UNI-Dome
Encyclopedia
UNI-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 10,000; 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. 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 UNIDome 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 Southern Illinois Salukis.
The UNI-Dome's roof has been most recently renovated late summer 2010 due to damages during a high wind storm that damaged the roof. 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.
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 State High School Athletic Association, which hosts their high school football quarterfinals and finals in the UNI-Dome each year for all classes. Northern Iowan article
The Dome has also hosted professional wrestling
events, as well as concerts by bands such as 3 Doors Down
, Fuel
, Oleander
, 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 UNIDome hosts Winter and Spring graduation ceremonies as well.
At football games, where cold temperatures are frequently an issue for fans, the UNIDome 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 degrees, Welcome to the UNI-DOME!" to emphasize the fact that a domed stadium is not affected as much by the weather. As of September 29, 2010, the Panthers have a home record of 174-44-1.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
, on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
, in Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States, and it is home to one of Iowa's three public universities, the University of Northern Iowa. The population was 39,260 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 36,145 population in the 2000 census...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It opened in 1976, as the home of the UNI Panthers basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
teams. The facility's capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
, for football, is 16,324. For basketball, its official capacity is 10,000; 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. In 1994, the air-supported roof
Air-supported structure
An air-supported structure is any building that derives its structural integrity from the use of internal pressurized air to inflate a pliable material envelope, so that air is the main support of the structure, and where access is via airlocks.The concept was popularized on a large scale by...
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
McLeod Center
McLeod Center is a 7,018-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, currently housing the school's teams in men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball, and wrestling. The arena opened November 18, 2006 with a volleyball game against Bradley...
opened for basketball, volleyball, and wrestling. The McLeod Center is directly south of the UNIDome 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 Southern Illinois Salukis.
The UNI-Dome's roof has been most recently renovated late summer 2010 due to damages during a high wind storm that damaged the roof. 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.
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 State High School Athletic Association, which hosts their high school football quarterfinals and finals in the UNI-Dome each year for all classes. Northern Iowan article
The Dome has also hosted professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
events, as well as concerts by bands such as 3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down
3 Doors Down is an American rock band from Escatawpa formed in 1996. The band consists of Brad Arnold , Matt Roberts , Todd Harrell , Chris Henderson , and Greg Upchurch ....
, Fuel
Fuel (band)
Fuel is an American rock band formed by guitarist/songwriter Carl Bell and bassist Jeff Abercrombie in 1989. Originally known as Small the Joy, they changed the group's name to Fuel sometime in 1994...
, Oleander
Oleander (band)
Oleander is a post-grunge band from Sacramento, California, USA. Its name is derived from the poisonous wildflower oleander, which line the highways of Northern California. In their nine years of activity, the band released four studio albums under various record labels...
, and Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
.
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 UNIDome hosts Winter and Spring graduation ceremonies as well.
At football games, where cold temperatures are frequently an issue for fans, the UNIDome 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 degrees, Welcome to the UNI-DOME!" to emphasize the fact that a domed stadium is not affected as much by the weather. As of September 29, 2010, the Panthers have a home record of 174-44-1.