Walkup Skydome
{{Short description|Multi-purpose stadium at NAU in Flagstaff, Arizona}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox venue
| image = 250px
| image_size = 240
| caption = NAU skydome (bottom)
| stadium_name = J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome
| nickname = "Skydome"
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|zoom=12|type=point}}
| pushpin_map = USA#Arizona
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in the United States##Location in Arizona
| pushpin_mapsize = 240
| pushpin_label = Flagstaff
| pushpin_relief = yes
| elevation = {{convert|6880|ft|round=5}} AMSL
| coordinates = {{coord|35.1805|-111.6525|type:landmark_region:US-AZ|display=inline,title}}
| address = McConnell Drive
| location = Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona, U.S.
| broke_ground = September 4, 1975{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KU9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=h-4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7021%2C3209985 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review|location=Spokane, Washington|title=NAU brought the Big Sky indoors...cheaply|last=Van Sickel |first=Charlie |date=January 10, 1982 |page=C3}}
| opened = {{start date and age|1977|9|17|br=yes}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CAZZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IVADAAAAIBAJ&pg=3978%2C4565366 |newspaper=Prescott Courier |location=(Arizona) |title=NAU opens play in domed stadium |date=September 15, 1977 |page=9}}
| closed =
| demolished =
| owner = Northern Arizona University
| operator = Northern Arizona University
| surface = FieldTurf (2002–present)
AstroTurf (1977–2001)
| construction_cost = $8.0 miilion
(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|8000000|1977}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} {{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = Rossman and Partners{{cite web|url=http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsapp/BT/DOMES/TIMELN/nau/nau.html|publisher=Columbia University|title=Domes – timeline|access-date=August 6, 2010}}
| structural engineer = John K. Parsons
| former_names = NAU Skydome (1977–1979)
| tenants = NAU Lumberjacks (NCAA) (1977–present)
| seating_capacity = 11,230 – total
10,000 – permanent seats
1,230 seats in ten sections
of portable bleachers - basketball = 7,000
| general_contractor = Mardian Construction Company
}}
The J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome is an indoor multipurpose stadium in the southwestern United States, located on the campus of Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Arizona. It is primarily used as the home of the NAU Lumberjacks football and both men's and women's basketball teams of the Big Sky Conference. The seating capacity is 11,230, with 10,000 permanent seats and 1,230 seats in portable bleachers.
History
When it opened on September 15, 1977, the stadium did not have a name.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Oq9fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xjIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5484%2C5815010 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Lumberjacks to open dome |date=September 17, 1977 |page=3B}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O69fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xjIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2479%2C6245096|work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=NAU gets its kick |date=September 18, 1977 |page=2B}} The inaugural football game was a one-point conference win over Montana before 12,860 on {{nowrap|September 17;}} it hosted five games that first season, with an average attendance {{nowrap|of 13,029.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kP4xAAAAIBAJ&sjid=t4IDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4352%2C1581781 |newspaper=Kingman Daily Miner |location=(Arizona) |title=NAU dome aids attendance |date=April 19, 1978 |page=12 }}}} NAU football was previously played outdoors on natural grass at Lumberjack Stadium.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=US9OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WO0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7234%2C1679656 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington)|title=Vandals concerned with NAU |date=September 20, 1975 |page=17}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=paVfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RDIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6305%2C6169655 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho)|last=Drosendahl |first=Glenn |title=Idaho sends Lumberjacks back to woods |date=September 21, 1975 |page=1B }} The dome hosted the Big Sky men's basketball tournament in 1987, 1997, 1998, {{nowrap|and 2006.}}
For its first six years, the Walkup Skydome was the world's largest clear-span timber dome, until the completion of the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington, in 1983.{{cite web |title=Skydome Information|publisher=Northern Arizona University|access-date=April 26, 2006|url=http://www.nau.edu/skydome/Dome_Info.html}} {{nowrap|The architect}} was Wendell Rossman of Phoenix, also responsible for many other buildings on the surrounding NAU campus. Mardian Construction Company also of Phoenix was general contractor.{{Cite news|date=1989-06-19|title=Mardian Construction|pages=8|work=Arizona Republic|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87495341/mardian-construction/|access-date=2021-10-21}} {{nowrap|The wood}} used in construction of Walkup Skydome was southern yellow pine. At its launching in 1977, it was the third indoor football stadium in the Big Sky Conference: Holt Arena at Idaho State in Pocatello opened in 1970 (as the "Minidome") and the Kibbie Dome at Idaho in Moscow was enclosed in 1975, after four years as an outdoor venue.
The Skydome is named after J. Lawrence Walkup (1914–2002), the president of NAU from 1957 to 1979, a period of tremendous growth for the university.{{cite news|url=http://library.nau.edu/speccoll/exhibits/first100/pres/walkup.html|publisher=NAU Library|title=J. Lawrence Walkup|access-date=January 21, 2014}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vmZIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A1MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4049%2C3419817 |newspaper=Kingman Daily Miner |location=Arizona|agency=Associated Press |title=Former NAU president Walkup is dead at age 88 |date=August 9, 2002 |page=3A }}{{cite web|url=http://www.historicalleague.org/historymakers/hm_walkup.pdf|publisher=Arizona Historical Society |title=J. Lawrence Walkup (1914–2002) |access-date=January 21, 2014}} During an era of tight budgets in the mid-1970s, he creatively coordinated financing for the venue. More than half of the $8 million project came from voluntary student fee increases, supplemented with $1.5 million in legislative funding and a campus fund of $2 million from two decades of vending-machine revenue. The athletic director at NAU at the time was Hank Anderson, who served from 1974 through 1983. The two-year-old Skydome was named for Walkup after his retirement in 1979.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8bNPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9VIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6846%2C2907113 |newspaper=Kingman Daily Miner |location=Arizona|agency=Associated Press |title=Dome may get new name |date=October 9, 1979 |page=3}}
The elevation at street level is {{convert|6880|ft|-1}} above sea level,[http://msrmaps.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=12&Z=12&X=550&Y=4867&W=3&qs=%7cFlagstaff%7cAZ%7c Topographic map] from USGS The National Map the highest among NCAA Division I FCS football stadiums and second among NCAA Division I football venues only to an FBS venue, Wyoming's War Memorial Stadium, by {{convert|335|ft}}. From its 1977 opening until 2002, the football playing surface was AstroTurf. This was changed to infilled FieldTurf in 2002.
=Renovation=
The building underwent a major renovation from December 2010 to September 2011 at a cost of $26 million. The scope of the project included bringing the fire, life, and safety up to code while remodeling the bathrooms, concourse, offices, suites, locker rooms, and press box. The athletic training and equipment on the main floor were also remodeled and three elevators were added to the complex. Fans now enter the building to a panoramic view of the field on the east and west concourses. Capacity was reduced to 10,000, but it now features 21-in-wide chair-back seating.
Other uses
Besides sporting events, the arena is also used for commencement ceremonies, concerts, and other events such as conventions and trade shows. The arena floor features {{convert|97,000 |sqft|-2}} of space.
The Walkup Skydome was formerly used by the NFL's Arizona Cardinals during their summer training camp, held at NAU.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7ZtPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TFMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5431%2C2445667|newspaper=Kingman Daily Miner |location=Arizona|agency=Associated Press |title=Cards begins football camp with changes |date=July 14, 1997|page=6}} The Cardinals could move inside to conduct practice when the weather was unsuitable outdoors.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=scRPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-lIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7066%2C4489649|newspaper=Mohave Daily Miner|location=Kingman, Arizona|agency=Associated Press |title=Cardinals reach accord on training at NAU |date=February 8, 1990|page=8 }}
See also
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www8.nau.edu/skydome/main.html}}
- [http://www.nauathletics.com/information/facilities/skydome NAU Athletics] – official site – facilities
{{Northern Arizona University}}
{{Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football navbox}}
{{Northern Arizona Lumberjacks men's basketball navbox}}
{{Northern Arizona Lumberjacks men's ice hockey navbox}}
{{Big Sky Conference basketball venue navbox}}
{{Big Sky Conference football venue navbox}}
{{Arizona college football venues}}
{{Arizona NCAA Division I college basketball venue navbox}}
Category:Sports venues completed in 1977
Category:College football venues in Arizona
Category:College basketball venues in Arizona
Category:Covered stadiums in the United States
Category:Northern Arizona Lumberjacks basketball
Category:Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football
Category:Basketball venues in Arizona
Category:Convention centers in Arizona
Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in the United States
Category:Buildings and structures in Flagstaff, Arizona
Category:Tourist attractions in Coconino County, Arizona