Top 10 Indoor stadiums

[darell1976]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1117636-college-football-ranking-division-i-indoor-stadiums#/articles/1117636-college-football-ranking-division-i-indoor-stadiums


My favorite: #7 http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1117636-college-football-ranking-division-i-indoor-stadiums#/articles/1117636-college-football-ranking-division-i-indoor-stadiums/page/4 Except the Alerus was opened in 2001 not 1998.

[GABison]

Nice find. Thanks, darell!

[darell1976]

Nice find. Thanks, darell!

It was posted on siouxsports.com, so I can't take credit for the find. As for the list...NDSU as #2 is really good for them. Its hard to compete with a dome that is twice their size.

[DFW HOYA]

The first non-NFL indoor stadium for football was actually Atlantic City Convention Hall, which hosted the pre-Memphis Liberty Bowl in 1964 and a series of football games from 1961-73, loosely titled the Boardwalk Bowl, though they weren't actually bowl games. (Georgetown played in at least one of them.)

1964 Liberty Bowl, West Virginia vs. Utah:

http://www.msnsportsnet.com/content/LibertyBowl62305.jpg

[Bogus Megapardus]

The first non-NFL indoor stadium for football was actually Atlantic City Convention Hall, which hosted the pre-Memphis Liberty Bowl in 1964 and a series of football games from 1961-73, loosely titled the Boardwalk Bowl, though they weren't actually bowl games. (Georgetown played in at least one of them.)


Lafayette played in the very first indoor college game in Atlantic City, on October 25, 1930. Georgetown played St. Peters indoors on October 22, 1969. Delaware, Fordham and UMass all played indoors in Atlantic City as well.


http://www.luckyshow.org/football/AtlanticCityIndoor.htm

[LakesBison]

Its a syracuse fan page, doesnt mean ****. Ignore it.

[Pard4Life]

#1 Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duh.

[Bogus Megapardus]

The Pittsburgh Press did a full write-up on the first-ever indoor college game:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19301027&id=uyEbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l0sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1716,2204946


My favorite line - "Small quantities of glass, carted into the hall when the dirt turf was laid, caused numerous small cuts and scratches to the players."

Also - "Ideal conditions for perfect football exist here. I can see that in the future more games will be scheduled for indoors."

Take a minute to browse the other sports stories in the paper that day. A fascinating look back.

[Bogus Megapardus]

The best dome on any campus, I think, is Princeton's amazing Jadwin Gym. It has enough floor area for eight full football fields inside.


http://www.cambridge2000.com/gallery/images/P72227048e.jpg

[Professor Chaos]

And as we've always suspected: Fargodome > UNI-dome.

[HailSzczur]

I've never actually been in any of the mentioned domes, but I have passed by two of them, and let me say I was very very impressed when I was in Flagstaff

[Hammerhead]

The new turf being installed in the Fargodome will be a huge improvement. The UNIdome is the only other college dome I've been to. The Walkup Skydome looks pretty nice.

Of the 9 stadiums, only 3 have been built since 1980 and the only two that were built specifically for college teams are in North Dakota
3 of the domes were built for Division II teams that later moved up to D-1.

[Silenoz]

Its a syracuse fan page, doesnt mean ****. Ignore it.

What are you talking about?


Crazy that almost every dome is from a current or former Big Sky or MVFC team

[Ginsbach]

I've been in three of these domes - Fargodome, Alerus Center, and Holt Arena.

Out of those, the Fargodome is the best, Holt Arena is by far the worst, and the Alerus Center is very mediocre. Matches up well with this article.

However, I did play in the Fargodome way back in high school and that turf was brutal. I'm pretty excited for the new turf.

[laxVik]

This is like a thread on the best imitation bacon.

[NoCoDanny]

Yeah I think there are only like 10 domes to pick from anyway, who is missing from the list?

[ursus arctos horribilis]

After the arguments last summer with GA State fans this quote gave me a chuckle.

Following is a ranking of the unique indoor football stadiums in college football (Tulane and Georgia State's stadiums will not be included in these rankings because they are NFL stadiums, not college stadiums).

[cbarrier90]

Yeah I think there are only like 10 domes to pick from anyway...

Exactly. I'm waiting for the "Top 10 FCS Stadiums in Cold, Mountain Climates At Least 3000 Feet Above Sea Level" list. I think ASU has a good shot to be represented on that one.

[Bogus Megapardus]

How about, "FCS stadiums at schools that could have built domes, but chose not to, where the weather is even more severe than at those schools that have domes."

[Big Cats]

My favorite: #7 Except the Alerus was opened in 2001 not 1998.

The UNIDOME was opened in 1976, not 1974. Goundbreaking for the project was in 1974.

[Cleets]

Isn't picking your favorite indoor stadium about like choosing your favorite way to get kicked in the balls..?
Shouldn't it be: Which indoor stadiums suck the least






:D This would be an example of a moderator instigating a riot...
(I am the worst moderator on the net, thank you AGS)

[NoDak 4 Ever]

The UNIDOME was opened in 1976, not 1974. Goundbreaking for the project was in 1974.

That's why it looks like it could have been in the center of Moscow.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

I have a soft spot for domes with air supported roofs. There's something neat about stepping through the 'airlock' into the stadium and knowing that just a tiny pressure differential is all that's keeping it together. Not a FCS stadium, and not around anymore, but the RCA Dome was my favorite.

[TheRevSFA]

The best dome is Finley Stadium in Chattanooga, also known as the Mecca.

You can't see the dome, but it's there...

[BEAR]

What's an "indoor stadium"? xeyebrowx

[Hammerhead]

What FCS cities have worse weather in November than Grand Forks or Fargo?


How about, "FCS stadiums at schools that could have built domes, but chose not to, where the weather is even more severe than at those schools that have domes."

[UNH Fanboi]

Football is meant to be played outdoors, not in some glorified quonset hut.

[TheRevSFA]

What's an "indoor stadium"? xeyebrowx

Where your basketball team plays

[Cleets]

What's an "indoor stadium"? xeyebrowx

I tried already... these guys are good
Sticking to the program and ignoring the peanut gallery

[344Johnson]

Football is meant to be played outdoors, not in some glorified quonset hut.


Come to Fargo or Grand Forks late in the year. Sometimes, it is acceptable to play a little ball inside. I for one, would imagine you as a fan, would like to be warm in December rather than sitting in 5-10 degree weather.

No excuse for a southern team though to have a dome.

[cbarrier90]

No excuse for a southern team though to have a dome.

Fans of the Georgia Dome, Astrodome, Superdome, Alamodome, Tropicana Field, and any other team unfortunate enough to have a stadium built during the "dome architectural craze" of the '60s and '70s disagree.

[ASUMountaineer]

I can't believe ETSU's MiniDome wasn't on there. Credibility shot!



















xlolx

[TheRevSFA]

Come to Fargo or Grand Forks late in the year. Sometimes, it is acceptable to play a little ball inside. I for one, would imagine you as a fan, would like to be warm in December rather than sitting in 5-10 degree weather.

No excuse for a southern team though to have a dome.

For baseball facilities...maybe. Try being in Houston, or Tampa or Miami where it rains every day about game time..plus humidity.

Football is meant to be played in the elements. Man up. Yankee teams.

[DFW HOYA]

How many of these programs were state construction projects sold as an athletic upgrade? Only one private school in America has built a domed stadium, and only because half of the $27 million was paid for by the state.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrier_Dome#History

[344Johnson]

For baseball facilities...maybe. Try being in Houston, or Tampa or Miami where it rains every day about game time..plus humidity.

Football is meant to be played in the elements. Man up. Yankee teams.

North Dakota wasn't a state during the civil war. Don't call us yankee. Southern elements are not "elements". It is rain. Up here, elements are a little more extreme. Hence we play ball inside now.

[ASUMountaineer]

North Dakota wasn't a state during the civil war. Don't call us yankee. Southern elements are not "elements". It is rain. Up here, elements are a little more extreme. Hence we play ball inside now.

That is somewhat true, but not completely.

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics32/640/UU/UUKAYIDOGPKCEIR.20101204214250.jpg

[laxVik]

That is somewhat true, but not completely.

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics32/640/UU/UUKAYIDOGPKCEIR.20101204214250.jpgThat right there is football. Come rain, shine or snow.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

That is somewhat true, but not completely.

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics32/640/UU/UUKAYIDOGPKCEIR.20101204214250.jpg

30 degrees and the snow coming down pretty vertically. Try 10 degrees with a 25 MPH wind. That's Fargo in December.

[laxVik]

30 degrees and the snow coming down pretty vertically. Try 10 degrees with a 25 MPH wind. That's Fargo in December.You'd have a point if you played any games in December on your current schedule.

[clenz]

You'd have a point if you played any games in December on your current schedule.

Agreed.

UNI has a dome, and it is very nice to have some games in there during the season...maybe one or two. However, September and usually all of October is gorgeous, November is hit and miss.


I can only think of one or two games the last couple years where I wouldn't have watched the game from the stadium (I say that but I'd still have gone). The biggest one I can think of is the 07 quarters against UD. That is one of the worst ice storms I've ever been a part of. I started tailgating at 7AM and was covered in about an inch of ice all the way around by the time I went inside for the game. It was about 28degrees and not snowing only sleeting with 30-40 mph winds. Wind chill was about 0. There was one point during the game where the temp difference on the room caused a massive chunk of ice to break free from the rest of the ice covered dome (about 1/4th of the roof sized piece) to slide down the roof and off. It sounded like an earthquake inside the dome and no one could figure out what happened.

On the flip side, given how well Flacco threw the ball that day and how well we ran it...we should have played it outside.

Yes, that is the same storm that caused UD to not fly out of CF until Monday and started the "tape gate" that pisses UD fans off so much.



The fact is, by the time the weather is bad enough to not want to be outside anymore there is typically only one game left at home and that would be a semi-final playoff game.



The benefit for UNI is that since we struggle with UNI hardcore fans (they seem to sway towards UI) the dome does get fans to games in cold weather that wouldn't otherwise go.


I'd love a 20K seat out door stadium that looks like a bigger version of CCU's Brooks Stadium (with seating on all four sides) or like Liberty's stadium.

[Professor Chaos]

I'd love a 20K seat out door stadium that looks like a bigger version of CCU's Brooks Stadium (with seating on all four sides) or like Liberty's stadium.
I agree with that. 20 thousand fans can be more intimidating and loud in an indoor atmosphere but I wouldn't mind seeing some playoff games in Fargo in the mid-December elements. We'll see how manly the "football is meant to be played outdoors" crowd is then if they have to come up here to play in that mess.

On top of that it is usually pretty comfortable for outdoor football in September and October here. Either way NDSU gets to enjoy a pretty significant homefield advantage in the playoffs, whether it's crowd noise indoors or weather outdoors.

[344Johnson]

I agree with that. 20 thousand fans can be more intimidating and loud in an indoor atmosphere but I wouldn't mind seeing some playoff games in Fargo in the mid-December elements. We'll see how manly the "football is meant to be played outdoors" crowd is then if they have to come up here to play in that mess.

On top of that it is usually pretty comfortable for outdoor football in September and October here. Either way NDSU gets to enjoy a pretty significant homefield advantage in the playoffs, whether it's crowd noise indoors or weather outdoors.

I'd be happy to go to an outdoor game in the snow and terrible cold. The only problem is, I'm guessing about 10,000 people would mind and sit at home and watch on the television.

[TheRevSFA]

North Dakota wasn't a state during the civil war. Don't call us yankee. Southern elements are not "elements". It is rain. Up here, elements are a little more extreme. Hence we play ball inside now.

Rain, humidity, heat, locusts, rednecks, malaria = Southern Elements

95 degrees and 90 percent humidity is not good football weather.

Oh and Yankee was a generic term. Not meaning the Dakotas directly. I know you guys didn't matter until the late 1800s

[NoDak 4 Ever]

You'd have a point if you played any games in December on your current schedule.

You see, there are these things called playoffs that NDSU is very familiar with. I would love to have seen Georgia Southern come up in a typical winter and play at Dakotah Field.

2011 was a very mild day. 2010 was a high of 19 with a 14 mph wind, that's a wind chill in the single digits. None of you southern candy asses would have lasted a half hour in that.

[Apphole]

North Dakota wasn't a state during the civil war. Don't call us yankee. Southern elements are not "elements". It is rain. Up here, elements are a little more extreme. Hence we play ball inside now.

I call you Canadians, not Yankees. I'm not sure which is worse.

Anyway, App State and Montana are both outdoor environments that can have some adverse conditions. Considering these two are also the perennial attendance leaders, it speaks a lot to the dedication of the fan bases.

[Apphole]

You see, there are these things called playoffs that NDSU is very familiar with.

How familiar can you get in one year....xeyebrowx

[344Johnson]

You see, there are these things called playoffs that NDSU is very familiar with. I would love to have seen Georgia Southern come up in a typical winter and play at Dakotah Field.

2011 was a very mild day. 2010 was a high of 19 with a 14 mph wind, that's a wind chill in the single digits. None of you southern candy asses would have lasted a half hour in that.

It would be tough for most people up here to sit through that.


I call you Canadians, not Yankees. I'm not sure which is worse.

Anyway, App State and Montana are both outdoor environments that can have some adverse conditions. Considering these two are also the perennial attendance leaders, it speaks a lot to the dedication of the fan bases.

App State is North Carolina? As in anything below 30 degrees is cold and people get school cancelled?


Not meaning the Dakotas directly. I know you guys didn't matter until the late 1800s

Lets not kid ourselves, we still don't matter.

[laxVik]

You see, there are these things called playoffs that NDSU is very familiar with. I would love to have seen Georgia Southern come up in a typical winter and play at Dakotah Field.

2011 was a very mild day. 2010 was a high of 19 with a 14 mph wind, that's a wind chill in the single digits. None of you southern candy asses would have lasted a half hour in that.Assuming you're hosting playoff games every year of course. Come on, you have only two scheduled games in November at home. The brunt being in September - October.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

I call you Canadians, not Yankees. I'm not sure which is worse.


My Grandparents were Canadian, not an insult.


Assuming you're hosting playoff games every year of course. Come on, you have only two scheduled games in November at home. The brunt being in September - October.

Ask anybody what it was like for those old DII days during some playoffs when there were near whiteout conditions.

[344Johnson]

Assuming you're hosting playoff games every year of course. Come on, you have only two scheduled games in November at home. The brunt being in September - October.

Too late now. Once you move indoors, you stay indoors. I seriously doubt NDSU will play an outdoor game at home ever again. And if NDSU's tradition of playing at home in the playoffs continues while we are D-1, I can't say I'd complain about being inside either. It isn't fun using a spatula to pry your frozen balls from the side of your leg. Not fun at all.

[TheRevSFA]

My Grandparents were Canadian, not an insult.

Nothing wrong with being Canadian

[Apphole]

App State is North Carolina? As in anything below 30 degrees is cold and people get school cancelled?


0-10 degrees in Jan-Feb, but it's the 40 MPH winds of the mountain that get you. Nothing a good North Face won't fix, but it's pretty rough for the state. School was only cancelled when Appal Cart couldn't run, ie. Ice on the roads or a ton of snow just before daybreak. Not a frequent occurrence. (although I believe they started canceling class more often recently)

Anyway, I doubt you'd see 30k Canadians in Fargo if you had to play outside on even the mildest Dakota winter day.

[asumike83]

My freshman year in Boone, classes were canceled for the first time in over a decade. Apparently it happens a bit more frequently now. The wind in Boone is absolutely brutal, way worse than the cold itself. 30-40 MPH gusts with single digit wind chills are pretty common.

I will be starting a donation jar to add a retractable roof onto Kidd Brewer Stadium. I've got $5 on it.

[Apphole]

Nothing wrong with being Canadian

Psshhh. If you like French, socialism and being Ameica's bitch. Similar to the Australia/New Zealand dynamic


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leMm4F4NAJ0

[Apphole]

My freshman year in Boone, classes were canceled for the first time in over a decade. Apparently it happens a bit more frequently now. The wind in Boone is absolutely brutal, way worse than the cold itself. 30-40 MPH gusts with single digit wind chills are pretty common.

I will be starting a donation jar to add a retractable roof onto Kidd Brewer Stadium. I've got $5 on it.

I used to love how you would be walking adjacent to a building with the wind in your face thinking, "gah, I can't wait to turn the corner up here so the wind isn't in my face," only to turn the 90 degree corner and have the wind still be right in your face. It used to blow my mind, no pun intended.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

My freshman year in Boone, classes were canceled for the first time in over a decade. Apparently it happens a bit more frequently now. The wind in Boone is absolutely brutal, way worse than the cold itself. 30-40 MPH gusts with single digit wind chills are pretty common.

I will be starting a donation jar to add a retractable roof onto Kidd Brewer Stadium. I've got $5 on it.

When I was in high school they cancelled classes because the wind chill was going to be 60-70 degrees BELOW ZERO. I hated my parents every day for making me live there.

[Professor Chaos]

Anyway, I doubt you'd see 30k Canadians in Fargo if you had to play outside on even the mildest Dakota winter day.
You're right. However, had the game been outside in a stadium that could hold us all last December 17th against Georgia Southern you would've seen about 25K Bison fans there on a relatively nice December day. Maybe a couple hundred Canadians sprinkled there.

Beats the hell out of the 15K rednecks that filed into KBS last December 3rd on a day with temps into the 40s and "gusts" all the way up to 9mph.

[asumike83]

You're right. However, had the game been outside in a stadium that could hold us all last December 17th against Georgia Southern you would've seen about 25K Bison fans there on a relatively nice December day. Maybe a couple hundred Canadians sprinkled there.

http://www.gobison.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=2400&ATCLID=69809

Capacity is listed as 19,000. If the stadium was almost 1,000 under capacity for the GSU game (18,108), how is it that there were 7,000 fans who couldn't get in? Just curious.


Beats the hell out of the 15K rednecks that filed into KBS last December 3rd on a day with temps into the 40s and "gusts" all the way up to 9mph.

Weather has nothing to do with attendance drop-off in the playoffs, as has been discussed at length in several other threads. Boone is a college town of 17K people. The vast majority of our fans are driving up the mountain from Charlotte (100 mi), Winston-Salem (90 mi) and Raleigh (200 mi). A trip to a game has to be an overnight or full weekend event and getting all those folks to book the trip on short notice is difficult.

If App was located in a 200K metro area like Fargo, we wouldn't see a steep drop-off in attendance either.

[Apphole]

Beats the hell out of the 15K rednecks that filed into KBS last December 3rd on a day with temps into the 40s and "gusts" all the way up to 9mph.

No it doesn't.

Anyway, I've said this before, but NDSU has made one D-1 playoff appearance. When your squad makes the playoff field every year for a decade, please feel free to compare our playoff attendance numbers. During out 3-peat run, we drew over 25k against Richmond. If you're gonna cherry pick a number, at least be fair. I can't exactly go back in time and find an old, less-than-stellar attendance figure for you guys. Noob

[Apphole]

Weather has nothing to do with attendance drop-off in the playoffs, as has been discussed at length in several other threads. Boone is a college town of 17K people. The vast majority of our fans are driving up the mountain from Charlotte (100 mi), Winston-Salem (90 mi) and Raleigh (200 mi). A trip to a game has to be an overnight or full weekend event and getting all those folks to book the trip on short notice is difficult.

If App was located in a 200K metro area like Fargo, we wouldn't see a steep drop-off in attendance either.

One correction. 17k students. 15k or so year-around residents. The town population is around 30k.

[asumike83]

One correction. 17k students. 15k or so year-around residents. The town population is around 30k.

30K including the students is about right. The population, meaning just the locals, is 17,186.

http://www.townofboone.net/

[Apphole]

30K including the students is about right. The population, meaning just the locals, is 17,186.

http://www.townofboone.net/

And, of course, 5-10k Floridiots (depending on the time of year) driving very slowly all around town in between trips to Grandfather/the skii mountains.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

No it doesn't.

Anyway, I've said this before, but NDSU has made one D-1 playoff appearance. When your squad makes the playoff field every year for a decade, please feel free to compare our playoff attendance numbers. During out 3-peat run, we drew over 25k against Richmond. If you're gonna cherry pick a number, at least be fair. I can't exactly go back in time and find an old, less-than-stellar attendance figure for you guys. Noob

2 playoff appearances, out of 4 years eligible.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

There is a great fan base at NDSU so it's hard to see NDSU guys saying that the fans would not be there en masse without a dome. I've made that assertion before and was told I was full of ****, not by any of you guys, but you confirm that there may be a crowd advantage gained by NDSU in the fans that aren't into the team enough to go tough it out in the elements.

I'm glad those kind of fans are basically told to eat **** at most stadiums. Especially places like Boone and Missoula where you better be willing to withstand some weather to see your team play.

I know it's sort of a silly thing to have pride over but the really cold games in the playoffs are the ones I remember the most because you had to put some skin in the game to be there and the normal amount of fans still showed up, drank beer before, during, and after, cooked food, and did everything else like they would a game in September.

1995 & to a lesser amount 1996 were both real cold and windy but the game against SFA was something like -20 WC and the game a couple years ago against App was pretty cold to the soul and you could never, ever have that in a dome.

The reason it is louder at Montana than NDSU in spite of the lack of a roof may just be that each fan that is there is just more highly motivated than a lot of the fans that need a 70 degree environment to be comfortable at a game.

I know a lot of you don't defend the domes and would rather act like men and watch your team in the environment that your contemporaries do so don't take this is a slight to you guys.

"Top 10 indoor stadiums" is just code for "10 worst college football experiences".

[Apphole]

"Top 10 indoor stadiums" is just code for "10 worst college football experiences".

xsmileyclapx

[TheRevSFA]

There is a great fan base at NDSU so it's hard to see NDSU guys saying that the fans would not be there en masse without a dome. I've made that assertion before and was told I was full of ****, not by any of you guys, but you confirm that there may be a crowd advantage gained by NDSU in the fans that aren't into the team enough to go tough it out in the elements.

I'm glad those kind of fans are basically told to eat **** at most stadiums. Especially places like Boone and Missoula where you better be willing to withstand some weather to see your team play.

I know it's sort of a silly thing to have pride over but the really cold games in the playoffs are the ones I remember the most because you had to put some skin in the game to be there and the normal amount of fans still showed up, drank beer before, during, and after, cooked food, and did everything else like they would a game in September.

1995 & to a lesser amount 1996 were both real cold and windy but the game against SFA was something like -20 WC and the game a couple years ago against App was pretty cold to the soul and you could never, ever have that in a dome.

The reason it is louder at Montana than NDSU in spite of the lack of a roof may just be that each fan that is there is just more highly motivated than a lot of the fans that need a 70 degree environment to be comfortable at a game.

I know a lot of you don't defend the domes and would rather act like men and watch your team in the environment that your contemporaries do so don't take this is a slight to you guys.

"Top 10 indoor stadiums" is just code for "10 worst college football experiences".

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to ursus arctos horribilis again.

[Professor Chaos]

No it doesn't.

Anyway, I've said this before, but NDSU has made one D-1 playoff appearance. When your squad makes the playoff field every year for a decade, please feel free to compare our playoff attendance numbers. During out 3-peat run, we drew over 25k against Richmond. If you're gonna cherry pick a number, at least be fair. I can't exactly go back in time and find an old, less-than-stellar attendance figure for you guys. Noob
So to be "fair" you cherry pick the highest attendance number during your 3-peat run. The next year you drew 15,215 against that same Richmond team in the quest for a 4th straight title.

In Fargo, tickets will only be in more demand the more the team wins. That is already evident based on season ticket demand and the increase in ticket prices that we've seen after last years run. The playoffs will be the same way. As long as they keep winning the dome will be full. I guess the mentality is different down there where winning breeds indifference among the fan base.

I just find it comical that you make snide predictions about NDSU not being able to draw fans on the mildest December day in Fargo, and then proceed to lay out the excuses for your own team's December attendance dropoff.

[Professor Chaos]

There is a great fan base at NDSU so it's hard to see NDSU guys saying that the fans would not be there en masse without a dome. I've made that assertion before and was told I was full of ****, not by any of you guys, but you confirm that there may be a crowd advantage gained by NDSU in the fans that aren't into the team enough to go tough it out in the elements.

I'm glad those kind of fans are basically told to eat **** at most stadiums. Especially places like Boone and Missoula where you better be willing to withstand some weather to see your team play.

I know it's sort of a silly thing to have pride over but the really cold games in the playoffs are the ones I remember the most because you had to put some skin in the game to be there and the normal amount of fans still showed up, drank beer before, during, and after, cooked food, and did everything else like they would a game in September.

1995 & to a lesser amount 1996 were both real cold and windy but the game against SFA was something like -20 WC and the game a couple years ago against App was pretty cold to the soul and you could never, ever have that in a dome.

The reason it is louder at Montana than NDSU in spite of the lack of a roof may just be that each fan that is there is just more highly motivated than a lot of the fans that need a 70 degree environment to be comfortable at a game.

I know a lot of you don't defend the domes and would rather act like men and watch your team in the environment that your contemporaries do so don't take this is a slight to you guys.

"Top 10 indoor stadiums" is just code for "10 worst college football experiences".
I would prefer an outdoor stadium but I don't mind playing indoors. Come to the Fargodome for a game and when the lights go out prior to the team coming out of the tunnel tell me with a straight face that it is one of the "10 worst college football experiences". The propensity amongst most football fans is that the macho aura of the game is lost when it is played indoors and to a certain extent that's true because you get the book-reading and knitting crowd that are just there because it's the hot show in town. However, there are aspects to playing indoors both in terms of on the field and atmosphere that give it advantages to playing outdoors.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to ursus arctos horribilis again.

That's twice now in the last week or so. Get to spreading some rep to some peop's that deserve a little shot so you can stop giving me these god damn rain checks.

[TheRevSFA]

That's twice now in the last week or so. Get to spreading some rep to some peop's that deserve a little shot so you can stop giving me these god damn rain checks.

Done

[henfan]

A list of best indoor stadiums is sort of like the list of best viruses affecting humans.

[TheRevSFA]

Remember..you can always add more layers if it's cold. You really can't get below your t-shirt and shorts when it's hot unless you want a ticket for Indecent Exposure.

Also..swamp *** sucks.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

I would prefer an outdoor stadium but I don't mind playing indoors. Come to the Fargodome for a game and when the lights go out prior to the team coming out of the tunnel tell me with a straight face that it is one of the "10 worst college football experiences". The propensity amongst most football fans is that the macho aura of the game is lost when it is played indoors and to a certain extent that's true because you get the book-reading and knitting crowd that are just there because it's the hot show in town. However, there are aspects to playing indoors both in terms of on the field and atmosphere that give it advantages to playing outdoors.

I don't disagree with you on anything you have there. I have been in domes like Kibbie and Holt and they have those same types of showmanship entrances. The "American Idol" type entrance thing is fine because it is what you have so why not go all out with it. It in no way tops the Griz entrace in an outdoor stadium when they do the same showmanship stuff with smoke, the big helmet, etc

If you like the lack of wattage for the show I get that but it is a very large price to pay for a cool entrance which in my opinion is not better, just different. It's about the crowd excitement level and the pump up and that isn't better at those types of venues than at App, Montana, etc.

As far as the game itself, it's still a game, you still want to win, it's played by the same rules and on the same field but the actual game experience is not any different than sitting in a house and watching. You didn't have to give up your knitting for a few house to watch an event.

If I ever had a chick pick up a pair of knitting sticks to go to the game I would grab one of them and stick it in ther left eyeball and sit the other one down and tell her that this could get worse than it already is because I was saving the other stick for the next time she thought she could do something like this.

[Apphole]

Remember..you can always add more layers if it's cold. You really can't get below your t-shirt and shorts when it's hot unless you want a ticket for Indecent Exposure.

Also..swamp *** sucks.
http://0.media.sportspickle.cvcdn.com/70/60/694886709b87edc75c5bc1bac5e69058.jpg

[TheRevSFA]

http://0.media.sportspickle.cvcdn.com/70/60/694886709b87edc75c5bc1bac5e69058.jpg

Dude..did you have someone shave that A into your back or did you manage to do it on your own? :D

[asumike83]

Dude..did you have someone shave that A into your back or did you manage to do it on your own? :D

Neither... it just grows that way. xlolx

[TheRevSFA]

Look, if anyone's fans deserve a dome..it's the Barrow Whalers of Barrow Alaska. I mean..when your field sits 100 yards from the Arctic Ocean...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Barrow-Whalers-turf-field.jpg

[ursus arctos horribilis]

A list of best indoor stadiums is sort of like the list of best viruses affecting humans.

I think a new thread of humor coming.

"A list of best indoor stadiums is sort of like..."

[Screamin_Eagle174]

A list of best indoor stadiums is sort of like the list of best viruses affecting humans.

It's more akin to the top 10 purses for men. xlolx

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/50552_214059737993_8115857_n.jpg

[Screamin_Eagle174]

I think a new thread of humor coming.

"A list of best indoor stadiums is sort of like..."

Saw your post right after I posted.

http://files.sharenator.com/nailed_it_Wow_You_Nailed_It-s404x404-223332-580.jpg

[cbarrier90]

http://image.cdnllnwnl.xosnetwork.com/pics32/640/UU/UUKAYIDOGPKCEIR.20101204214250.jpg

That Western Illinois game is one of the more memorable ASU games I've ever attended. It wasn't the best played game and wasn't very competitive, but being out there with snow pouring down made for a great scene and a memorable experience, even if I couldn't feel my toes.

The same goes for the Samford game in 2009 during a relentless downpour. Other than one whacky fumble/recovery/completion by Armanti, I don't remember much about the game, but I'll never forget stupidly braving those conditions.

The older ASU crowd on here will tell you stories of the Ice Bowl against GSU, when students spelled out "CAN YOU SCORE" on the north end zone hill.

[Professor Chaos]

I don't disagree with you on anything you have there. I have been in domes like Kibbie and Holt and they have those same types of showmanship entrances. The "American Idol" type entrance thing is fine because it is what you have so why not go all out with it. It in no way tops the Griz entrace in an outdoor stadium when they do the same showmanship stuff with smoke, the big helmet, etc

If you like the lack of wattage for the show I get that but it is a very large price to pay for a cool entrance which in my opinion is not better, just different. It's about the crowd excitement level and the pump up and that isn't better at those types of venues than at App, Montana, etc.

As far as the game itself, it's still a game, you still want to win, it's played by the same rules and on the same field but the actual game experience is not any different than sitting in a house and watching. You didn't have to give up your knitting for a few house to watch an event.

If I ever had a chick pick up a pair of knitting sticks to go to the game I would grab one of them and stick it in ther left eyeball and sit the other one down and tell her that this could get worse than it already is because I was saving the other stick for the next time she thought she could do something like this.
In the end it doesn't matter where you play, it's the teams on the field and the fans in the stands that makes a college football atmosphere great. I think the Fargodome has a great atmosphere for football, I'm sure Montana and App St have great atmospheres as well. If you're going to discount an atmosphere because of the venue isn't what you like or what you're used to then there isn't going to be much convincing you otherwise. I don't disagree that outdoor football is better but indoor isn't nearly as bad as many on here seem to think. I've grown to enjoy the football atmosphere in the Fargodome, but's that probably due mostly to the fact the team I cheer for wins the vast majority of the games they play there.

FWIW, the book reading and knitting comment was an analogy for fans who sit on their hands and don't participate. I doubt anyone actually does that, I guarantee you no one who sits around me does.... or they'd get yelled at.

[344Johnson]

"Top 10 indoor stadiums" is just code for "10 worst college football experiences".

Domes make for a good time. Sticking to my guns on that. If NDSU played outside, I'd still go to every game. But when it gets cold in Fargo, it is nice to inside. I hated playing outside when it got cold...can't even begin to imagine how single digits and 20-30 mph winds would feel. When the weather is nice, hell yeah! Outdoor football! I put up with that cold, windy, snowy weather for multiple months out of the year (not this year though? strange.) and don't feel like I'm missing out on anything when I go inside, take my jacket off, and watch some football.

Grizz fans and App fans are spoiled in that you have very nice, big stadiums and very solid fanbases. I have no doubt that if my guys continue to be successful and build up the FCS tradition here that NDSU could have a game in less than ideal conditions outdoors and the fans would come. Go watch a game at South Dakota St. and tell me with a straight face that is a better football experience than the Fargodome or the UNI-dome. It simply won't happen, because it isn't as good of an experience. Nothing wrong with no wind, and 60-some degrees.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Domes make for a good time. Sticking to my guns on that. If NDSU played outside, I'd still go to every game. But when it gets cold in Fargo, it is nice to inside. I hated playing outside when it got cold...can't even begin to imagine how single digits and 20-30 mph winds would feel. When the weather is nice, hell yeah! Outdoor football! I put up with that cold, windy, snowy weather for multiple months out of the year (not this year though? strange.) and don't feel like I'm missing out on anything when I go inside, take my jacket off, and watch some football.

Grizz fans and App fans are spoiled in that you have very nice, big stadiums and very solid fanbases. I have no doubt that if my guys continue to be successful and build up the FCS tradition here that NDSU could have a game in less than ideal conditions outdoors and the fans would come. Go watch a game at South Dakota St. and tell me with a straight face that is a better football experience than the Fargodome or the UNI-dome. It simply won't happen, because it isn't as good of an experience. Nothing wrong with no wind, and 60-some degrees.

When you have to work for things they mean more. That's all I'm saying, as a fan it's pretty easy to do a game indoors. I think we agree cuz you seem to say that same thing. Personal preference would be to see a game at SDSU for me. I know there are some that would rather go with the indoor thing. Those ain't the people I care too much about sharing an experience with.

I've been in domes, the experience is not right and I don't want to ever be at a point where I think it is.

[stevdock]

To be honest the Dome crowd does annoy me sometimes. During our James Madison playoff game I was told to sit down and shut up when our team was on defense. I turned around and told him I was listening to the coach and continued making as much noise as I could. That doesn't happen when it's 20 degrees out and you basically have to do that to stay warm. Back before the Dome a great crowd was 11K if I remember right and that was for UND. I don't believe for a second that if NDSU had an outdoor stadium that we would have basically had soldout home playoff games this last year even with better than normal weather during those games. We don't have enough die-hard Bison fans the way that Montana (for example) does, instead we still have too many fair weather fans. We will see if that changes though.

The best thing about the Dome though is that the best team should win. More often than not you don't have a game decided by a slip here or a gust of wind there. Although a certain UNI play does come to mind ;) even though they did score later in the drive.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

To be honest the Dome crowd does annoy me sometimes. During our James Madison playoff game I was told to sit down and shut up when our team was on defense. I turned around and told him I was listening to the coach and continued making as much noise as I could. That doesn't happen when it's 20 degrees out and you basically have to do that to stay warm. Back before the Dome a great crowd was 11K if I remember right and that was for UND. I don't believe for a second that if NDSU had an outdoor stadium that we would have basically had soldout home playoff games this last year even with better than normal weather during those games. We don't have enough die-hard Bison fans the way that Montana (for example) does, instead we still have too many fair weather fans. We will see if that changes though.

The best thing about the Dome though is that the best team should win. More often than not you don't have a game decided by a slip here or a gust of wind there. Although a certain UNI play does come to mind ;) even though they did score later in the drive.

Absolutely agree that it has absolutely zero to do with the coaches and players. Those guys are pure studs and would be no matter where they played.

it's the fans like you pointed out needing the cushy experience that I am talking about.

[Ivytalk]

I tend to be a purist and prefer outdoor stadiums with grass and the uncertainties of Mother Nature, but it's the "product" that counts! Better indoor football than no football at all.

[MorgantonAPPAlum]

Look, if anyone's fans deserve a dome..it's the Barrow Whalers of Barrow Alaska. I mean..when your field sits 100 yards from the Arctic Ocean...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Barrow-Whalers-turf-field.jpg

The story about why the high school there decided to add football and the lady (from like Jacksonville) who heard about them and helped them raise money for that purpose is very cool.

[darell1976]

I miss football played at Memorial Stadium...outdoors, fresh air, rain, snow, ice, wind, cold, warmth of the sun, and turf (yes we had turf from 1985-2000). Then the Alerus Center opened in 2001 and UND won a National Title was it because of the dome...maybe. UND did have to play the National Title game in rain soaked Florence, Alabama against a great DII team in Grand Valley State. UND practices outside, despite the weather conditions, just as NDSU does as well. Just because we have domes doesn't discredit our teams. ND has one of the worst weather conditions in the US. I only remember 1 game cancelled due to a blizzard it was 1991 against Northern Colorado because they couldn't get a plane into the airport and the storm was too bad for people to travel to the game. Just as I believe NDSU had a game hosting Maine cancelled due to a blizzard. Both Fargo, and Grand Forks built their domes not only for football but to host events like concerts, circus, boat shows, etc. Neither school owns their domes it is owned by the city. The Alerus Center sells alcohol which was banned at UND owned Memorial Stadium so maybe that helps lure people to the game. The Fargodome does not allow alcohol which is probably why they have a greater tailgate attendance. I am sure if and when both teams look at going to the FBS level it will include a new stadium for NDSU (most likely outdoors like Montana), and probably a newly upgraded Memorial Stadium for UND.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

Not sure why the players/team are brought up unless we're going in another direction with this but that was not my focus at all.

[Hammerhead]

That's weak sauce. I've been outside in -80 wind chills.


My freshman year in Boone, classes were canceled for the first time in over a decade. Apparently it happens a bit more frequently now. The wind in Boone is absolutely brutal, way worse than the cold itself. 30-40 MPH gusts with single digit wind chills are pretty common.

I will be starting a donation jar to add a retractable roof onto Kidd Brewer Stadium. I've got $5 on it.

[Thundar]

I miss football played at Memorial Stadium...outdoors, fresh air, rain, snow, ice, wind, cold, warmth of the sun, and turf (yes we had turf from 1985-2000). Then the Alerus Center opened in 2001 and UND won a National Title was it because of the dome...maybe. UND did have to play the National Title game in rain soaked Florence, Alabama against a great DII team in Grand Valley State. UND practices outside, despite the weather conditions, just as NDSU does as well. Just because we have domes doesn't discredit our teams. ND has one of the worst weather conditions in the US. I only remember 1 game cancelled due to a blizzard it was 1991 against Northern Colorado because they couldn't get a plane into the airport and the storm was too bad for people to travel to the game. Just as I believe NDSU had a game hosting Maine cancelled due to a blizzard. Both Fargo, and Grand Forks built their domes not only for football but to host events like concerts, circus, boat shows, etc. Neither school owns their domes it is owned by the city. The Alerus Center sells alcohol which was banned at UND owned Memorial Stadium so maybe that helps lure people to the game. The Fargodome does not allow alcohol which is probably why they have a greater tailgate attendance. I am sure if and when both teams look at going to the FBS level it will include a new stadium for NDSU (most likely outdoors like Montana), and probably a newly upgraded Memorial Stadium for UND.

NDSU and Maine was cancelled due to 9/11 not a blizzard

[darell1976]

NDSU and Maine was cancelled due to 9/11 not a blizzard

Has NDSU ever had a game cancelled due to a snowstorm? Maine was the only game cancelled in my memory. Thanks for the correction.

[BisonFan02]

Has NDSU ever had a game cancelled due to a snowstorm? Maine was the only game cancelled in my memory. Thanks for the correction.

I can't recall one being cancelled. I remember when I was little a game against Augustana that was pretty nasty outside. If that wasn't cancelled, I don't know what would be.

[BisonBacker]

Its a LakesBison post, doesnt mean ****. Ignore it.

Couldn't agree more!!

[darell1976]

I can't recall one being cancelled. I remember when I was little a game against Augustana that was pretty nasty outside. If that wasn't cancelled, I don't know what would be.

A Bison fan posted a NDSU/Augy game from Dacotah Field on YouTube during a snow storm..I can't find it but maybe it will pop up again.

[jmu_duke07]

Football should be played outdoors... On that note, please close thread.

[Apphole]

That's weak sauce. I've been outside in -80 wind chills.

Who cares!? You play in the Lutefisk-Dome, therefore, every crazy weather stat you have is moot. It only means you can't tailgate. Hell, I doubt you people even know what tailgating is.

[gotts]

Who cares!? You play in the Lutefisk-Dome, therefore, every crazy weather stat you have is moot. It only means you can't tailgate. Hell, I doubt you people even know what tailgating is.

Are there any visitors to Fargo that attended tailgating that want to take this one? Thanks in advance.

[344Johnson]

Are there any visitors to Fargo that attended tailgating that want to take this one? Thanks in advance.

yep. someone take this one.

[ursus arctos horribilis]

yep. someone take this one.

I like how sharp most of you guys are getting. Talking aobut yourself does no good and letting others proclaim the status on things like this is way more valuable.

I haven't been there but my buddy PanterRob has and he said very good things about the tailgating at NDSU and he has been to a fair amount of venues.

[frozennorth]

Who cares!? You play in the Lutefisk-Dome, therefore, every crazy weather stat you have is moot. It only means you can't tailgate. Hell, I doubt you people even know what tailgating is.

it wouldn't be moot if they played outside. which is the point.

really there are only a handful of games a decade where whether would be a major factor. Fargo wanted to build a large indoor multipurpose arena. If it's there, you might as well play in it. I personally would rather be outdoor, and I suspect NDSU football will be back outdoors within a decade.

[LakesBizun]

Are there any visitors to Fargo that attended tailgating that want to take this one? Thanks in advance.

Tailgating in Fargo is embarrassing.

The food is good; but in the end, you're in Fargo.

[Professor Chaos]

Who cares!? You play in the Lutefisk-Dome, therefore, every crazy weather stat you have is moot. It only means you can't tailgate. Hell, I doubt you people even know what tailgating is.


Are there any visitors to Fargo that attended tailgating that want to take this one? Thanks in advance.


yep. someone take this one.
We're obviously still figuring it out:

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/139/tailgating2.png

I'm embarrassed that only 6,000 people showed up to tailgate at this game last year. We can only hope to improve in the future....

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Tailgating in Fargo is embarrassing.

The food is good; but in the end, you're in Fargo.


What the hell are you talking about?

You obviously haven't been at a Bison tailgate.....

[Apphole]

We're obviously still figuring it out:

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/139/tailgating2.png

I'm embarrassed that only 6,000 people showed up to tailgate at this game last year. We can only hope to improve in the future....
Looks like our student tailgate. Much less booze I'm sure.

[Professor Chaos]

Looks like our student tailgate. Much less booze I'm sure.
More teeth though.

[Apphole]

More teeth though.

Yeah right. I've seen those porous hockey grills when I watch the Canes play.

[LakesBison]

no one plays hockey in fargo, SORRY!

[BisonFan02]

Looks like our student tailgate. Much less booze I'm sure.

hahaha.....ummmmmm.......no comment. Booze is more than available. I'm with everyone else that it needs to be proven by outside of the fanbase. Anyone from either Georgia Southern, JMU, or Lehigh care to comment? I know plenty of folks were there from the opposition to tailgate.

[grayghost06]

Not intended as smack, just curious...Why did UNI build a dome? Is the weather there that much different than Ames, Iowa City and Des Moines where they all play outdoors?

[NoDak 4 Ever]

hahaha.....ummmmmm.......no comment. Booze is more than available. I'm with everyone else that it needs to be proven by outside of the fanbase. Anyone from either Georgia Southern, JMU, or Lehigh care to comment? I know plenty of folks were there from the opposition to tailgate.

Or even the road tailgates. The NDSU one dwarfed the Minnesota tailgate at their place. I didn't see SHSU's at the National Championship but I heard it wasn't as good.

[Apphole]

hahaha.....ummmmmm.......no comment. Booze is more than available. I'm with everyone else that it needs to be proven by outside of the fanbase. Anyone from either Georgia Southern, JMU, or Lehigh care to comment? I know plenty of folks were there from the opposition to tailgate.

It's all relative I guess. I'd love to schedule NDSU for the regular season. In the playoffs we might have comparable tailgates.

[Apphole]

Or even the road tailgates. The NDSU one dwarfed the Minnesota tailgate at their place. I didn't see SHSU's at the National Championship but I heard it wasn't as good.

You should see us take over Elon every other year.

[frozennorth]

You should see us take over Elon every other year.

for the purposes of being argumentative, I would point out the difference in scale between Elon, and the University of Minnesota.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

for the purposes of being argumentative, I would point out the difference in scale between Elon, and the University of Minnesota.

Oh you mean the 50,000 students vs 5,000 or the 50,000 seat capacity vs. 11,000? Is that what you mean? xcoffeex

[Apphole]

for the purposes of being argumentative, I would point out the difference in scale between Elon, and the University of Minnesota.

No ****. I was obviously not saying Elon is bigger, just that we absolutely take over the whole town. Elon has a glorified high school stadium.