RAPID CITY -- South Dakota’s newest arena is on full display this weekend.

The Summit Arena at Rapid City’s The Monument is hosting its second South Dakota High School Activities Association event since opening in October. After hosting all-state chorus and orchestra on Oct. 29-30, the venue is hosting the three-class state volleyball tournament this weekend.

Construction on the $130 million arena began in 2019 and this weekend’s volleyball tournament is the first SDHSAA sporting event held at the venue. The previous state events in Rapid City were held at the Barnett Arena, which still sits next to the Summit Arena. 

After the venue was added, the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center was renamed The Monument after a naming rights agreement with Monument Health Rapid City Hospital.

“It’s incredible,” SDHSAA executive director Dan Swartos said about the new arena. “There’s been a lot of memories made in the Barnett Arena, but this venue is amazing and it just gives us another space within our state to showcase our athletes in a world-class venue and I think it’s a positive for everybody throughout the state.”

The multi-purpose arena seats more than 11,000 people and covers 250,000 square feet. It’s equipped with multiple concession stands and lounge areas. It’s design is similar to the Denny Sanford Premier Center and gives the SDHSAA two first-class facilities to host events.  

“We’ve got a lot of great venues (in South Dakota) and to have two venues of this size in the state is critical for us,” Swartos said. “It allows us to put on incredible events for our kids.”

The Summit Arena will also host the Lakota Nation Invitational in December and the State A boys basketball tournament in March. Swartos anticipates the new arena will get into a regular rotation for state events, including the wrestling and volleyball tournaments rotating between Rapid City and Sioux Falls. 

“I know the Premier Center is great for wrestling and I know that this will be as well,” Swartos said. “So we will probably look at both of those options. … We’ve already sort of had a rotation between Sioux Falls and Rapid for volleyball and boys basketball. We use both cities on the same weekend. I think the biggest thing is this is a much more viable facility for us, for the community and for the athletes most of all.”

The new arena has also helped Rapid City attract more musical performers, including the Zac Brown Band on Sunday.