysioux]

It's not exactly the same topic but the thread title fits.

[url="http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=47848

[SiouxMD]

[The Sicatoka]

The astroturf that is in Memorial is only ~10 years old.

I know they sold the boards out of old REA and sold the east grandstand from Memorial.

Is there a market for "game-tested" turf?

[star2city]

Does that mean they could theoretically play soccer in Memorial Stadium? There has to be a bigger underlying reason for making this type of upgrade to the old stadium. The astroturf that is in Memorial is only ~10 years old.

Anyone know if sprinturf at Memorial one of the carrots that kept Lennon from moving to MSU?

It would make sense for the soccer team to play there, considering that their field is earmarked for a future Med School expansion.

[dakotadan]

So is the team just practicing at the Al until this project is completed? A high school field? Possibly a pasture or a beat field?

Is this a sign of what they plan to eventually play on in the Al? I would think you would want to practice on the same type of surface that you will be playing on. Or have those of you in the know heard if it will have soccer lines? I have always thought Memorial could be a nice soccer stadium. Bronson field just doesn't exactly scream DI.

[dakotadan]

Also, looking at the SprinTurf website, I see they also do track surfaces. Any plans to upgrade the track now or in the near future?

[star2city]

So is the team just practicing at the Al until this project is completed? A high school field? Possibly a pasture or a beat field?

They'll practice on the grass field south of Memorial for SUU, as Eccles field at SUU is grass based on the photos:

Is this a sign of what they plan to eventually play on in the Al? I would think you would want to practice on the same type of surface that you will be playing on. Or have those of you in the know heard if it will have soccer lines? I have always thought Memorial could be a nice soccer stadium. Bronson field just doesn't exactly scream DI.

Sprinturf helps reduce injury potential relative to other surfaces, so just based on that, it's probably a very good move.

[UND85]

I walked into the Stadium just yesterday as the last truck was taking out the old turf. I was able to grab a hunk of the carpet with the goal line on it for my Sioux Room in the basement. Wish I had my truck with me so I could have grab a bigger piece for my garage floor!

[Smoggy]

So is the team just practicing at the Al until this project is completed? A high school field? Possibly a pasture or a beat field?

The team has always practicing at Memorial and mainly on grass just to the south of memorial. The Al is to expensive to rent for practice.

[sokarcrazy]

For Memorial to work for soccer they would need to reconfigure the track, right now it is too narrow. The surface would be great for soccer but the NCAA requires a minimum width of 75yards and right now the stadium is about mid 60's for the edge of the track to the other edge of the track. So I'm going to guess that it that their aren't any plans for soccer there, but it would be another option for them to practice on. No if only the could cover it to make it an indoor practice facility.

[Goon]

In recent years we've been getting the same lower attendance figures that time of year anyways, so we could just as well put the game back outside where it belongs. My opinion is that if we have a good enough matchup the fans will show up regardless where it is being played.

That's what you get when you schedule a game right in the middle of deer season.

[andtheHomeoftheSIOUX!!]

If deer hunting keeps somebody from attending a football game they aren't a very big football fan are they?

Not necessarily. It is about priorities. The football season is quite long compared to deer hunting season.

[bincitysioux]

Not necessarily. It is about priorities. The football season is quite long compared to deer hunting season.

You can shoot a deer on any of 15-16 consecutive days, for 10-12 hours a day. Actually if you really really want to kill a deer, one can do it from the end of August until the middle of December, but those types of hunting would require a little more effort than idling up and down the wrong side of county and township roads with a can of beer between one's legs.

By contrast, one can only watch a UND football game in GF on 5 specific days for 3 1/2 hours.

[BigGame]

You can shoot a deer on any of 15-16 consecutive days, for 10-12 hours a day. Actually if you really really want to kill a deer, one can do it from the end of August until the middle of December, but those types of hunting would require a little more effort than idling up and down the wrong side of county and township roads with a can of beer between one's legs.

By contrast, one can only watch a UND football game in GF on 5 specific days for 3 1/2 hours.

And people are supposed to stop working, if people want to hunt they do as they please. The games happen to all be on weekends which are the only times most people are free to hunt. I don't like your assumption that rifle season hunters just drive around drunk and look for dear. Bow hunting takes more work, but most of ND isn't ideal for bowhunting either. You take a minority of idiots who hunt and just implied thats what all hunters do and that is far from the truth. Unless things have changed dramatically in the last 7 years or so that I have been out of state.

[dakotadan]

You can shoot a deer on any of 15-16 consecutive days, for 10-12 hours a day. Actually if you really really want to kill a deer, one can do it from the end of August until the middle of December, but those types of hunting would require a little more effort than idling up and down the wrong side of county and township roads with a can of beer between one's legs.

By contrast, one can only watch a UND football game in GF on 5 specific days for 3 1/2 hours.

I have to agree with Bin. If you can't schedule 3-4 hours for only 5 days out of the year, you aren't much of a fan. Understandably there are things such as family weddings, funerals, etc. that can't really be worked around. But I wouldn't consider hunting one of them.

[dakotadan]

Here is a link to FightingSioux.com where you can follow the progress of the SprinTurf installation. It looks like they will be updating the photos as they go along.

[Jeremy_und2004]

Here is a link to FightingSioux.com where you can follow the progress of the SprinTurf installation. It looks like they will be updating the photos as they go along.

Nice Link, thanks!

[BigGame]

I have to agree with Bin. If you can't schedule 3-4 hours for only 5 days out of the year, you aren't much of a fan. Understandably there are things such as family weddings, funerals, etc. that can't really be worked around. But I wouldn't consider hunting one of them.

So people aren't allowed to be a UND football fan and a deer hunter who puts that priority slightly above UND football? You true fans seem a little snobbish and make it difficult for everyone else.

[Stromer]

I have to agree with Bin. If you can't schedule 3-4 hours for only 5 days out of the year, you aren't much of a fan. Understandably there are things such as family weddings, funerals, etc. that can't really be worked around. But I wouldn't consider hunting one of them.

I would rather have people skip to hunt, an activity that can only be done for 2 weeks, rather than weddings which can be planned on any other date.

[dakotadan]

So people aren't allowed to be a UND football fan and a deer hunter who puts that priority slightly above UND football?

Exactly! Now you're getting it.

I would rather have people skip to hunt, an activity that can only be done for 2 weeks, rather than weddings which can be planned on any other date.

So you are going to ask your niece to reschedule her wedding or your dead uncle to reschedule his funeral so you can go to the game?

Now THAT is a true fan!!!

[bincitysioux]

So people aren't allowed to be a UND football fan and a deer hunter who puts that priority slightly above UND football? You true fans seem a little snobbish and make it difficult for everyone else.

I'm not saying that. There are lots of people who prefer to do other things than go to a football game, whether it is hunting, fishing, riding an ATV, boating, golfing, or a million other things, and that is fine. I didn't mean to call into question anyone being a "true" fan. I was just pointing out that there are far more days available in North Dakota to hunt almost any type of game, including deer, than there are opportunities to go to a UND football game in the Alerus.