Dome teams? Unfair advantage?

[AppGuy04]

I've always thought about this. Do teams that play in a dome have an unfair advantage when it comes to crowd noise, which we all know can have a great effect on a game.

Your thoughts?

[lucchesicourt]

I don't think it is really any more of an advantage than any home team has, Always playing the game at home benefits the home team. Sometimes the noise can also affect the home team hearing signals and play calling as well as the visiting team. Since both teams are playing under the same conditions I really don't think the dome has that great an effect. UCD has played in NDSU's dome, and won the last two meetings there against a very good club. The quality of the game played by the visiting club is really what decides the game. If you do not make mistakes and you are a good club, you will be in the game.

[AppGuy04]

Well, the noise for the home team on offense is vastly different than when the visiting team is on offense. Unless ofcourse, the fans are dumb.

[bison95]

The Fargo dome is TOOO QUIET! Home field advantage for NDSU would be playing in cold assed wind and snow. Imagine some of your southern boys at 22 degrees with a 25 mph wind and 3 inches of snow:cool:

[lucchesicourt]

Isn't that true in every stadium whether indoors or outdoors? The noise is amplified indoors, but for both teams. So, it may be noisier for the visiting offense indoors, but it is also noisier for the home offense just because they are playing indoors too. The better question is, are home fans quieter because they are playing indoors when their team is on offense, then when their team is playing outsidoors? I bet not. Fans scream louder in all stadiums when the opposition has the ball. I think the number of fans in attendance has more to do with homefield advantage.

[PantherRob82]

Most fans don't make noise when their team is on offense. Our dome is definitely louder than if it was uncovered. The noise reverberates off of the roof.

[AppGuy04]

Most fans don't make noise when their team is on offense. Our dome is definitely louder than if it was uncovered. The noise reverberates off of the roof.

exactly my point

but nobody can tell me that both teams deal with the same ammount of noise, thats just dumb

[lucchesicourt]

No, I am not saying that the noise levels are the same inside and outside a dome for a visitng team. I am saying it is louder in a dome for BOTH teams in relation to the fan attendance. Unless you can tell your own fans to be quiet when they have the ball. The ratio of noise should be the same for both teams in that if the noise outdoors is 4/1 (decibel level) in favor of the home team ,there should be a similar relationship indoors though the decibel level would be louder for both teams. Let's say it is 3 times noisier inside the dome than outside the new raio would be 12/3 decibels. Yes. it would be much louder for the visitors, but it should also affect the home team too. I just think homefield is an advantage no matter where you go. Also, if someone has an outdoor stadium of 25,000 versus a dome of 10,000 wouldn't this also have a similar effect if the 25,000 was a sellout? I guess the more fans in attendance would also be a barometer that effects the visiting team, maybe more so than a dome. If the dome team doesn't draw well it would not be a big advantage IMO. I guess you guys must be assuming all dome teams sellout. If that is the case I may tend to agree with you, but I know that is not the case the majoprity of time unless most domes are small hence less fans to make noise. I am sure playing in front of 70,000+ fans (1A's) should be somewhat equivalent to playing in a dome of 16,000, If teams can play effectively in such stadiums, then teams regardless of level, should be able to play effectively in SMALLER domes. Now, when you see NFL stadium and 1A size stadiums with domes, I bet it is a huge advantage. But, I was focusing on 1AA domes.

[Grizzaholic]

Open air stadiums are meant for football. You don't have to deal with wind, rain, snow, tempature and light in a dome. I have been to 2 domes and didn't really care for either. :twocents:

[crunifan]

Is it an advantage? Of course it is, absolutely!

Is it an UNFAIR advantage? I really don't think so, each stadium has their advantages.



I will say that I believe our advantage is greater than most normal stadiums though. I mean, when the UNI-Dome is full and our fans are yelling at the top of their lungs, it gets unbeleivably loud. Ask SIU last year. They wasted many a time outs thanks to our fans. And as loud as we may be, we have the metal roof to thank for that. The noise and the intimidating structure are what makes the UNI-Dome such a hard place for visitors to grab a W.

[GannonFan]

I don't see it as that much of an advantage - noise doesn't score points. But you look at the number of dome teams and then you look to see what championships they've won and it's not very impressive. I think one NFL dome team has ever won a title (the Rams) and I can't think of a dome team in any other level of football that won a title. Noise is great and can certainly be an advantage, but it's not a game-winning advantage (oh, and no, it's not unfair - the game's still played on the field 11 on 11).

[Maroon&White]

I don't see it as that much of an advantage - noise doesn't score points. But you look at the number of dome teams and then you look to see what championships they've won and it's not very impressive. I think one NFL dome team has ever won a title (the Rams) and I can't think of a dome team in any other level of football that won a title. Noise is great and can certainly be an advantage, but it's not a game-winning advantage (oh, and no, it's not unfair - the game's still played on the field 11 on 11).

There is a difference between game-winning advantage and giving a team an advantage in winning a championship. Unless a dome team in the championship game is playing at home infront of their homecrowd, I don't see how you can use the dome arguement in discussing how it affects championships.

[Appstate29]

The Fargo dome is TOOO QUIET! Home field advantage for NDSU would be playing in cold assed wind and snow. Imagine some of your southern boys at 22 degrees with a 25 mph wind and 3 inches of snow:cool:

What??? Winds only at 25 MPH and only 3 inches of snow on the ground...sounds like good weather for football in Boone

[Grizzaholic]

What??? Winds only at 25 MPH and only 3 inches of snow on the ground...sounds like good weather for football in Boone

Ask SFA about how the weather dictated how they played when they came to missoula. Cold, blowing snow. GOOD FOOTBALL WEATHER!!!

[UNH 40]

When they play at home it may be unfair because of the noise. But I think that it hurts them when they go on the road and have to play in less than perfect conditions.

[Grizzaholic]

I agree 100 percent! If the field conditions are less than stellar it not only effects the visiting team but the home team as well. The only way this wouldn't hurt the home team would be if the field is bad week in and week out.

[Frosty The Snowbuff]

Ask SFA about how the weather dictated how they played when they came to missoula. Cold, blowing snow. GOOD FOOTBALL WEATHER!!!

NSU also....brrrrr....

[Reed Rothchild]

Its all about the fans who are making the noise. Montana was louder than I have ever experienced in the UNI-Dome and it was all game long. Even when we were getting blown out!

[UNHWildCats]

i think the only dome that has an unfair advantage in sports is Metrodome in Minn for baseball games, because the ball gets lost in the ceiling and unless u play there a lot ur in trouble when it does.

I get a little annoyed with Tropicanna Field and the damn catwalks one week if the ball hiots a catwalk they call it a homerun, the next week it hits and the outfielder catches it they call it an out

[Grizzaholic]

i think the only dome that has an unfair advantage in sports is Metrodome in Minn for baseball games, because the ball gets lost in the ceiling and unless u play there a lot ur in trouble when it does.

I get a little annoyed with Tropicanna Field and the damn catwalks one week if the ball hiots a catwalk they call it a homerun, the next week it hits and the outfielder catches it they call it an out

This is another good point about domes. But you also get that in outdoor stadiums when the sun is going down or coming up. It can get blinding.

[AppStWill]

I'm all for creating as much home field advantage as possible within the rules. I think it's great that teams will let their grass grow out if a fast team is coming to play that week. Or make the visiting team's bench be on the sunny part of the field. I played baseball in college, and we played Clemson every year. They have an incline in their outfield that elevates up a couple of feet before it gets to the fence. They can practice on that every day, where opposing outfielders don't have time to get used to it. Very clever IMO!

[BearsCountry]

Here in Missouri, Arrowhead Stadium is way louder than the Edward Jones Dome, so I dont think it really matters.

[GannonFan]

There is a difference between game-winning advantage and giving a team an advantage in winning a championship. Unless a dome team in the championship game is playing at home infront of their homecrowd, I don't see how you can use the dome arguement in discussing how it affects championships.

Well, you can't win championships unless you first win the games that you need to get there. If you can more easily win those games that lead to the championship, it follows logically that you'll have more chances to be in a championship, and therefore you're ability to win championships is improved by being there more often. Fairly logical. :read:

[AggiePride]

Many other things about stadium design etc.. can create similar differences when factoring home field advantage in.

It's all good.

[Maroon&White]

Well, you can't win championships unless you first win the games that you need to get there. If you can more easily win those games that lead to the championship, it follows logically that you'll have more chances to be in a championship, and therefore you're ability to win championships is improved by being there more often. Fairly logical. :read:

Yes, but winning home games in domes is different then winning road games not in domes or in opponents domes :) A team could win every home game but still be bad due to their road record.

[swaghook]

When they play at home it may be unfair because of the noise. But I think that it hurts them when they go on the road and have to play in less than perfect conditions.NDSU does not practice in the Dome they practice outside. So they are use to bad weather this North Dakota after all.;)

[PantherRob82]

UNI does the same at times. We practiced outdoors before going to New Hampshire last year.

[Johnny5]

It is homefield advantage for a reason

[PantherRob82]

It is homefield advantage for a reason

exactly. Is it unfair that some teams sit their student section behind the visitors instead of the home team? Is it unfair that some teams draw a bigger crowd? xlolx

[nmatsen]

When they play at home it may be unfair because of the noise. But I think that it hurts them when they go on the road and have to play in less than perfect conditions.

Like when UNI had to play at UNH last year right?xlolx xlolx xlolx