The Ralph Engelstad Arena

The Ralph Engelstad Arena (REA/The Ralph) is home to the University of North Dakota's (UND) hockey team. Formerly known as the Sioux, then the Fighting Sioux, the renamed Fighting Hawks have been playing in the REA since October of 2001. The REA has faced many controversies since being built in 2001, including the use of Sioux memorabilia and their controversial name sake Ralph Engelstad. The building is important to the UND and Grand Forks community, and is known as the home of "Old Time North Dakota Hockey."

Built in 2001, the Ralph Engelstad Arena is the place to see a college hockey game in North Dakota. Now home to the Fighting Hawks, this arena has an interesting story of how it came to be built, a couple of controversies under its belt, and some great characteristics that the older arenas lacked. This arena is full of sentiment for those of the University of North Dakota and Grand Forks community, bringing people together since it was opened in October 2001.The REA is the third hockey arena to be used by the University of North Dakota since 1936. The first arena dubbed “The Barn” was in use from 1936 to 1972 and was torn down in 1978. This rink sat merely 4,000 fans and was home to 254 winning hockey games. When the UND “Fighting Sioux” outgrew this arena they moved into the Winter Sports Arena, also known as the old Ralph Engelstad Arena, which was home to UND hockey from 1972 to 2001 when the new arena was built. The move towards a new arena was due to a need for more seating and an updated facility, this is when the decision to build the Ralph Engelstad Arena was made.[1]

Before the new Ralph even began construction in 2001, there was a bit of controversy surrounding the then mascot, the Fighting Sioux. When discussions about a possible change in mascot were brought forth, Ralph Engelstad threatened to abandon the project, pulling his $85 million donation. This discussion did not move much farther, and construction would continue.[2] Once it was set that construction would continue, design of the building became an important topic of discussion. Ralph Engelstad wanted this new arena to be high class, something that contended with big universities across the US. The arena, which ended up costing $104 million and spans over 400,000 square feet, was meant to have a first-class look with a blue-jean-accepting atmosphere.[3] When the arena was finished it would be able to seat 11,566 fans, with two bars, multiple locker rooms, and a state-of-the-art weight room. The arena also has two full courts of ice, one Olympic-sized and the other NHL-sized. These two rinks serves different purposes, one for games and one for practices, along with bronze detailing. Ralph Engelstad also worked hard to make sure that fans could enjoy the game from anywhere in the arena by watching it on one of the 300+ TVs installed. Ralph Engelstad worked hard to create an “Ivy League” space for “old time North Dakota hockey.”[4]

After the REA was finished that plan was always to transfer it from a privately owned property into the ownership of the University of North Dakota. This process began in 2002 but after the death of Ralph Engelstad himself there were a couple of stalls. It is significantly harder to transfer property when the benefactor is no longer living, but after some time and patience UND was able to take ownership of the arena in 2003.[5] Also in 2003 a new fight was brought forth, a fight to make sure that the Ralph would always stay the Ralph. Legislation was introduced in 2003 to codify that the name of the Ralph Engelstad Arena would always remain that way, forever paying homage to the man who made it possible to build it. The University and other North Dakotans wanted to make sure that the memory of Ralph Engelstad, no matter how controversial he was, was forever engrained into the community.[6] Recently the Ralph Engelstad Arena has face a new controversy, dealing with the same topic that was originally an issue in 2001. In April of 2010, the NCAA formally decided that UND needed to drop the controversial Sioux mascot and find a new one. With this decision, questions arose of what would need to be done to the arena plastered in the old mascot, some of which are permanently built into the building. The NCAA had a new case on their hands and another decision to make. After lengthy discussions they decided that it would be okay for the Arena to keep the mascot memorabilia displayed. The final decision stated that the signs on the outside of the building that said “Home of the Fighting Sioux,” and the more controversial items, the new decision also stated that when items wear out they cannot be replaced by new Sioux mascot items.[7]

Even with the large amount of controversy the Ralph Engelstad Arena has faced throughout the years, it remains a staple in the Grand Forks and UND community. This home to North Dakota Hockey holds many memories and stories for North Dakotans and UND alums, creating a place for all to come together and enjoy their time in Grand Forks. The interesting history of hockey before the Ralph, the construction and special characteristics of the arena, and the different controversies over the years show a unique past to this beloved arena and give a glimpse into why this building is so important to the surrounding community.

[1] Virg Foss, “Rink No. 3 hits UND,” Grand Forks Herald, October 5, 2001.

[2] Michael Benedict, “Blunt letter strikes a nerve,” Grand Forks Herald, January 16, 2001. 

[3] “The New ‘Home of the Sioux:’ Ralph Engelstad Arena,” Ralph Engelstad Arena Tour Guide, 2001.

[4] Ralph Engelstad Arena, “Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks, North Dakota,” Accessed April 24, 2023, https://www.theralph.com/about-the-arena/ralph-engelstad.

[5] David Dodds, “Benefactor’s passing stalls REA transfer,” Grand Forks Herald, January 8, 2003.

[6] Xiao Zhang, “Making sure it stays ‘The Ralph,’” Grand Forks Herald, January 31, 2003.

[7] “NCAA says most Sioux logos can stay in Ralph Engelstad Arena,” The Inform, September 26, 2012, https://www.inforum.com/sports/ncaa-says-most-sioux-logos-can-stay-in-ralph-engelstad-arena.