UND Sports Guide!

Even though Grand Forks isn’t the biggest city, it’s home to a tremendous sports college in the University of North Dakota. UND has some of the most state-of-the-art facilities in college athletics, and the Greater Grand Forks region (and well beyond) support this school better than most in America.

Let’s take a look at UND’s sports teams and when you might be able to catch a game, starting with fall sports going through the spring.

It’s worth noting that UND competes at the D1 level across all sports.

UND always brings a strong team to the table every year.  Competing in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), the squad in green and white puts on a great show inside the Alerus Center, home to UND football.

Games begin around the end of August or the beginning of September, continuing throughout the fall. If the season goes well, expect games after Thanksgiving.

The Alerus Center holds around 12,000 people for football, and it’s known as one of the toughest and loudest home field advantages in the FCS.

You can get tickets here, by going to the Alerus Center box office, or by going to the main UND athletics box office at Ralph Engelstad Arena.

If you can’t make a game, you can view most UND games on ESPN+ with a subscription, the majority of home games on Midco Sports, or perhaps another channel or streaming service, depending on who has the television rights.

I know Grand Forks isn’t known as a soccer hub, but the UND team is still competitive and fun to go out and support. Playing at Bronson Field near Ralph Engelstad Arena, the field looks small from the outside but recent upgrades have it in great shape and it’s spectator-friendly.

The season begins earlier than any other sport on campus and lasts into November when conference championships begin.

Get out and watch – admission is free!

Find their schedule at here, which will also show streaming options when available.

The volleyball team is always fun to watch! For years, I have been amazed at the speed of collegiate volleyball, especially for how tall most of the athletes are.

The team competes at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, located right next to Ralph Engelstad Arena (I’ll get back to that in a bit).  This sure is a nice arena, with leather seats, modern amenities, and decent concessions.

Games begin as early as August, although home games aren’t usually until September. Tickets are affordable and the seating is excellent.  It’s great for a night out with the family, a date night, or even taking the whole junior high team out to support some excellent role models.

Tickets can be purchased here, through the REA box office, or at the door at the Betty.  Home matches are televised through Midco Sports.

UND has become highly competitive in cross country, and it’s wonderful to see such amazing student-athletes come through the program each year.  The unfortunate thing, though, is that there isn’t often a way to watch – in person or streaming.

Still, I love supporting them whenever I can, and you can still easily find the men’s and women’s schedules online. . There is usually one home meet each fall.

The season runs from August into November when the NCAA Championships are held.

Similar to fall softball, this portion of the schedule is their “non-championship segment,” but occasionally offers a local meet in Grand Forks. Hey, it’s pretty fun to cheer on your favorite college team, no matter what sport. I, for one, actually like to watch golf, which makes it doubly fun.

Once again, you can find the men’s and women’s schedules online.

UND sports doesn’t get any better than hockey at the University of North Dakota. UND competes in one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA and frequently competes for a national championship.

I could write forever on this, but if you really want to know more about hockey at UND and its storied history and tradition, just Google it and you will find endless links to explore.

As a fan, the terrific on-ice talent is enough to get you into your seat.  But many people know the UND hockey fan experience has much to do with its incredible arena as it does the competition it fields.

Ralph Engelstad Arena is one of the most luxurious and state-of-the-art hockey venues in the world, let alone college hockey.  It opened in 2001, and yet, it looks to be but a year or two old!  Constant upgrades and building maintenance make this a fan’s dream to walk into – and, oh yeah, there’s a great hockey team to watch!

The hockey team itself is known as a blue blood of college hockey, earning more national championships than most teams in the country.  In fact, many UND hockey fans measure a season’s success by whether or not there’s a new green banner (national championship) hanging up or not.

Games begin the first weekend in October each year and continue into March, hopefully April, depending on playoff success.  Packing in nearly 12,000 fans every single game, the atmosphere in The Ralph is hard to beat.

That’s why I’m telling you: if you haven’t been to a UND hockey game before, don’t just consider it – make it a priority!

Find tickets on the website, the REA box office, or certain resale opportunities online. Find this season’s schedule here.

You can watch home games on Midco Sports, all home games and most away games on NCHC.tv, or other streaming services based on television rights for other away games.

Finally, a sport that just about everyone knows just about everything about!  That’s why it’s so easy to enjoy a game at the Betty.  A fast-paced atmosphere and a rowdy bunch of students can make this experience very fun and entertaining.

The men’s teams lately have been very competitive, even against some of the country’s top schools. Somehow, despite occasionally losing its best players for bigger schools around the country, this team consistently finds the underrated athletes and brings them together into a solid team.  I don’t know how the coaches do it, but kudos to them!

The women’s team can also be a great way to spend an evening.  These ladies always turn out to be wonderful role models to the many young girls from the area, and I love to see a local team or two make it out for a game.

Some prefer MBB more while others prefer WBB.  In fact, a good friend of mine has always told me that she’d rather watch the women’s team over the men’s team simply because the men “purposely squeak their shoes too much!”  I don’t know about that, but both teams are fun in their own right.

Tickets are usually available – but not always!  Secure your tickets early if you can.  Visit the UND ticket office at the REA ahead of time, the ticket office in the lobby of the Betty on game days, or find tickets in advance at online.

All home games are televised on Midco Sports, and many of the away games can be seen on the home team’s TV carriers or streams.

With about half the country experiencing some form of winter, Grand Forks certainly being a part of that half, we have the luxury of an indoor track & field season. This usually begins in December and goes until the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.  UND, with its beautiful facilities, often hosts an indoor meet and sometimes even a postseason event.  Whether you’re there to watch or even volunteering for the staff, there’s more excitement that you might think!

Again, there’s not much for viewing options outside of being there in person, so watch the Fighting Hawks website for details.

With the closing of the indoor season, the outdoor season begins!  Well, not quite in Grand Forks, but the teams will travel to some great destinations to compete in the outdoor season.  Eventually, spring and summer roll into the region, allowing the occasional home meet or a reasonably regional meet to take place.

Once the regionals and NCAA Championships come around in May and June, you can catch a bit of the action on ESPN+, ESPN, and a few other options.

I agree, it’s not for everyone.  But when you can support an athlete from UND, suddenly it’s riveting TV!

You know the drill.  Keep your eyes on the website for the best information.

Spring softball is when the games now mean something. This portion of the schedule begins in February, but no, not in Grand Forks. The team spends the early part of this season around Hawaii, California, Texas, all the nice-weather places.

The home portion begins in March or April.  There’s no doubt, some games can be cold.  But I’m here to tell you that the games are fun, and they take place at the beautiful Albrecht Field!  If you haven’t been, find a way to go!

The championship season goes until mid-May when the NCAA tournament begins, culminating with the Women’s College World Series into June.

With unpredictable weather, keep an eye on that same website.

Can’t make it out (probably too cold)? Catch home games on Midco Sports.

Spring golf, like softball, always begins before Grand Forks is ready. This allows the student-athletes to see some absolutely amazing destinations around the country. Once the weather comes around, you might be able to catch a meet somewhere relatively local.

Championships begin in May, and every once in a while, a UND golfer has a chance to really impress – sometimes more than one!

Keep an eye on UND’s athletics website for information on how things are going for the teams and their respective student-athletes.