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Sun Belt Myth Smasher: Is Arkansas States' Indoor Practice Bigger Than The Kibbie Dome?

The Kibbie Dome is the smallest football venue in all of FBS sports. It's an oil drum. A tuna can. A bingo cage. The goal posts are bolted to the wall, for crying out loud. And it begs the question, is the new "Student Activity Center" (code for "Indoor Practice Facility") at Arkansas State bigger than the University of Idaho's Kibbie Dome?

By AStateFanRules
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Full disclosure: I've never been to the Kibbie Dome, which one reviewer of college football venues insisted is "one of the most interesting facilities in college football." It opened in 1971, but wasn't domed until 1975, creating an "all-purpose" indoor facility used for football, track, basketball and tennis. Also, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones played the Kibbie Dome in 1997. Heart rocked it in 1978. Good times.

Meanwhile, Arkansas State just unleashed its new Student Activity Center ("The Big SAC"), a meaty behemoth of brick, siding and shingles that anchors Centennial Bank Stadium's north end zone like a goddamn intergalactic fortress! It's the firepower of the Death Star welded to the jazz of the A-Team van. Put four wheels on it, and it'd win the Indy 500 after defeating ISIS and seducing Derek Jeter's girlfriends. That's how bad ass it is.

SAC

The Big SAC, courtesy of Arkansas State Athletics

But the real questions remains: Is the Arkansas State SAC larger than the University of Idaho Kibbie Dome?

I've been saying The Big SAC is larger than the Kibbie Dome for about a year. Why? Because it's funny to think so! In your face, Vandals! And besides, wouldn't that be a poignant commentary on the new landscape of competitive college sports: that a practice facility be grander than an opponent's playing venue? Also, it's funny! In your face, Vandals!

Still, it's irresponsible to simply make big claims without consulting facts. After all, I'm not running for President. But I have a gut-hunch that the A-State SAC is bigger!

Let's objectively examine the numbers:

Kibbie Dome
150-ft tall
93,000 square feet

A-State SAC
58-ft tall
80,000 square feet

Oh.

So, by the metric of actual metrics, the A-State SAC could reasonably fit neatly inside the Kibbie Dome, like one of those Russian nesting dolls that make a lousy gift. Okay, Vandals, you win this one. Your venue is larger than A-State's practice facility.

Consider this myth* SMASHED!

*that I made up

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