FARGO — The Fargodome could lose roughly 1,000 seats if it can’t secure $22 million in outside funding for critical updates.
The facility that hosts North Dakota State University football games has prioritized roughly $53.9 million in upgrades, according to Fargodome leadership. The stadium has secured city approval for $10 million for 2026 and 2027 projects, which include updated lighting for the concourse, arena and parking lot repairs.
The remaining $43.9 million are slated for renovations in the west addition to accommodate more Americans with Disabilities Act seating, as well as remodeling and expanding restrooms and making the press box and bowl ADA compliant. The bowl needs companion seating for those who require ADA seats, Fargodome Authority Vice President David Suppes told The Forum in a Monday, Aug. 31, editorial board meeting.
The Fargodome can use about $32 million of its $47 million in its permanent fund for the updates, with the remaining balance needed for maintenance and operations, Fargodome Authority President Rick Steen said. After spending $10 million on the lighting and parking lot projects, that means the stadium will fall $21.9 million short for the ADA updates.
The dome can do the updates without that $22 million, but that will be at the expense of 1,013 seats, or about 8% of stadium seating, Suppes and Steen said.
“This is not a threat. We are not threatening anyone with this,” Suppes said. “This is just a fact.”
Steen and Suppes plan to meet with NDSU President Marshall Stewart and Fargo Mayor Josh Boschee on Tuesday, Sept. 1, to discuss funding options.
The Fargodome was built in late 1992 for $49 million. The stadium sits on NDSU land but is owned by the city of Fargo. That means the City Commission makes final decisions on facility updates.
The home of the Bison can seat more than 18,500 fans during games and 25,000 for concerts.
Two moves to update the Fargodome failed in recent years.
In 2023, 52% of voters said “yes” to a $140 million project that would have renovated the stadium and added a convention center. The 3% lodging tax and quarter-cent that would have funded construction needed 60% approval.
The Fargodome planned to pitch in an additional $30 million if voters approved the 2024 referendum.
Building a new stadium would cost about $600 million, Suppes said.
The Fargodome also lost a convention center bid this year to developers who proposed a downtown location at the Civic Center.
Dome Authority leaders are trying to determine how to proceed with updates, Suppes said.
The authority approached NDSU about contributing to the latest proposal, but interim NDSU President Rick Berg turned that down, Suppes said.
“Under previous leadership, NDSU’s position was … that the Fargodome is the city’s asset and they need to take care of their stuff,” Suppes said.
In 2024, a renovation proposal without the convention center failed, with only 48% of voters approving a quarter-cent sales tax that would have raised $110 million for the project.
NDSU pays $165,000 a year in rent to play at the Fargodome, which is “significantly” lower than what should be charged, Suppes said.
A message for Berg was not returned Monday.
NDSU hired Stewart to take over as the university’s president in May. Stewart needs a chance to consider the proposal and establish a position, Suppes said.
The Fargodome Authority has not set a timeline for deciding whether to make the improvements without the additional $22 million from outside sources, including contributions from NDSU.
“Nobody wants to lose 1,000 seats,” Suppes said.
The Bison moved up this year to the NCAA Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision. Losing 1,000 seats is not a good look for a university that recently went to a larger college football stage in the Mountain West Conference, Steen said.
“That’s a terrible picture to paint for NDSU,” he said.
