Opened 46 years ago in 1979 at a cost of $8.2 million, the 9,100-seat venue is the home of the South Dakota Coyotes for football, swimming and diving, and track and field.

For five seasons beginning in 2013, the DakotaDome also hosted Briar Cliff University football (NAIA); following the 2017 season, the Chargers resumed home games on their campus in Sioux City, Iowa, 25 miles (40 km) to the southeast.

The Dome hosts other events throughout the year, including the high school football state championships each November.

The new arena, the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, which seats 6,000, opened in the fall of 2016 for volleyball, preceding the 2016–17 basketball season.

In early 2019, construction to rebuild the interior of the west side of the stadium began.