DakotaDome

The DakotaDome is an indoor multi-purpose stadium in the north central United States, located on the campus of the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota. Opened 46 years ago in 1979 at a cost of $8.2 million, the 9,100-seat venue is the home of the South Dakota Coyotes for football, swimming and diving, and track and field.^[6] The approximate elevation is 1,220 feet (370 m) above sea level.

DakotaDome

The Dome
View from east in 2012
Vermillion Location in the United States Show map of the United States Vermillion Location in South Dakota Show map of South Dakota
Interactive map of DakotaDome
Address	1101 N. Dakota Street
Location	University of South Dakota Vermillion, South Dakota, U.S.
Coordinates	42°47′28″N 96°55′40″W
Owner	University of South Dakota
Operator	University of South Dakota
Capacity	9,100 (football)
Surface	AstroTurf PureGrass (2012–present)
Construction
Broke ground	1976[1]
Opened	1979; 46 years ago (1979)
Renovated	2001, 2011–2012, 2014–2016, 2019–2020
Construction cost	$8.2 million ($35.5 million in 2024 dollars[2])
Architect	Fritzel, Kroeger, Griffin & Berg[3]
Structural engineer	Geiger Berger Associates[3]
General contractor	Sharp Brothers Contracting (Kansas City, MO)[4]
Tenants
South Dakota Coyotes (NCAA) (1979–present) Football (1979–present) Men's basketball (1979–2016) Women's basketball (1979–2016) Swimming & diving (1979–2024) Volleyball (1979–2015) SDHSAA championship football games (1979–2019, 2021–present))[5] Briar Cliff Chargers football (NAIA) (2013–2017)

For five seasons beginning in 2013, the DakotaDome also hosted Briar Cliff University football (NAIA); following the 2017 season, the Chargers resumed home games on their campus in Sioux City, Iowa, 25 miles (40 km) to the southeast.

The Dome hosts other events throughout the year, including the high school football state championships each November. In 2014, a proposal for a new basketball arena went through and construction began just south of the Dome. The new arena, the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, which seats 6,000, opened in the fall of 2016 for volleyball, preceding the 2016–17 basketball season.^[7][8]

Originally an air-supported structure, numerous roof collapses led to it being replaced by a $13.7 million steel roof in 2001. In early 2019, construction to rebuild the interior of the west side of the stadium began. The project cost was approximately $26.3 million and was completed in 2020.^[8][9]

See also

• List of NCAA Division I FCS football stadiums