Walkup Skydome

J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome
	"Skydome"
	NAU campus in 2006
	Flagstaff Location in Arizona Flagstaff Location in the United States
Former names	NAU Skydome (1977–79)
Location	McConnell Drive; Flagstaff, Arizona, U.S.
Coordinates	35.1805°N 111.6525°W
Owner	Northern Arizona University
Operator	Northern Arizona University
Capacity	11,230 - total; 10,000 - permanent seats; 1,230 seats in ten sections; of portable bleachers
Surface	FieldTurf (2002–present); AstroTurf (1977–2001)
Construction
Broke ground	September 4, 1975 [1]
Opened	September 17, 1977 [2]
Renovated	2010–2011 [3]
Construction cost	$8.0 miilion; ($33.8 million in 2019 [4])
Architect	Rossman and Partners[5]
Structural engineer	John K. Parsons[5]
Tenants
	NAU Lumberjacks (NCAA) (1977–present)

The J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome is an indoor multipurpose stadium 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

Opened nameless in 1977,[2][6][7] the inaugural game was a one-point conference win over Montana before 12,860 on September 17;[7] it hosted five games that first season, with an average attendance of 13,029.[8] NAU football was previously played outdoors on natural grass at Lumberjack Stadium.[9][10] The dome hosted the Big Sky men's basketball tournament in 1987, 1997, 1998, 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.[11] The architect was Wendell Rossman of Phoenix, also responsible for many other buildings on the surrounding NAU campus. 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.[12][13][14] 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.[1] 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.[15]

The elevation at street level is 6,880 feet (2,100 m) above sea level,[16] 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 335 feet (102 m). Originally AstroTurf, the playing surface for football 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.[3]

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 97,000 square feet (9,000 m²) of space.

The Walkup Skydome was formerly used by the NFL's Arizona Cardinals during their summer training camp, held at NAU.[17] The Cardinals could move inside to conduct practice when the weather was unsuitable outdoors.[18]

References

Van Sickel, Charlie (January 10, 1982). "NAU brought the Big Sky indoors...cheaply". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C3.
"NAU opens play in domed stadium". Prescott Courier. (Arizona). September 15, 1977. p. 9.
"Walkup Skydome Set to Reopen This Week with Fort Lewis Game". Northern Arizona Athletics. September 5, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
"Domes - timeline". Columbia University. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
"Lumberjacks to open dome". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 17, 1977. p. 3B.
"NAU gets its kick". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 18, 1977. p. 2B.
"NAU dome aids attendance". Kingman Daily Miner. (Arizona). April 19, 1978. p. 12.
"Vandals concerned with NAU". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 20, 1975. p. 17.
Drosendahl, Glenn (September 21, 1975). "Idaho sends Lumberjacks back to woods". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.
"Skydome Information". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved April 26, 2006.
"J. Lawrence Walkup". NAU Library. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
"Former NAU president Walkup is dead at age 88". Kingman Daily Miner. Arizona. Associated Press. August 9, 2002. p. 3A.
"J. Lawrence Walkup (1914-2002)" (PDF). Arizona Historical Society. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
"Dome may get new name". Kingman Daily Miner. Arizona. Associated Press. October 9, 1979. p. 3.
Topographic map from USGS The National Map
"Cards begins football camp with changes". Kingman Daily Miner. Arizona. Associated Press. July 14, 1997. p. 6.
"Cardinals reach accord on training at NAU". Mohave Daily Miner. Kingman, Arizona. Associated Press. February 8, 1990. p. 8.

External links

Official website
NAU Athletics – official site – facilities

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[naubrthin-1] Van Sickel, Charlie (January 10, 1982). "NAU brought the Big Sky indoors...cheaply". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. C3.

[mayopl-2] "NAU opens play in domed stadium". Prescott Courier. (Arizona). September 15, 1977. p. 9.

[wustreo-3] "Walkup Skydome Set to Reopen This Week with Fort Lewis Game". Northern Arizona Athletics. September 5, 2011. Retrieved September 10, 2012.

[inflation-US-4] Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.

[domes-5] "Domes - timeline". Columbia University. Retrieved August 6, 2010.

[lmtopdo-6] "Lumberjacks to open dome". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 17, 1977. p. 3B.

[getkck-7] "NAU gets its kick". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. September 18, 1977. p. 2B.

[domaidattn-8] "NAU dome aids attendance". Kingman Daily Miner. (Arizona). April 19, 1978. p. 12.

[vcwnau-9] "Vandals concerned with NAU". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). September 20, 1975. p. 17.

[islbtw-10] Drosendahl, Glenn (September 21, 1975). "Idaho sends Lumberjacks back to woods". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1B.

[11] "Skydome Information". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved April 26, 2006.

[libwup-12] "J. Lawrence Walkup". NAU Library. Retrieved January 21, 2014.

[fnaupid-13] "Former NAU president Walkup is dead at age 88". Kingman Daily Miner. Arizona. Associated Press. August 9, 2002. p. 3A.

[histsoc-14] "J. Lawrence Walkup (1914-2002)" (PDF). Arizona Historical Society. Retrieved January 21, 2014.

[dmgnn-15] "Dome may get new name". Kingman Daily Miner. Arizona. Associated Press. October 9, 1979. p. 3.

[16] Topographic map from USGS The National Map

[cbfc-17] "Cards begins football camp with changes". Kingman Daily Miner. Arizona. Associated Press. July 14, 1997. p. 6.

[craotan-18] "Cardinals reach accord on training at NAU". Mohave Daily Miner. Kingman, Arizona. Associated Press. February 8, 1990. p. 8.

Northern Arizona University
Athletics	Football Men's basketball Women's basketball
Facilities	Walkup Skydome
Media	KLJX-LP KNAU KPUB
People	Alumni

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football
Venues	Lumberjack Stadium (1957–1977) Walkup Skydome (1977–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Grand Canyon Rivalry (Southern Utah)
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks men's basketball
Venues	Lumberjack Gymnasium (1951–1977) Walkup Skydome (1977–present)
People	Head coaches
Seasons	1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21