Sharon Johnson has been to her share of key moments in South Dakota State athletic history.
Last Friday evening was no exception.
Johnson was among hundreds of fans, SDSU students and staff who attended the open house introducing First Bank & Trust Arena, the refurbished home for Jackrabbit basketball, wrestling and volleyball.
The project took over two years and cost about $66 million. First Bank & Trust made the lead gift of $20 million. Seating capacity for the arena is listed at 5,000, with 58,589 square feet added in the renovations.
Johnson, an alumna of SDSU, met her husband in Brookings and has been married for 47 years now. Both her dad and kids are also graduates of SDSU, so seeing the new renovations has Johnson looking forward to what’s to come.
“We are so excited about the new First Bank & Trust Arena,” said Johnson, who is a season ticket holder with her husband. “I was here for the opening day of Frost in ‘73. I was here for the last day in the Barn, drove up from Armour, S.D., and then I was here for the last game in the Frost.”
The doors opened at 5 p.m. where visitors were greeted by Jackrabbit athletes and coaches along with school mascot Jack the Jackrabbit. Visitors were able to take a piece of the old gymnasium floor and a program listing all the donors and detailing the building layout and synopsis of the renovations.
SDSU fan Justin Keyser is a season ticket holder for basketball, wrestling and football. He was impressed with what he saw.
“This new building on campus I think is going to open up a lot of doors for SDSU and the whole basketball and volleyball teams,” Keyser said. “I think it means a lot to this community and I’m very grateful that we have it here.”
Complimentary SDSU ice cream, popcorn, and drinks were given out as visitors wandered through the new arena, suites, and other additions while the SDSU pep band played. All visitors were asked to take a seat in the arena at 6:30 p.m. where they welcomed the Spirit squad, wrestling, and men’s and women’s basketball teams on the court.
A video honoring the memories created in now renamed Frost Arena played over the new video display. That led into a second video, showcasing the strong relationship between First Bank & Trust and SDSU, while also extending a thank-you from athletes, coaches and more to all the donors and fans that support SDSU athletics.
“This is why I call this the palace, because this is such a great change,” said David Chicoine, who served as SDSU President from 2007 to 2016. “What a unique opportunity for First Bank and Trust, the university, fans and the student athletes. It’s really cool.”
Student Section
The student section of the arena got a major overhaul.
Before the renovation, the student section was behind each basket on the lower levels. Now, all students will be on one side, under the west basket. Having student seating on one side top to bottom centralizes students in the arena.
“I think we’ve created an even better home court advantage, in terms of sound,” Justin Sell, SDSU athletic director said. “It’s gonna be way louder in here. Frost was always loud but I think that seats we were able to create in spots we were never able to have seats before.”
“20% of the building we’ve set aside for students,” Sell added. “They make the biggest difference in our games.”
Another change is the new Hefty Student Club. While it will be well used during sporting events, Sell says the student club will be useful for different university events as well.
“We have so many different options. We can also use it on off game days,” Sell said. “We made all the furniture movable so if they wanted to do a Student Association meeting in here or a career fair. We can use this space for other opportunities to connect with students.”
Preserving History in First Bank & Trust
One thing that was critical throughout the renovation was preserving the history of the arena, officials said. Opening for the first time in 1973, the Frost Arena hosted over 50 years of key moments for SDSU.
The so-called South Wall, which is made from pieces of the old floor and various photos, memorabilia and history was a fan favorite on Friday. It displays 47 photos and 24 displays showcasing SDSU athletics through the years.
The South Wall spans 208 feet wide and 28 feet tall. Each square of the repurposed floor is 4 feet by 4 feet, and 205 pieces of floor were used.
“As we walk down the South hallway you’ll understand how dedicated we were to maintaining
tradition and history as we modernized the facility,” Sell said.
One way First Bank & Trust is paying homage to the history of the building is by honoring Jack Frost, former athletic director of SDSU and former namesake of the arena. One room in the arena is dedicated to telling Frost’s history.
His children will also be part of the first double-header basketball game of the season on Oct. 30.
“That room will be really important for them,” Sell said. “It was really important for that family and for us to pass this history on in the right way.”
Another piece of the original building that can be seen all throughout First Bank & Trust Arena is the original wooden bleachers from the early 1970s. Over a mile of wood from the bleachers were reused as design pieces.
“I love the touches of having the old basketball court and bleachers,” said Brookings resident Josh Robertson, who has been attending SDSU games for 10 years with his family. “It’s really cool how they tied in the old parts of Frost Arena with these new renovations. I think it will be great for students, for families to come and watch sporting events here and it’ll be a great place for a lot of years.”
The outside wall of the Midco Club displays a photo of a record-breaking moment in SDSU history. The most-attended game in Frost Arena took place in February 1989. The photo shows the men’s basketball game vs. Augustana, which set a record of 9,456 attendees.
“It’s a pretty cool homage to history,” Tyler Merriam, the associate athletic director for media and the radio voice of the Jackrabbits, said. “We actually found we had a color version of it, which we didn’t know existed until three weeks ago.”
As the event came to a close, fans were encouraged to come to the volleyball home opener and were once again thanked for their continued support for Jackrabbit athletics. This facility is not only for the athletes, but for Jackrabbit nation, officials said.
“This arena is more about our fans, more about our alumni and our supporters,” wrestling head coach Damion Hahn said.
The first athletic event in the new arena is volleyball’s home opener on Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Kansas City Roos.
