The view from a soft seating area inside Fargo’s West Acres Mall.
When I realized my flight home from Fargo would depart mid-afternoon on Monday, I decided to pay a visit to the West Acres Mall.
Now, before I go on … yes, a mall. A bonafide, functional, and dang-near fully occupied mall.
I know, I was amazed as well when my traveling buddy, Wayne, and I took a lap to see what was what in this spot situated near the junction of Interstates 94 and 29. We saw only two storefronts that seemed to be between tenants. And, might I say, for a Monday late morning, it was hopping!
Though it was still 10 days before Thanksgiving, the holiday decorations were hung with care in hopes that oodles of shoppers would soon be there. And, again, on this Monday morning, quite a few were there.
But I digress.
The reason I wanted to pay a visit to West Acres was to visit one wing in particular at the southeast corner near the Best Buy store. That’s where the Roger Maris Museum was.
This sign hanging in a hallway of the West Acres Mall welcomes visitors to learn more about one of Fargo’s favorite sons.
Maris, whose birth name was Maras before his father changed the family surname in 1955, was born in Hibbing, MN, in 1934, but his family moved to Grand Forks, ND, when he was four and then on to Fargo when he was 12. He’s a graduate of Fargo’s Bishop Shanley High School.
Maris played 12 seasons in the Majors for four teams. Most notably among them, the New York Yankees, when, in 1961, he engaged in an epic season-long home run derby with fellow outfielder, Mickey Mantle. Maris wound up winning that derby and, in so doing, bested Yankee legend Babe Ruth‘s single-season MLB home run record by one, 61-60. Notably, of course, was that during Ruth’s era teams played but 154 games and in 1961 they played 162.
What I found when I made my way down by that Best Buy was small but tastefully done display that seemed to keep with both Maris’ persona and his wishes.
By all accounts he was a no-frills fella who never really wanted to be in the glaring spotlight he found himself in back in 1961. A sort of lunch pail type of player who simply wanted to play the game and head home. In fact, one of the items on display underscores Maris’ wishes for the museum.
My favorite part of the Museum was Roger’s insistence that it be “put in a place where people from all walks of life will see it, and where they won’t have to pay for it.”
Beyond the 70 or so feet of artifacts in a few showcases out in the mall’s hallway, there is also a small room that runs a video about Maris on a loop. It’s decked out with old Yankee Stadium seating and provides a lovely spot to get off your feet for a few minutes and be transported back to the 1950s and 60s.
Sadly, thieves made off with his 1960 and 1961 American League MVP Awards in a brazen middle-of-the-night break in back in July 2016. The museum curators call them out on the display of photos of said awards and plea for them to be returned to their rightful home.
And, yes, odd as it might seem to have a museum for a baseball legend in a shopping mall, it works. If you find yourself in Fargo, pay the West Acres Mall a visit. Come for the Orange Julius, stay for the Roger Maris Museum.
Clockwise from upper left, a photo of the 1960 AL MVP Award; one of two Babe Ruth Sultan of Swat crowns that are displayed; a replica of his Yankee Stadium locker; the Museum’s dedication stone; Fargo’s Roger Maris Day (June 27, 1998) Proclamation; a replica of his tribute in Yankee Stadium’s Monument Park; the centerpiece of the Museum’s display; a look inside the film room, complete with Stadium seating; all 61 of his 1961 home runs have a pennant with the date and opposing pitcher highlighted; Maris spent his final two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, winning another World Series there in 1967; and the Museum’s welcome sign.
A look at Gate City Bank Field in the Fargodome before November’s Northern Iowa-North Dakota State game.
My pants would be BLAZING if I tried to tell you with a straight face that when I sat down and began crafting a list of 80 of the most iconic sporting events and venues to experience during my journey Around the World in 80 Sporting Events, that a visit to the Fargodome for a North Dakota State Bison football game was on that list.
It was not!
In fact, until I began shopping airfares from Detroit to Winnipeg, Manitoba, with an eye toward attending the 112th CFL Grey Cup (which is Event No. 32) a trip to Fargo was never a consideration.
And then I saw the airfare to Winnipeg!
As I searched for nearby airports my options were, um, extremely limited. In fact, Fargo was pretty much the beginning and end of the list. Located a mere 3-hour drive from Winnipeg’s Princess Auto Stadium where the Grey Cup was scheduled.
As a happy bonus, there was a flight out of Flint, MI, through O’Hare in Chicago to Fargo that was rougly a 67% discount on what it would be to fly directly into Winnipeg. Lodging costs, as one might expect for the Canadian equivalent of the Super Bowl, were considerably higher in Winnipeg that weekend than Fargo as well.
Having settled on flying to Fargo and renting a car then the curiosity in me checked to see what else might be occurring in North Dakota that weekend.
There were a couple of options that leapt off the page:
The defending FCS National Champion and top-ranked Bison had a mid-afternoon Saturday game against the University of Northern Iowa.
Now, I love college hockey – heck, covering it was one of my former jobs! – but the opportunity to see one of college football’s most successful programs, regardless of division, was too good an opportunity to pass up.
The Tipping Point
Erv Inniger, at right, was all too happy to play the role of host during my visit to NDSU.
Any lingering doubt about adding a NDSU football game to my 80 events was dismissed following a text exchange with Erv Inniger.
If the name Erv Inniger sounds familiar, there are several possible reasons for that:
Back in the early 1960s, Erv helped lead tiny Berne (IN) High School to three sectional titles, two regional championships, and a semi-state crown;
He played three years at Indiana University and was a captain on the 1966-67 Big Ten Champion Hoosiers’ squad;
He then coached at Golden Valley (MN) Lutheran College, Augsburg (MN) College, and NDSU, where he remains the career leader in coaching victories with 244;
He is a past-guest of Conversations with Sports Fans (S:1, E:30).
When I texted Erv to see if he might be able to help Wayne and I secure Bison tickets he seemed eager to assist. The fact that he’s a former schoolmate and longtime friend of my father, Jerry, might have greased the skids on my request, but after meeting Erv at the Fargodome prior to the NDSU-UNI game, I suspect he’d have assisted if I was some rando who stumbled upon his phone number.
Following his coaching days, Erv moved into the role of Associate Athletic Director for Development, which meant he, basically, worked the greater Fargo business community for donations to the athletic department.
That was evident as he took Wayne and I around the tailgate lot outside the Fargodome meeting folks such as Bison Bob, the Milkman, and myriad others who he grew to know during his 33 total years with the University.
Mid-November Tailgating in Fargo
The tailgating scene in Fargo mid-November was lively. Clockwise from upper left, some had buses, others had enclosed tents with plenty of weights or trailers to haul their supplies; the wind was stiff on this sunny November afternoon (check out those flags!); my buddy Wayne laughs with the locals.
The 40-degree temperature that day in Fargo was actually above average and the sunny skies only didn’t hurt either. What did hurt were steady winds that early afternoon in excess of 20 miles per hour. It certainly put a bit of a bite in the air as we sampled the fare at a few tailgates.
That got me to thinking about the conundrum that is dressing for the outdoor tailgating weather but also for attending a game indoors where the promised temperature is 70 degrees? I’m sure Detroit Lions’ fans and any other northern domed cities can help with this, but it was rather new to me.
Much like my time spent in Fairbanks, I found these Fargonians prepared for the elements. There were tents with plenty of weights to help anchor and prevent the wind from recreating scenes from The Wizard of Oz. Several set ups that we saw had some version of propane-fueled portable heaters and many had grills for the preparation of their protein of choice. And, yes, as you might have expected, there didn’t seem to be any problem keeping beverages chilled.
Easily the coolest cat we met during Erv’s tour was the previously mentioned, Bison Bob.
Bob Clark is a fan … a big fan … a rabid fan … a well-traveled fan.
When we met Bob, the sandwich board out front of his tailgate proudly announced that “Today was Bison Bob’s 560th consecutive game,” which means – as you read this – Bison Bob is at 561 consecutive games and holding because the Bison season has ended. The streak began in 1982 and he perservered through the COVID-19 pandemic and its wonky rules about fan allotments and who was allowed to attend.
That’s me and NDSU superfan, Bob Clark (aka Bison Bob), whose now witnessed 561 Bison games in person (Photos by Wayne Wilson).
A Visit to the Field
The view from the field, Wayne and I, a wide shot from the field, and a look at the pylon. (Photos by Troy Goergen and Wayne Wilson)
In his unofficial role as Hospitality Hank, Erv set up an opportunity for Wayne and I to get on the field pre-game with Senior Associate AD, Troy Goergen (my guest on a recent bonus Conversation about NDSU).
As Troy walked us down to field level we learned a bit of the history of the Fargodome.
Despite being built on the NDSU campus, it’s owned and operated by the City of Fargo;
It’s a multi-purpose venue and has hosted major concert acts, basketball games (including NBA exhibitions), commencement ceremonies, as well as football through the years;
The artificial turf is actually one continuous piece of turf that can be rolled up and housed inside one end of the facility, e.g. Magic Carpet system;
Due to static electricity potentially building up, groomers of the turf include some diluted fabric softener as they prep the field prior to games;
It’s purported to be the largest indoor event space between Minneapolis and Seattle.
From the outside, the facility is rather unassuming, and even once inside, it doesn’t seem all that large. However, from the field level, it’s a different perspective. Wayne and I are both veterans of many big stadiums and even we had to admit it was an impressive venue, especially when one considers its location … Fargo.
Equally impressive was watching Bison sophomore placekicker Eli Ozick go through his pre-game work. He was easily booming field goals from over 60 yards. If you’re an NFL general manager looking for your next kicker, you could do a lot worse than Eli.
Bison kicker Eli Ozick is about to nail a 46-yard field goal.
NDSU’s Storied History
Perhaps there’s not enough room to hang all of the banners? The Fargodome just includes years on existing banners (make room for 2025 for Conference Championships).
When I mentioned near the top that North Dakota State, historically, is one of college football’s most decorated programs I don’t believe I was exaggerating.
The school first fielded a football team in 1894 and, beginning in 1921, joined the now-defunct North Central Conference and played at the NCAA Division II level. During these 83 seasons, the Bison won eight national championships (1965, 1968, 1969, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988, and 1990). In 2003 they, along with South Dakota State University, made the athletic jump to the NCAA Division I level, though each play in the Football Championship Subdivision.
While it took the better part of a decade, the Bison became a major factor at the FCS level beginning in 2011. Since its first FCS Championship that year, its won nine more – including five in a row (’11-’15) and three in a row (’17-’19). Those 10 titles are the most in the history of FCS which begin in 1978 as NCAA I-AA. At one point during that stretch in mid-2010s run which included victory at Iowa, the Bison were receiving votes in the AP Top 25 polls and reached as high as No. 27.
Oh yeah, during its history, NDSU has won outright or shared 39 conference titles, including 12 of the past 15 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. It won the 2025 title by defeating intra-state rival, North Dakota, 15-10, the week prior to our visit.
As we heard plenty of times during our day at the Fargodome, NDSU fans are more-than-a-little spoiled by the success. That was evidenced by a less-than full house during our game (14,736 out of a possible 19,000) and a crowd that largely made its way to the exits following the halftime festivities with the Bison leading 31-2.
The Game
Clockwise from upper left, Thundar gives the fans the heart sign following the victory; the scoreboard says it all; the Bison take a knee post game at midfield.
As noted previously, this one was over pretty early.
North Dakota scored on two of its first three possessions, then crazily yielded a safety, before adding 17 more points before halftime for that 31-2 lead. It grew to 38-2 early in the third quarter when Bison quarterback Cole Payton busted off a 64-yard touchdown run.
By that time, NDSU began providing its bench players with plenty of opportunities to gain experience and showcase their wares en route to a 48-16 final score that really didn’t seem that close. The Bison outgained the Panthers 477-201 yards and had nearly twice as many first downs (24-13).
