The Elmen Center is the home for the Viking volleyball, basketball and wrestling teams. The Elmen Center has been the host for several regional volleyball tournaments as well as the 2000 Division II Volleyball Elite 8 Championships. With a seating capacity of approximately 4,000 fans, the Elmen Center provides the Vikings with a definite home-court advantage.
The Elmen Center houses the recreation, athletic, and physical education departments. Since opening in February 1989, Augustana students, staff and faculty, as well as the Sioux Falls community and region, have enjoyed attending a wide variety of events in the Elmen Center. Each year the facility is host to more than 100 events consisting of athletic events, music events, youth rallies, lectures, swim meets, youth camps, clinics, and tournaments.
The Elmen Center also serves as the core facility for the campus recreational sports and fitness activities. The 81,000-square-foot-facility is available more than 110 hours each week for a variety of recreational activities. Augustana students, staff, and faculty may take advantage of a 25-yard swimming pool, two racquetball courts, the Hall Sports Forum, six locker rooms, classrooms, a state-of-the-art training facility and a multi-purpose/wrestling room that can be used for aerobic dance, martial arts and wrestling.
The Hall Forum features a 27,000 square foot performance area has a state-of-the art 176-yard running track, long jump pit, batting cage, and four multi-use courts.
During the summer of 2008, the Hall Forum underwent $50,000 in improvements. The basketball/volleyball playing court was repainted with the new Viking and NSIC logos. Courtside chairs were also refurbished to include the new Viking logo. In 2010, new bleachers were installed; in 2011, a new lighting system went it.
| SANFORD PRACTICE GYMNASIUM |
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.
