Augustana University Athletics

Sioux Falls Arena will once again serve as the home of Augustana men’s and women’s basketball doubleheaders for the first time since the 2006-07 season. The Arena was the permanent home of Augustana basketball from 1961 to 1989.
 
Augustana men’s and women’s basketball played all of its North Central Conference (NCC) games at the Sioux Falls Arena in 2006-07 but returned to the Elmen Center in 2007-08. Augustana played two games at the Arena in 2007-08, hosting the University of South Dakota in the “Dakota Basketball Classic” and the University of Sioux Falls in the “Prairie Spirit Charitable Challenge.” Before becoming NSIC opponents in 2012-13, Augustana and USF played in the Prairie Spirit Challenge through the 2011-12 season.
 
The Sioux Falls Arena has been transformed into the new home of Augustana basketball, including an Augustana painted playing surface. The capacity for Augustana basketball at the Arena will be 4,066, including over 3,500 chairback seats in the upper and lower levels and over 100 preferred seating options in the club level.
 
Fans can expect an enhanced gameday experience for Augustana basketball at the Arena with the addition of two Daktronics video boards at each end of the arena and a new state-of-the-art digital scorer’s table. 
The Hall Football Complex and Sanford Gymnasium opened in November 2007. The 28,000 square-foot, two-level building is attached to the south side of the Elmen Center.

The addition has improved facilities for the student-athletes and coaches who are part of the Augustana football program, and provides much-needed indoor practice facilities for all of the Viking sports teams.

The first floor of the facility houses the Hall Football Complex. Included are a locker room with 100 new lockers, a large weight room, meeting rooms, offices, training room and many other amenities.

Two regulation-size college wood basketball courts are on the second floor in the Sanford Gym. The gym features a state-of-the-art playing surface and curtains that can separate the courts and baskets that can be lowered under 10 feet for use with youth camps.

Until the Sanford Gym was constructed, the Elmen Center Hall Sports Forum was the only indoor area available for practice, intramurals and gym recreation functions.

Completed in 1989, the Elmen Center measured 84,000 square-feet. In 2003, through the Elmen Center Enhancement Project, 8,000 square-feet were added to the structure.

With the completion of the Hall Football Complex and Sanford Gym addition, the building span is now more than 120,000 square-feet.