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Facebook had me convinced a while back that the University of South Dakota was quickly becoming the best university in the Midwest.
As soon as plans for a new sports facility and basketball arena were made public, my news feed flooded with shares and statuses from current, former and future students celebrating USD’s advancement.
It sounded like USD was injecting their athletic program with human growth hormone.
I didn’t really get it at the time. Don’t get me wrong, it’s awesome for any school to have a state-of-the-art facility being in the works. I was just left head-scratching because, from what I knew, sports at USD is/was/will be focused on the Dome and nothing but the Dome.
I thought reactions would be more “What’s going to be happening to The Dome?” and “Why are we leaving The Dome?” rather than “Wooh, we gonna do it big in the new arena!”
But with the Board of Regents officially approving the over $50 million project this week, it’s pretty obvious the university is doing the right thing with the arena. Everyone will benefit.
USD sports are not simply moving out of the precious DakotaDome. The arena and Dome will be attached to the hip, and athletes are still going to be “heading to he Dome” when practice time rolls around in 2016.
Sport sciences, physical therapy and kinesiology labs are going to be included with the arena, actually connecting the arena to the Dome. It’s definitely the ideal situation for students moving into that field of study.
But mostly, student-athletes are going to be the ones benefitting. Volleyball’s current home, “The Den,” is inferior to the 6,000 arena they’ll be moved to, and basketball will receive a home court that feels more like a college basketball environment than the Dallas Cowboys stadium.
It’s not that our Dome isn’t sufficient, but when looking at what works for basketball, slapping a court inside a building the Dome isn’t right for college programs. Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse, Duke’s Cameron Indoor and Indiana’s Assembly Hall all thrive with packed houses that roar rather than echo.
The men’s basketball team received a taste of the arena life out is Rapid City. Flashy introductions and a roaring crowd felt like college basketball.
All in all, it’s hard to find anything wrong with the arena, and it’s exciting to know USD athletics are shifting in the right direction. Now to wonder if Dome Dogs will be just as fantastic in an arena.
