Augustana has raised $2.1 of the estimated $2.9 million needed to revitalize the Elmen Center, located on the southwest corner of 33rd Street and Grange Avenue on the university’s campus.
The Bob ‘52 & Rita (Hale) Elmen Family Foundation and the James ‘60 & Eloise (Saugstad) ‘61 Elmen Foundation recently contributed $2 million to the project.
“We’re thrilled to continue the legacy gift the Elmen brothers and their associates made back in 1985. The revitalization project is sure to enhance and initiate the renewal of this wonderful university asset,” said Richard Elmen, Elmen family member and foundation representative.
Support from the Elmen Family Foundations and others will allow Augustana to reimagine the Elmen Center — elevating the experience for students, coaches, fans and visitors alike. The revitalization will focus on the most highly-used areas of the facility. In Phase I of the project, updates to the Elmen Center will include a new competition floor, chairback seating, premium seating options, enhanced lighting, as well as upgraded sound and audio visual capabilities.
The Elmen Center, named in honor of the Elmen family, opened in February 1989. The 81,000 square-foot facility hosts more than 100 events annually. Home to the Viking Acrobatics & Tumbling, Men’s and Women’s Basketball, Volleyball and Wrestling Teams, the Elmen Center serves as a central hub for athletics, as well as recreational and physical education activities at the university. The forum, which includes a 176-yard running track, long jump pit, multiple multi-use courts, 25-yard swimming pool, racquetball courts, locker rooms, saunas, classrooms and a training facility, is also used by other varsity sports. This year, the Elmen Center is set to host the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) National Championships from April 24-27 — the first time the event will be held in South Dakota.
Beyond athletics, the Elmen Center provides both the university and Sioux Falls area with a versatile venue for camps, clinics, fairs, lectures, performances, tournaments and worship services. The Elmen Center has hosted Augustana’s Critical Inquiry & Citizenship Colloquium, as well as the Center for Western Studies (CWS) Boe Forum on Public Affairs since 1995, featuring prominent speakers from across the globe. Most recently, the 28th Boe Forum featured Jon Meacham, presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, on March 19.
“The Elmen Center is a great example of what the Viking Bold strategic plan is all about — a true community asset for both the Augustana community and greater Sioux Falls,” said Josh Morton, vice president of Augustana Athletics. “We are so grateful to the Elmen family for continuing the legacy of philanthropy they started decades ago, and I’m so pleased that our student-athletes and fans will be able to enjoy a first-class facility.”
With the funds the university has already received, Augustana will begin making updates this spring with the anticipated project completion by Summer 2026. The university will continue to seek additional support for the project and hopes to continue renovation beyond Phase I to include the remainder of the building.
To support the Elmen Center revitalization project, visit augie.edu/ElmenRenovation.