page_title: Fargodome
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Fargodome / History
caption_attribution_description: English: North Dakota National Guard members and civilian volunteers fill sandbags at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D., March 24, 2009. The sandbags are being used to block the rising waters of the Red River.
context_page_description: Fargodome is an indoor athletic stadium located in Fargo, North Dakota, on the campus of North Dakota State University. Opened in late 1992, the facility is owned by the City of Fargo, built on university land. The arena's seating capacity is 18,700 for football and over 25,000 for full arena concerts.
  It is the home field of the North Dakota State Bison football team, which competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I level in the Football Championship Subdivision. The Bison Football team is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Prior to the 1993 season, the Bison played at Dacotah Field. The stadium also plays host to North Dakota State graduation ceremonies as well as many large concerts, other sporting events, and trade shows.
context_section_description: The building was originally planned to be modeled on the Tacoma Dome and have an inflatable roof.  However, as the design evolved, it was decided to have a fixed hard roof, although the dome name stuck.
  November 1987: Fargo Parks Superintendent Bob Johnson and City Council President Ranen Nicholson proposed a plan for convention and athletic facilities in Fargo.
  January 1988: Proposed plan was modified to include a single stadium to be built on North Dakota State University land, that would be financed in part by a half-cent sales tax.
  December 1988: Voters approved half-cent sales tax
  April 1989: Architects hired and construction process begins
  December 1992: Fargodome opens
  January 1994: Hosts Snow Bowl NCAA Division II football all-star game between 1994 and 2000
  December 2002: Fargodome celebrates its 10th anniversary
  December 2006: Initial talks underway to attach a 6,000–9,000 seat stadium to the Fargodome, for use as a basketball arena for the North Dakota State University basketball teams, as well as smaller performances.
  March 2009: The Fargodome is used for the filling and storage of sandbags during the flood.
  August 31, 2012: The newly installed AstroTurf, funded by a $1 million donation from Gate City Bank and Fargodome reserve funds for total cost of $2.9 million, premiered in the North Dakota State Bison football team’s first game of the season against Robert Morris. Gate City Bank’s donation led to renaming of the field after the company. 
  October 10, 2012: The Fargodome hosted a preseason NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves won the game 84–70.
  August 2016: Replaced 4 older corner video boards with new HD boards, and added 2 new large (100'x30') Video Screens at a cost of $7.7 million.
caption: Volunteers fill sandbags in the Fargodome during the 2009 flood.
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