Ralph Engelstad Arena (REA) is an indoor arena located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. There is also a smaller arena bearing the same name located in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Both facilities are used primarily for ice sports, such as hockey and were funded via large donations from University of North Dakota alumnus Ralph Engelstad.
The Grand Forks facility, which seats 11,500, is located on the UND campus. It is used by the University's men's and women's hockey teams (The Fighting Sioux). An addition was completed in 2004 and is now the home of the University's basketball and volleyball teams. The arena also hosts many non-athletic events including concerts and a yearly circus. No expense was spared in the construction of this arena (totaling over $100 million), and the entire arena is decked out in marble flooring, leather chairs, escalators, full-colour LCDs and advanced lighting and electronics. Some people refer to the Grand Forks arena as simply "The Ralph."
The Thief River Falls facility seats 4,500 and is mainly used by the city's public high school as well as for community events.
Both arenas played host to the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships with over 195,000 tickets sold. The Grand Forks facility will host the 2008 Ford World Men's Curling Championship.
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