The University of Idaho's P1FCU Kibbie Dome: A History

Introduction

The P1FCU Kibbie Dome, an iconic structure on the University of Idaho campus, has been a center for athletic events, concerts, and community gatherings since its enclosure in 1975. This article explores the history of the Kibbie Dome, from its origins as an outdoor stadium to its current status as a unique and versatile indoor facility.

Early Athletic Activities at the University of Idaho

Athletic activities have been part of the University of Idaho since its early days. University football games, track and field events, and other sports brought together athletes and spectators in available open spaces on campus and in the growing town, dating back to 1893, just months after the University of Idaho opened its doors.

Neale Stadium: The First Home for Vandal Athletics

By the mid-1930s, despite hardships imposed by the Great Depression, the university constructed its first stadium. Completed in time to host the 1937 football season, Neale Stadium was named for University President Mervin G. Neale. The horseshoe-shaped complex used campus topography to create an earthen semi-circular ring around the athletic fields. Wooden benches accommodated several hundred fans, though the facility lacked locker rooms or outdoor lighting. For three decades, Vandal fans packed the bleachers of Neale Stadium for football games and track and field events.

Transition to Idaho Stadium

While a new stadium was under construction during the 1969 and 1970 seasons, University of Idaho football home games were played in nearby Pullman, Washington, and other locations. In October 1971, the University of Idaho hosted Idaho State University in the new Idaho Stadium. Built on the former Neale Stadium site, the new facility featured concrete bench seating and enclosed luxury boxes for VIPs and press.

The Vision for an Enclosed Stadium

Original plans envisioned Idaho Stadium as an outdoor venue with a seating capacity of more than 20,000, co-located with a separate indoor arena for basketball and cultural events. However, budget cuts and political wrangling led to a revised plan for a smaller capacity football stadium that could be enclosed for use as a basketball arena, as well as for indoor track and tennis.

The Kibbie Dome Takes Shape

The university put out a call for bids to construct an enclosed stadium, and a small Idaho-based company was among those that responded. Construction on the concrete grandstands started in February 1971, after a fire destroyed the previously condemned wooden Neale Stadium in November 1969. The stadium, which opened in 1937, had been condemned in August 1969 due to soil erosion beneath the grandstands.

Naming the Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center

The Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center was named in honor of two critical sources of support for the stadium’s enclosure. William H. Kibbie, who attended the University of Idaho in the 1930s, made a $300,000 gift to kickstart fundraising, and later donated more funds for the renovation of the Kibbie Dome roof. Support from the Associated Students of the University of Idaho (ASUI) was also important. Together, students advocated for a multipurpose event space and dedicated significant student fees to the effort.

The Enclosure: An Engineering Marvel

When the university announced it would enclose its football stadium, the fledgling Trus Joist Company of Boise bid on and won the project. While steel and aluminum were the products of the day for domes and large unsupported buildings, Trus Joist saw the UI stadium as a chance to demonstrate the strength, durability, and economy of their engineered wood products. From the final design to the end of construction, the enclosure project took just ten months and $1 million to complete. The Kibbie Dome's roof spans 400 feet (120 m) from sideline-to-sideline, and its maximum height is 150 feet (45 m) above the hashmarks. During the summer of 1975, construction crews erected the 32 timber trusses in just 24 working days, consuming over 1,000,000 board feet of lumber. In 1976, the American Society of Civil Engineers recognized the facility for its innovative use of wood, naming it one of the nation’s outstanding engineering achievements.

On June 11, 1975, the final arch of the P1FCU Kibbie Dome was placed to complete the full length of the barrel arch roof. The audacious effort took just eight months from the accepted bid to the construction of the roof structure. The end caps, lighting, insulation and roof covering would take a few more months, but the final product was ready to go for home games just a few months later. In 1975, over just 28 days, the "barrel arch" roof was constructed with the help of Trus Joist TRUSDEK microlam system supported by steel frame that was light weight, but strong enough to support the weight of North Idaho snow.

Opening and Early Years

In the fall of 1975, University of Idaho students and Vandal fans walked into the Kibbie ASUI Activity Center for the first time. The fully enclosed Kibbie Dome opened in 1975. The first football game under the dome, on September 27, 1975, pitted the University of Idaho Vandals against the Idaho State Bengals; the result was a 14-29 loss for the Vandals. The next game, on October 11, ended in the Kibbie Dome’s only tie, 31-31 against in-state rivals Boise State University. During halftime, the dome was officially dedicated in a ceremony attended by President Ernest Hartung, benefactor William H. Kibbie, and Governor Cecil Andrus. The Vandals’ first win in the dome was the Homecoming game on November 1 against the Montana State Bobcats. Just a few months later, the inaugural basketball game ended in victory for the Vandal men on January 21, 1976.

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A Multi-Purpose Facility

As a multipurpose activity center, the Kibbie Dome has adapted to accommodate a diversity of athletic events. For nearly a decade, basketball in the dome was played on a hard rubber court installed directly on the concrete floor. A second-hand hardwood court purchased in 1984 improved overall conditions for players, though reportedly diminished what was a significant home-court advantage. Basketball players and fans further benefitted from a custom configuration in the form of Cowan Spectrum. Vandal track and field, along with tennis, also moved into the Kibbie Dome in 1976. In 2017, soccer games moved into the facility. In addition to official collegiate competitions, the fields, courts, and even stairs of the Kibbie Dome have hosted countless hours of practice for U of I’s athletes.

Purpose built as a flexible indoor activity center and the largest event space in the city, the Kibbie Dome has been transformed into a concert venue, a sales floor, a ceremonial stage, a memorial site, a polling location, and much more. When alumni or local residents are asked about their most vivid Kibbie Dome memories, responses run the gamut from seeing Kenny Rogers perform to being enchanted by Lipizzaner Stallions to walking across the stage as a Moscow High School graduate. The U of I has long relied on the Kibbie Dome to enrich student life. Chart-topping musical acts offer hardworking students a chance to let their hair down. The world class Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival offers entertainment and education at once. Impressive marching band showcases are as exciting as the games they complement. Events organized by students, such as the Tutxinmepu Powwow, broaden horizons and make space for community. The Kibbie Dome has served an important role in the greater Moscow community. Events organized by private groups, including businesses and local organizations, fill out the Kibbie Dome calendar and bring both fun and meaningful experiences to the Palouse. In 1977, Moscow children and children-at-heart were treated to acrobats, clowns, and exotic animals by an American Continental Circus show. Home and auto shows gave local shoppers an opportunity to peruse carpet samples or inspect the latest RV and motorbike models. For many years, students and residents of western Moscow cast their votes inside the Kibbie Dome, which was an official polling place for Latah County.

Roof Problems and Renovations

Soon after completion in 1975, problems arose with the roof's exterior. The 4.5-acre (1.8 ha) outer surface of Hypalon and underlying polyurethane foam were improperly applied and a second attempt to seal the roof with Diathon in the late 1970s did not succeed. Leaks were occurring and wood rot was a potential problem by 1980. Problems with the roof necessitated significant repairs in 1982, the East End Addition was completed in 1982, and life and safety upgrades to the facility were conducted between 2009 and 2011, among other repairs and upgrades over the years.

Life and safety upgrades to the Kibbie Dome began in the spring of 2009. The west wall was replaced with a non-combustible construction assembly; translucent plastic panels on the upper half and opaque metal siding on the lower. Concurrent with the end-wall replacement, a range of interior life safety work took place: field level exiting in the new west wall, addition of handrails in the seating aisles, provision of the required smoke exhaust systems; and other life safety and code mitigation improvements. The second phase of the project was completed in 2011 with the replacement of the east wall.

Field and Court Surfaces

In 1990, the original synthetic turf (3M Tartan Turf) of 1972 was replaced after 18 seasons, which included three years outdoors. At this time, the goal posts were modified and attached to the walls, eliminating the conventional center support post. In 2007, the AstroTurf was replaced with RealGrass Pro, a next-generation infilled synthetic turf similar to FieldTurf. Unlike the carpet-like AstroTurf, the infilled synthetic turf is not easily rolled up in a continuous reel, and must be removed in sections. The turf sections are five yards (4.6 m) in width, running from sideline to sideline, attached to each other with velcro.

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When not used for football, the former AstroTurf football field was rolled up in about an hour to reveal 93,000 square feet (2.1 acres; 0.86 hectares) of polyurethane tartan surface, used for indoor tennis and track & field. The five-lane track is 317 yards (290 m) in length, and nine tennis courts are lined on its infield. Basketball and volleyball courts are also lined on the tartan infield.

The Cowan Spectrum

The stadium has also served as the home of the Vandal basketball teams, providing increased seating capacity over the venerable Memorial Gym (built in 1928), a block to the east. The basketball court is positioned at midfield on the south sideline, in front of the press box and the south grandstand, with temporary seating on the north, east, and west. The first basketball game was played against WSU on January 21, 1976, commemorated with an alumni game which included Vandal great Gus Johnson. The main court was originally smooth tartan rubber, poured directly onto the pavement floor, resulting in a very hard and unforgiving surface, but resulted in a tremendous home court advantage under head coach Don Monson in the early 1980s. During basketball games, the converted Kibbie Dome was referred to as the Cowan Spectrum, named for Bob and Jan Cowan, who financed the final basketball configuration, from 2000 until basketball moved to the new ICCU Arena. Since February 2001, the basketball layout was separated from the rest of the stadium by massive black curtains to give the court a more intimate "stadium-within-a-stadium" feel, with a reduced seating capacity of 7,000. From January 1980 to February 1983, the Vandals won 43 consecutive home games. The venue hosted three Big Sky Conference men's basketball tournaments (by winning the regular season title), in 1981, 1982, and 1993.

Additions and Expansions

Since its enclosure in 1975, the Kibbie Dome has undergone several significant additions. The East End Addition was completed in the fall of 1982, providing the entire athletic department with locker rooms, offices, a weight room, athletic training facility, and equipment room. The formal dedication and open house for the $3.9 million addition was held in late October. Until the addition, the football and basketball teams, both Vandals and visitors, dressed in the Memorial Gym and made the lengthy walk (or run) west to the Kibbie Dome, often in rain or snow. This had been the practice for UI football for over 40 years, since the opening of Neale Stadium in 1937.

August 2005 saw the installation of infilled SprinTurf on the former natural grass practice field east of the Kibbie Dome. The days of "off-limits" were eliminated, as UI students acquired state-of-the-art playing fields available for year-round use. A field that previously had just 300 usable hours annually as an "intercollegiate athletics only" field (primarily for natural turf varsity football practice), is now available for up to 2,000 hours per year. The two 75-yard (69 m) fields are adequate for team practice for football (and soccer, lacrosse, rugby, and other sports) as well as for intramural competition, but short enough to have two fields in the space available.

Other Athletic Facilities

On the west side of the Kibbie Dome is the Dan O'Brien outdoor track & field stadium, which hosted its first meet in 1972, and was renamed in 1996 for the Olympic gold medalist, three-time world champion, and former world record holder in the decathlon. A concrete grandstand at the finish area (southeast corner) has a seating capacity of 1,000. South of the Dome is the university's 18-hole golf course, a challenging track due to its rolling Palouse terrain. To the east is the Memorial Gymnasium (1928), the swim center and the physical education building (both 1970), and six outdoor tennis courts. About a half-mile north (800 m) of the Dome are expansive natural grass intramural fields, west of the Wallace dormitories. Included here is the women's soccer field, in the far northwest corner bounded by Perimeter Road. Towards the center is Guy Wicks Field, the baseball field since the late 1960s.

Challenges and the Future

From 1999 to 2001, Idaho had to abandon the Kibbie Dome for football when the NCAA adopted a rule that teams had to play in stadiums that seated at least 30,000. The rule has since changed, with FBS teams now required to sell an average of 15,000 tickets per season over a two-year span.

These days, the Kibbie Dome is symbolic of Idaho's place in the pecking order of major college football. With the disintegration of the Western Athletic Conference as a football league because of defections brought on by the stampede of schools toward richer conferences, Idaho has been pushed to the side. Idaho is preparing to play as an independent next year, is uncertain where it will land after that and is trying to sell itself to leagues that desire teams with larger TV markets and, to a lesser extent, stadium seating capacities.

Idaho athletic director Rob Spear has architectural renderings for the Dome that could raise capacity about 9,000 or 10,000 -- well over the "magic number of 20,000" that conferences like to see, Spear says -- but he knows that's a tough sell because the Dome isn't filling up now.

A Unique and Cherished Venue

Located in Moscow, far off the beaten path of major college football, national telecasts and BCS conferences, the Kibbie Dome is just … different. The Kibbie Dome is like no other venue in college football. It sits like an enormous barrel half-buried into the University of Idaho campus and, in fact, once was referred to as "a Campbell's Soup can cut in half" by a visiting coach. It ranks as both an architectural marvel and the smallest home field in the Football Bowl Subdivision, holding about 16,500 fans. Inside, the roof of laminated wooden beams arches over a field sunken below ground level, and new translucent panels over the end zones allow a flood of natural light. Goalposts are attached to the walls about 5 yards behind the end zone -- rather than from a post in the ground -- with those walls padded for players' protection.

The Dome has been called too small and outdated by some, yet embraced by others who've seen (and heard) it at its packed-to-full-volume glory. At its best, it's a cozy, home-field advantage for the Vandals, a venue that prompts some teams to send scouts to take photos for coaches and players to study.

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