Holt Arena facts for kids
Holt Arena in 2008
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| Former names | ASISU Minidome (1970–1988) |
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| Location | Idaho State University 550 Memorial Drive Pocatello, Idaho, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 42°52′12″N 112°25′44″W / 42.870°N 112.429°W |
| Public transit | Pocatello Regional Transit |
| Owner | Idaho State University |
| Operator | Idaho State University |
| Capacity | 12,000 - football 8,000 - basketball |
| Record attendance | 13,895 (football) November 22, 1980 [[{{{school}}}|ISU]] vs. Boise State |
| Surface | SoftTop Matrix artificial turf (2011–) Poly-Turf, AstroTurf (1970–2010) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 1, 1968 |
| Opened | May 9, 1970; (spring game) 55 years ago |
| Construction cost | $2.8 million ($21.1 million in 2025 ) |
| Tenants | |
| Idaho State Bengals (Big Sky, NCAA) (1970–present) | |
Holt Arena is a big indoor sports building. It is located at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho. This arena is the home field for the Idaho State Bengals football team. They are part of the Big Sky Conference. The arena sits high up, about 4,560 feet (1,390 meters) above sea level.
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History of Holt Arena
Holt Arena first opened in 1970. It was originally called the ASISU Minidome. "ASISU" stands for the Associated Students of Idaho State University. These students actually helped pay for the arena to be built!
This arena is very special. It is the oldest indoor stadium on a college campus in the United States. Only the Houston Astrodome is older, built in 1965. Since the Astrodome closed in 2006, Holt Arena has been the oldest indoor stadium still in use.
Milton W. "Dubby" Holt (1914–2007) was an important person for the arena. He was the athletic director at ISU for many years. He thought of the idea for an indoor arena in 1966. The building was later renamed in his honor in 1988.
Students at ISU voted to help pay for the arena. In 1968, they approved adding $12 to their semester fees. This money helped build the stadium. It cost about $2.8 million back then.
For 41 football seasons, the arena used different types of artificial turf. In July 2011, a new kind of turf was put in. It is called the SoftTop Removable Matrix System. This type of turf is also used in big stadiums like AT&T Stadium in the NFL.
Holt Arena's Place in Sports
Replacing the Spud Bowl
Before Holt Arena, the Bengals football team played at an outdoor stadium called the "Spud Bowl." This field is now known as Davis Field. It is still used today for outdoor track and field and soccer games.
Other Uses for the Arena
Holt Arena is used for many different events. It is home to the ISU indoor track and field team. The men's basketball team also plays their games here.
The arena hosts many other activities too. You can see high school football games here. The famous Simplot Games, a high school indoor track meet, also takes place at Holt Arena. It is also used for rodeos, concerts, and other fun events.
In 1977, the ISU men's basketball team had a great season. They won their conference tournament at Holt Arena. This allowed them to host some games for the big NCAA tournament. ISU even beat Long Beach State here. Later, they surprised everyone by beating UCLA in another round of the tournament.
After Holt Arena was built, other colleges decided to build their own indoor stadiums. Examples include the Kibbie Dome at the University of Idaho and the Walkup Skydome at Northern Arizona University.
Holt Arena is one of three indoor football stadiums in the Big Sky Conference. The other two are the Kibbie Dome and the Walkup Skydome.
The arena has a lot of space, with 194,400 square feet (18,060 square meters) of floor area. Part of the building is built 20 feet (6 meters) below the ground. The highest part of the building rises 89 feet (27 meters) above the ground.
In 2018, Holt Arena hosted a large meeting for the Idaho Republican Party.
