UNI celebrates 40 years of UNI-Dome football

CEDAR FALLS — When Western Illinois rolls into the UNI-Dome for a Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown with No. 12/14 Northern Iowa, the Leathernecks know they're facing one of the best home field advantages in FCS.

For 40 years now, one of just 27 domed stadiums in the United States — and one of only six at the FCS level of college football — has served as the home field for the Panthers — as well as indoor track and field and formerly the UNI basketball teams — who have taken full advantage of a loud and weather-less environment.

UNI football teams have gone 197-50-1 since the first game on Sept. 4, 1976 against Northern Michigan and are in need of No. 198 on homecoming against WIU to keep another FCS Playoff berth a high possibility.

'Forty years in the Dome, that's a long time,' said Coach Mark Farley. 'After going to other places and playing — they've got a new stadium at Illinois State, a new stadium coming at South Dakota State, a new stadium at Missouri State, the FargoDome — we've got the best stadium in the league. No doubt in my mind.

'Give those people the credit for the vision to have this building look as modern today as it did 40 years ago.'

The brainchild of former head coach and athletics director Stan Sheriff — whom the field is named after — the UNI-Dome seemed a wild idea in the mid-1970s. But Sheriff's belief in the project and will to see it through carried the Dome into existence.

Running backs coach Bill Salmon — who played quarterback for the Panthers from 1973-75 — has been a part of UNI football as both a Division II and FCS team, and as an outdoor and indoor team.

He never got a chance to play in the UNI-Dome — his last game coming in what's affectionately called the 'Mud Bowl,' a Division II quarterfinal playoff loss — but has spent his entire coaching career on the sidelines of the 16,324-seat coliseum. The Dome means a lot to many people, whether former players, alums or anyone associated with the university.

But for a guy like Salmon, who's been around since the start, it means a great deal of pride.

'It was a pretty far-fetched idea Stan Sheriff had, that's for sure,' Salmon said. 'It's the reason we have success. It's the reason we're a (FCS) program. It meant a lot for the basketball program when Aldon (Smith) was here. It had its own magic for them, too.

'The No. 1 thing for the Dome for me was my head coach was the one who thought of it and brought it here and that's very special for me. Without Stan Sherriff, who knows what happens with UNI athletics.'

Farley has spent nearly his entire football career in the UNI-Dome as well, both playing and coaching there off and on since 1982.

During his press luncheon on Monday, the 15th-year head coach was asked about his memories in the Dome. He ended up pounding his fist on the podium in an impassioned speech about the Panthers' home turf and what needs to happen to keep it one of the marquee football facilities in FCS football.

'We have one of the nicest facilities in the country. It's 40 years old and doesn't look 40,' Farley said. 'It needs to be taken care of so it's here for another 40 years. I'm not sure we're doing that right now within it. We need to make the right changes and the right updates in that building to make sure it's here for another 40 years and the next generation.

'It was an unknown entity at the time and a crazy idea what it was brought into existence. Now it's something we have and have to step up and make sure it's there for the rest of time.'

UNI athletics director Troy Dannen both hears and echoes those concerns. He's an alum himself, and spent many Saturdays in the Dome as well. He knows what UNI has and wants as bad as anyone to make sure updates are made to keep the Dome viable.

Dannen said there are many different plans in the works for the UNI-Dome, both long and short-term. There's a plan in place to add a theater room in the south end zone below the new scoreboard and between the UNI-Dome and McLeod Center that will serve as a meeting room for the football team — which currently does not have a designated space big enough to sit the whole team for film or meetings.

There's also plans to update bathrooms — the code for number and size of bathrooms in 1976 is 'much different' from 2015, Dannen said through a laugh — as well as the concourses. Additionally, the turf is seven years old, and Dannen said those types of turf last 7-10 years. It's likely new turf is in the short-term plans for UNI-Dome updates.

'We're always going to be on the bottom end of that (time) scale,' Dannen said, pointing to humidity in the summer and dry winters deteriorating the turf. 'I look at it as a safety issue as well as competitive. With 30 high school games in here a year, plus the semifinals and finals, there's a lot of football played. I would like to get away from the current style of a roll because of seam issues.

'We're talking to turf manufacturers about an alternative.'

Dannen wants to look at more ways to make the UNI-Dome a revenue-generator via new suites, multipurpose areas for different non-sports events, concerts or trade shows. He's as invested in the Dome's future as anyone.

'In some ways, it's one of the seven great wonders of the state of Iowa. It's one of the landmarks,' Dannen said. 'The university historically has done a great job keeping the Dome in good condition. … Long term, as anything ages, it goes from small improvements to major improvements.

'There needs to be some significant renovations. The seating is original, but it needs some improvements. Obviously we need to attack the restrooms. I've got a set of conceptual drawings that provide some vision. Within the 10-year plan, if not five years, we'll get started on what will be a significant, $20 million-type renovation to put the Dome in a position to survive the next 40 years.'

UNI's homecoming game against Western Illinois kicks off at 4 p.m., and will feature appearances from the 1975 and 2005 Panther teams.

l Comments: (319) 368-8884; jeremiah.davis@thegazette.com