Superior Dome

Construction

The construction was finished in two phases. Phase I was finished in August 1991 and included the construction of the domed complex. Phase II, completed in May 1995, added locker rooms, department offices, meeting rooms, concession areas, a retail store and other building amenities. Phase I of the project cost $21.8 million (equivalent to $ in ) and was funded entirely by the State of Michigan. Phase II was completed for $2.1 million, with $800,000 in private donations and $1.3 million in loans (equivalent to $, $, and $ in , respectively). Total cost for the Superior Dome stands at $23.9 million (equivalent to $ in ). The general contractor for Phase 1 was R.E. Dailey & Company (Perini Corp.), Southfield, MI. The architect was TMP Associates, Bloomfield Hills, MI.

Use

The Wildcats football team was the first to christen the Dome, hosting the first event in the facility on September 14, 1991. Northern defeated Indianapolis, 31–20, in front of a crowd of 7,942. Later that season, a Superior Dome attendance record was set at 8,432, when Northern defeated Ferris State, 27–17, on October 5. On September 18, 2008, a new attendance record was set as 8,672 watched Northern lose to the Michigan Tech Huskies in a televised game.

The dome features a retractable artificial turf carpet, the largest of its kind in the world. When extended, the turf can accommodate football, soccer and field hockey. Underneath the carpet is a synthetic playing surface that features three basketball/volleyball courts, two tennis courts and a 200 m track. The carpet is winched in and out of place on a cushion of air. Retracting the turf carpet takes 30 minutes, with full setup taking approximately two hours.

The Superior Dome is also host to a number of campus and community events, including the Michigan High School Athletic Association 8 man football championship games, Marquette Marathon, trade shows (approximately 100000 sqft of space), conventions, conferences, banquets, high school track meets, the Upper Peninsula "Band Day" competition/exhibition, Special Olympics and NMU's commencement exercises.

President George W. Bush held a campaign rally in the stadium during the 2004 Presidential campaign.

The Superior Dome was host to a historic exhibition basketball game on October 13, 2024, where Northern Michigan lost to Michigan State with a final score of 70–53. Known as the Superior Dome Showdown, this event was the first to ever be broadcast on the Big Ten Network from the Superior Dome. It was put on as a homecoming for the Spartans' head coach Tom Izzo, an alumnus of Northern Michigan, where his number 10 jersey was retired during the game. The dome was retrofitted with a basketball court and over 3,000 extra seats for the game and new attendance record was set with a sold-out audience of over 11,000.

References

References

1. "Superior Dome". Hunt's Guide to the Upper Peninsula.
2. "Superior Dome". Northern Michigan University.
3. (September 18, 2008). "NMU Drops Battle of U.P.". NMU Athletics.
4. Kwapisz, Nathan. (September 1, 2022). "NMU students prepare for Marquette Marathon". University Wire.
5. Bush, George W.. (2004). "Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States, George W. Bush, 2004, Book 2, July 1 to September 30, 2004". Government Printing Office.
6. Solari, Chris. "Tom Izzo dream turned into reality in MSU basketball 70–53 exhibition win at alma mater".
7. (October 13, 2024). "Superior Dome Showdown a Resounding Success".