UNI-Dome (pronounced "YOU-nih-dome") is a multi-purpose stadium, on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. It opened in 1976, as the home of the UNI Panthers basketball and football teams. The facility's capacity for football is 16,324. For basketball, its official capacity is 16,324;[4] however, it has seated as many as 22,000 for events such as the 1990 Mid-Continent Conference men’s basketball tournament and the 1997 NCAA Division I National Wrestling Championships. It has been the home of the Iowa State High School football championships, since 1976 and has hosted junior college football bowl games, wrestling, track and field, softball, concerts and conventions.
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| Location | 2401 Hudson Road Cedar Falls, Iowa, 50614 United States |
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| Owner | University of Northern Iowa |
| Operator | University of Northern Iowa |
| Capacity | 16,324 (American football)[3] |
| Surface | Mondoturf |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 26, 1974[1] |
| Built | 1974-1976 |
| Opened | February 7, 1976 |
| Construction cost | $7.5 million ($40.2 million in 2023 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | Thorson-Brom-Broshar-Snyder Architects |
| Structural engineer | Geiger-Berger Associates |
| General contractor | John G. Miller Construction Company |
| Tenants | |
| Northern Iowa Panthers Football (1976–present) IHSAA Football Playoffs (1976-present) UNI Panthers Men's Basketball (1976–2006) UNI Panthers Women's Basketball (1978–2006) UNI Panthers Wrestling (1976–2006) UNI Panthers Volleyball (1978–2006) | |
In 1994, the air-supported roof collapsed in a snowstorm. Since this had occurred on numerous occasions before, it was replaced by a more permanent metal roof. On November 18, 2006, the McLeod Center opened for basketball, volleyball, and wrestling. The McLeod Center is directly south of the UNI-Dome and connected by a covered walkway. The UNI-Dome attendance record for football is 17,190, which was set on October 17, 2009, during a Panthers homecoming game against the Missouri Valley rival Southern Illinois.
The UNI-Dome's roof was most recently renovated in late summer 2010 due to damages during a high wind storm. The cost of the renovation was close to $4 million. The storm knocked down trees, power lines and roofs all over Cedar Falls. The University of Northern Iowa campus lost 20% of its 100+-year-old trees that cover the campus.[citation needed]
The UNI-Dome received a new HD video board for the start of the 2008 football season. The board replaced an aging, and many times malfunctioning video board. Much of the cost of the new video board was donated by the Iowa High School Athletic Association, which hosts their state football semifinals and finals in the UNI-Dome each year for all classes. Northern Iowan article
In 2014, the UNI-Dome had a 100' × 27' video board installed at the south end. The existing video board has replaced the north end scoreboard. All this was made possible with a grant from the Black Hawk Gaming Assoc., plus a very generous gift. This video board is the second largest in FCS football.[5]
The Dome has also hosted professional wrestling events, as well as concerts by bands such as Rolling Stones, The Who, Mötley Crüe, REO Speedwagon, Fleetwood Mac, 3 Doors Down, Fuel, The Police and UB40 in 1983, Pink Floyd, Oleander, Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean (2015), and Nelly.
During the academic year, during hours when the athletic teams are not using the Dome, it is open to the public. Many students and others with UNI connections will come to the Dome to run or walk the stairs and the concourse. The UNI-Dome has hosted graduation ceremonies as well. Perhaps the most notable ceremony was in the spring of 2011, when first lady Michelle Obama delivered the headlining address.
At football games, where cold temperatures are frequently an issue for fans, the UNI-Dome announcers have a tradition during pre-game rituals. The announcers will announce the weather in the town where the visiting team is from, and then will say "The temperature in Cedar Falls, no wind, 72°, Welcome to the UNI-DOME!" to emphasize the fact that a domed stadium is not affected as much by the weather. In 2016, the university celebrated 40 years of history inside the Dome. As of January 1, 2017, the Panthers have a home record of 203-54-1.
A major renovation was announced in 2014.[6]
References
- ^ UNI Dome History
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/usa/uni_dome
- ^ http://www.unipanthers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205145956&DB_OEM_ID=26200&DB_OEM_ID=26200
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152332324069069.1073741894.6010469068&type=3
- ^ http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/columnists/bryce-miller/2014/07/30/northern-iowa-planning-significant-renovation-uni-dome/13377005/