Sanford Pentagon

The Sanford Pentagon (colloquially known as The Pentagon) is an indoor arena located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Pentagon opened in September 2013 and has a seating capacity of 3,250 spectators. It hosts the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA G League. The facility is known for hosting a wide range of sporting events including: regional youth basketball tournaments, NCAA Division I basketball games, NCAA Division II basketball games and tournaments, mixed martial arts events, and occasional concerts.

Sanford Pentagon
"The Pentagon"
The Pentagon during the St. John's–Wisconsin game, November 2013
Address2210 W. Pentagon Place
LocationSioux Falls, South Dakota
OwnerSanford Health
OperatorSanford Health
Capacity3,250[1]
Construction
Broke groundMay 15, 2012
OpenedSeptember 2013
Construction cost$19 million[1]
ArchitectJLG Architects[2]
Tenants
Sioux Falls Skyforce (NBA G League) (2013–present)

Major events

2013

The Pentagon's first major event was hosted on October 10, 2013. The Minnesota Timberwolves played the Milwaukee Bucks in the main court as a preseason exhibition game, and television coverage was provided by Fox Sports North. The Wolves defeated the Bucks by a score of 98–89 in front of an announced crowd of 3,250.[3]

On November 8, 2013, the Pentagon hosted its first NCAA Division I men's basketball game between the then 20th ranked Wisconsin Badgers and the St. John's Red Storm. The game was televised on the Big Ten Network. Wisconsin won the game 86–75 in front of a sellout crowd of 3,523.[4]

2014

On November 18, 2014, the Pentagon hosted an early season non-conference NCAA Division I basketball game between the then 11th ranked Wichita State Shockers and the Memphis Tigers. The game was televised by ESPN as part of their Tip-Off Marathon programming. The Shockers won that game 71–56 in front of a sellout crowd.[5]

On November 30, 2014, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits took on the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, winning 71–58. The announced attendance was 3,250 and coverage was provided by Fox Sports North.[6]

For the third and final NCAA Division I basketball game of the 2014–15 season at the Sanford Pentagon, the UNLV Runnin' Rebels played the South Dakota Coyotes on December 13, 2014. UNLV won the game 75-61 and the game was televised by Midco Sports Network and ESPN3.[7]

2015

On March 16, 2015, it was announced that the Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team would play the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball team on November 13, 2015, in an early season non-conference match-up.[8]

2020

An early-season Division I basketball tournament—the Crossover Classic—was announced for the Pentagon in 2020. It serves as a de facto replacement for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Nassau, Bahamas, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the teams that were invited to said tournament were invited to the Crossover Classic.[9]

The site was also home to the Dakota Showcase, which hosted all four division one teams from the Dakotas. This included North Dakota, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and South Dakota.

Annual/Recurring

On December 11, 2013, it was announced that the Sanford Pentagon would be home to multiple NCAA Division II championships. These include the 2017 and 2018 NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championships, the 2015, 2016, and 2018 NCAA Women's Division II Basketball Championships (except for the championship final in 2016, which will be held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis[10]), and the 2016 and 2020 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship.[11] Beginning in 2018, it will also be the home to the NAIA Division II men's basketball championship.[12]

Beginning in 2014, it is also home to the NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) conference basketball tournament.[1] The NSIC is an NCAA Division II conference with schools located mainly in Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

References
  1. Sanford Pentagon: Anticipation nears reality for new sports arena
  2. Sanford Pentagon - JLG Architects
  3. Timberwolves vs Bucks Box Score
  4. Wisconsin vs St. Johns Box Score
  5. Wichita State vs Memphis Box Score
  6. Florida Gulf Coast vs South Dakota State Box Score
  7. UNLV vs South Dakota Box Score
  8. Iowa State, Colorado to play at Pentagon
  9. Zimmer, Matt. "Crossover Classic: How big-time college basketball landed in Sioux Falls". Argus Leader. Retrieved 2020-10-22.
  10. "Women's Final Four sites for 2017-20 includes record fourth for New Orleans" (Press release). National Collegiate Athletic Association. November 17, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  11. Sioux Falls to host eight NCAA tournaments in coming years
  12. http://www.naia.org/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=211685977&DB_OEM_ID=27900

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