ICCU Dome adding security, patio area, to improve fan experience

POCATELLO – Three years after the completion of a major renovation project, Idaho State University’s sports arena will receive another update. This time, to the building’s exterior.

ISU is in the midst of a construction project that will result in the ICCU Dome having a brand new “patio” area, behind a new ticket booth and an exterior perimeter fence, allowing fans to exit and re-enter the stadium during games. In addition to this new freedom of movement for fans, there will also be new concession options for fans to enjoy, altogether creating a better game day experience.

“It’s going to be a good change. I really do think it’s going to be a great change for our fans and fan experience,” said Lowell Richards, associate vice president for auxiliary services and campus operations.

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Before embarking on this project, the ISU Athletics Department had a problem to address. They needed to add security measures to the arena, but the building’s design presented difficulties in doing that.

“There’s no way of adding security at the door,” Richards said. “I mean, look in the hallway. The hallway’s (not very) big. There’s no way of controlling security just at each door.”

Richards said this prompted the department to, “think out of the box a little bit with adding security.”

“Knowing that we’re adding security to the stadium (for) the safety of our fans, it just gave us an opportunity to think larger,” Richards said. “That would lead to some discussions of, ‘hey, how can we make this better for the fans? Yes, we’re adding security, but what else can we do to make this better?'”

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The first game day of the season will take place on Saturday, Aug. 29, against the Virginia Military Institute. Thanks to this project, fans attending this game will find a new experience that offers much more than just added security.

The first new element fans will encounter is a ticket booth on the north side of the stadium, located about 100 feet from the old one. The street in front of this ticket booth, where fans will line up, will be closed to vehicles.

With this new ticket booth added, the booth on the south side of the stadium will also be closed, and all fans will enter on the north side. For any fans worried about worsened line congestion, Richards offered reassurance.

“Our ticket manager, she (was) involved heavily in what they needed to do ticket sales, and so this meets their needs,” Richards said.

People driving into the parking lot will find it has been restriped to allow vehicles to circulate through the aisles. Fans in need of accessible parking spaces will now find them along the eastern side of the stadium.

Once fans have purchased their tickets, they will pass through a security gate with walk-through detectors. If a fan triggers the alarm on a security gate, they will go to a secondary screening table.

When the alarm doesn’t trigger, fans will proceed into the new patio area, which will be behind a perimeter fence wrapping around the north side, and then around the east side, extending all the way to the south side of the stadium.

People out on the new patio area will find a variety of things to do, including cornhole and other yard games set up, a tent where they can purchase ISU apparel, and places to sit, hang out, or eat.

With this new space operating as an extension of the stadium, additional concession items will be available. What formerly operated exclusively as a beer garden tent will now also offer concession items and non-alcoholic bottled drinks.

“So we can hopefully alleviate the stress on the concessions inside the building,” Richards said.

And the Athletic Department plans to eventually add more concession items to the patio. While this won’t be complete by the start of the season, Richards said the department is discussing how to accomplish it.

“We’re trying to get what we can done,” Richards said. “But long term, we’re going to decide what we do with some of these other booths that we have, and what other amenities we can add to just enhance the game experience.”

With this added patio space, the stadium’s no re-entry policy will extend out past the front doors to the security gates, allowing fans the ability to step outside and get some fresh air or walk around to the other side of the stadium.

All in all, Richards sees the project as a way to further enhance the game-day experience while also keeping fans safer with security gates.

“We’re adding security, (but) that gives us an opportunity to do something more than just add security,” Richards said.