End of an Era: RCTC’s ‘Bubble’ Coming Down for Good

An iconic winter sight in Rochester, MN will be no more after this winter. If you've ever driven by the Rochester Community and Technical College in the wintertime, you've seen the bubble.

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What is The Dome at Rochester Technical and Community College?

Each winter since 2009, a big white dome that everyone has called 'the bubble' has gone up, covering the RCTC stadium area. The bubble allowed teams to come and play games or host camps all year-round.

When the idea was proposed to put up a dome at RCTC, there was a lot of support. The Post Bulletin writes that, at the time, the "Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce, the Rochester Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Minnesota State High School League, the Rochester Lodging and Hospitality Association and a host of coaches and youth sports associations" were all supportive of the plan.

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There were plans for advertising to be added to the dome, naming rights to be sold, but none of that materialized.

The stadium was used a good amount in the winter over the years, thanks to the bubble, for games and camps for all sorts of teams, but now, it's time to say goodbye.

RCTC's 'Bubble' is Going Away

The President of RCTC, Jeffery Boyd, has announced that this winter will be the last time that we will see the bubble.

President Boyd sent an email with this announcement back in July to city officials, but it just became known to the public this month.

In the email, President Boyd writes,

The dome's high setup, take-down and utility expenses — along with the need to replace its fabric and air handling system — have created an ongoing financial deficit.

So this winter will be the last time that we get to see the bubble up at RCTC. I know it's just a dome, but it's still a little sad to see it go. It's one of those things that's normal to us now, so for it to go away will be weird.