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 45 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. The approximate elevation is 1,220 feet (370 m) above sea level.
The Dome | |
View from east in 2012 | |
Vermillion Location in the United States Vermillion Location in South Dakota | |
| Address | 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 | Football: AstroTurf PureGrass (2012–present) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1976 |
| Opened | 1979 |
| Renovated | 2001, 2011–2012, 2014–2016, 2019–2020 |
| Construction cost | $8.2 million ($34.4 million in 2023) |
| Architect | Fritzel, Kroeger, Griffin & Berg |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Berger Associates |
| General contractor | Sharp Brothers Contracting (Kansas City, MO) |
| Tenants | |
| South Dakota Coyotes football (NCAA) (1979–present) South Dakota Coyotes men's basketball (NCAA) (1979–2016) South Dakota Coyotes women's basketball (NCAA) (1979–2016) SDHSAA championship football games (1979–2019, 2021–present) South Dakota Coyotes swimming and diving (NCAA) (1979–2024) South Dakota Coyotes volleyball (NCAA) (1979–2015) Briar Cliff Chargers football (NAIA) (2013–2017) | |
The DakotaDome was also the home site for the NAIA school Briar Cliff University football team from 2013 until 2017, when they re-located 25 miles to the southeast to Sioux City, Iowa, which is where their campus is located.
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.
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.