In 2004, a $7.85MM addition to the famous Ralph Engelstad Arena was built. This addition was named the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center to honor the wife of the late Ralph Engelstad. The University of North Dakota wanted a centralized athletics facility that accommodates more than one sport. There was also a desire to utilize the infrastructure created by the original Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The arena is home to the University of North Dakota men’s and women’s basketball teams and the women’s volleyball team but is also a great venue for catered events, and smaller concerts or shows. The project included a full-sized basketball and volleyball court with the bleachers capable of retracting to create space for four regulation-sized basketball courts or five regulation-sized volleyball courts for practices or camps.

The arena has a seating capacity of 3,300. The facility features power-operated, self-storing divider curtains and power-operated, self-storing seating sections to allow for quick conversion. The architecture of the building was designed to be complementary to the original Ralph Engelstad Arena but was accomplished within a much tighter budget. The building’s design and construction were completed within 13 months.

• 55,000 s.f.
• Seating Capacity: 3,300
• Power operated, self-storing divider curtains, and seating sections
• Full-sized basketball and volleyball court
• Retractable bleachers allowing for four regulation-sized basketball courts or five regulation-sized volleyball courts
• Fast tracked project completed with multiple bid packages and design and construction completed within 13 months
• Complimentary architecture to the main arena within a much lower budget
• Club Lounge/VIP Hospitality room for 200
• Three home team locker rooms with team meeting rooms
• Players’ lounge