Cedar Falls, Iowa — If you’ve been to the Iowa High School Football Playoffs, you know they are played in the iconic UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. We’re being told that facility is going to get an update to its roof.
UNI vice president Michael Hager says the fabric portion of the dome’s roof is going to be replaced.
The UNI-Dome was built in 1976 and the original roof was all fabric and held up by air. The building hosts the high school football playoffs, UNI football games, and many other events. Hager spoke to the Board of Regents during their meeting last week and says they are looking at two types of fabric that have the benefit of making things brighter inside.
He says the new fabric will have a brown color when it is installed.
This new product is projected to last 20 to 25 years.
He says the fabric does not require a lot of ongoing maintenance.
The Board of Regents approved the eight-million dollar budget for the replacement, which also includes some other related work on the building. Hager says the project will be paid for mostly with gift funds — but some university funds will also be included as well as athletic department funds.
But if you’re expecting your high school’s football team to make it to state, don’t worry, they’ll still get to play in the dome. Construction is expected to start in the spring of 2023 and be finished by the fall.
