GRAND FORKS, N.D. – University of North Dakota Director of Athletics Bill Chaves announced on September 30, 2022 the master facilities plan, providing a vision for the future of UND Athletics.  

The announcement comes on the heels of the groundbreaking of Memorial Village on Aug. 25, which is expected to be completed in 2024 and will provide a new space for student-athlete academic services, new offices for football, track and field, men's and women's golf and softball, administrative offices and pay tribute to the vaunted history of North Dakota Athletics with a display honoring the UND Letterwinners Hall of Fame through a public-private partnership. 

"Breaking ground on Memorial Village is the first domino of what we anticipate being several dominos that will enhance and transform the student-athlete experience for all 17 of our programs, said Chaves. Many of our current facilities have served us incredibly well for many, many years, but as we look ahead to not only the next year but the next several years, this athletic vision will allow us to recruit and retain the best student-athletes possible. Finally, all these projects will not be funded identically. Some may be a public-private partnership model while others may be 100% philanthropic."  

Other projects are listed below with details and are depicted graphically to show what is visually planned.  

Frederick "Fritz" D. Pollard Jr. Athletic Center Addition (Phase II – Philanthropic)  

• Expected to break ground in Spring 2023 

• Connected to Memorial Village via indoor "Hawkway" 

• Provides new locker rooms for cross country, football, softball and track and field 

• State-of-the-art weight room  

• New sports medicine/treatment areas  

• Replacement to the turf and track on current Memorial Field  
   

Softball Complex (Philanthropic) 

• Still actively fundraising 

• Located between 2nd Avenue and University Avenue  

• Would bring the softball program on campus for first time in program history 
   

Bronson Soccer Field – Soccer (Philanthropic) 

• Still actively fundraising 

• Working to bring improved amenities to both playing surface and seating area 

• Recently hosted first regionally televised game in field history with record crowd vs. Minnesota 
   

Ralph Engelstad Arena and Betty Engelstad Sioux Center (Partnership with REA, Inc.) 

• REA will continue to see upgrades to provide for hockey and soccer programs 

• New weight room and training facilities set to be completed in 2022 for hockey and soccer 

• Addition of practice court to the Betty  

• Re-imagined endzone seating for basketball and volleyball games 

• Other various improvements to Betty 
   

Ray Richards Golf Course (Public-Private Partnership Opportunity) 

• Currently in the process of identifying potential partnership opportunities  

• Committed to being the home of North Dakota golf and cross country programs 
   

Choice Health and Fitness – Tennis (Philanthropic and Partnership with Grand Forks Park District) 

• New scoreboard with video elements installed prior to 2021-22 season 

• Updated signage to promote North Dakota tennis programs inside the building 

• Working to install court-by-court streaming system for home match broadcasting 

Alerus Center (Partnership with Oakview Group 360 and City of Grand Forks) 

• Wall-to-wall field turf installed in 2020 

• Re-imagined endzone seating through Peterson Porch  

• Upgrades to in-house video with new replay system  

• Other various improvements 

For more information on UND Athletics, follow us on social media @UNDsports or visit FightingHawks.com.