When a bad winter storm hit a year ago, athletes at Saint Ambrose University lost their space to practice and play games. But as of yesterday, the sports dome is back up.
Athletic Facilities Director, Tony Huntley, says the teams that use the outdoor facility on Brady Street include football, soccer, lacrosse, golf, baseball, and softball. But on SuperBowl Sunday last year, a major snow storm caused the inflatable dome to collapse.
He says after a year of scheduling conflicts at the school's indoor sports facilities, Saint Ambrose decided it would be easier to just replace the dome. It has a stronger exterior to block wind and snow, and disperses heat better than the previous one.
And Huntley says the new dome is also more energy efficient.
Huntley says insurance covered most of the $575,000 cost. The dome stands about 72 feet tall and is about 60,000 square feet. It also includes batting cages, a putting green for golf, and room for 200 fans.
