Fargodome is an indoor athletic stadium and convention center in the north central United States, located on the campus of North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, North Dakota. It opened in 1992 and is owned and operated by the city despite being built on the university's campus. It has a seating capacity of 18,700 for football and over 25,000 for full arena concerts. Its approximate elevation at street level is above sea level.
Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome is the home field of the Bison football team, which competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). NDSU is a member of the Mountain West, and prior to the 1993 season, the football venue was Dacotah Field, adjacent to the south. The stadium also hosts the university's commencement ceremonies as well as many large concerts, other sporting events, and trade shows.
The building was originally planned to be modeled on the Tacoma Dome but have an inflatable roof. However, as the design evolved, it was decided to have a fixed hard roof, although the dome name stuck.
The Fargodome has held events such as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, USHRA's Monster Jam, Happy Harry's Ribfest, World Wrestling Entertainment, World Championship Wrestling, and other local, regional, and national events. The facility briefly played host to the Fargo Freeze Indoor Football League team in 2000, though the team played just one season.
The USA Wrestling 16U/Junior National Wrestling Championships (WomenâÂÂs and MenâÂÂs Freestyle, MenâÂÂs Greco-Roman) takes place every year in the Fargodome in the month of July.
Many famous acts have played at the Fargodome. It is also capable of hosting events on ice such as Disney on Ice and traveling broadway.
The Fargodome's Gate City Bank Theater is home to theatrical productions, produced locally and touring.
In summer 2016, the stadium video boards were replaced with 12 new interior displays featuring SMD LED technology including two large 30'x100' High Definition video/scoreboards on each endzone, 12'x24' screens behind those large screens for those seated behind the board, and four large 20'x22' High Definition video boards (one in each corner), the $7.7 million project also provided for four ribbon displays on the seating fascia 3' high and 33' long along with a portable 15' x 25' screen which can be moved around on gameday, the project also renovated the electronics room and provided for new computer and graphics technology. These screens replaced the 6 old boards installed in 2002. In total, the new boards provide for of LED boards in the dome. The contract also provided for an increase from 3 to 5 High Definition cameras for additional angles, one of the cameras has a 55x extra zoom for close up play.
In the summer of 2022, the stadium replaced its aging AstroTurf with a newer version. It cost the Fargodome $1.1 million, which it paid for using the stadium reserve funds, that also included upgrades to the Magic Carpet system that rolls out the turf onto the stadium floor.
The Fargodome has previously studied an expansion of its permanent seating in response to increased attendance at NDSU football games. Additional seating would require major structural changes to the dome, including moving the press boxes from the east side to the west side. The west side has been reinforced and could handle extra levels, whereas the east side has a lobby that was not designed to bear any extra load. Attendance at NDSU football games has declined in recent years. During the 2022 season, only one of the team's three home playoff games drew more than 13,000 attendees.
In 2023, the Fargodome Authority proposed a $131 million project to remodel the facility and add a conference center. The group proposed new 20-year-long sales and lodging taxes to help fund the project. The proposed tax increases to fund the project were rejected by voters in a special election on December 5, 2023. A similar proposal was put on the ballot in 2024, but again failed to pass.