With the exception of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding the city, perhaps the most dominant landmark in Johnson City, Tenn., and certainly on the ETSU campus, is Memorial Center, better known as the Mini-Dome. The Dome houses Gentry Field, which makes the Buccaneers one of only a handful of college teams that call an indoor stadium their home. Home has definitely been sweet for the Buccaneer football squad for the past five seasons. On the way to its most successful season since joining the I-AA ranks, ETSU posted six victories on its home field in 1996 and has won 22 of 28 home contests over the past five years. Over the 1995 and 1996 seasons, ETSU won nine straight games in the Mini-Dome, the longest home winning streak in school history. The Buccaneers post a 65-62-1 record in the 23 seasons they have played in the Dome, and have won eight of their last nine home contests. The Bucs went 5-1 in the Mini-Dome in 1999. ETSU's fans have the luxury of watching the Bucs play in a comfortable climate, regardless of the weather outside. In fact, 13,131 fans came to see ETSU take on Marshall in 1996 on a snowy November afternoon, setting an all-time football attendance record. The Dome gives new meaning to the term multi-purpose facility. Not only has it been the home of the Buccaneer football squad since the 1977 season, but it is also the home court for ETSUs basketball team, the site of one of the countrys largest indoor track meets, and for many ETSU tennis matches. Two years ago, more than 14,000 people packed the Dome to see the Charlotte Hornets take on the Atlanta Hawks in an NBA exhibition game. The facilities housed within the Mini-Dome include Gentry Field, the main basketball floor, two auxiliary courts, a six-lane, 280-meter track, six racquetball/handball courts, seven tennis courts, a rifle range, two gymnasiums, a strength training facility, several locker rooms, and a physical education research laboratory. The offices for most of ETSUs varsity sports are also housed in the Dome, as well as the athletics administration and sports information offices. In addition, the facility houses the Pirate Club Lounge, where contributors are entertained before and at halftime of athletic contests. The Ward Room, where other Pirate Club functions, football press conferences, and athletics staff meetings are held, is another of the Domes many offerings. Memorial Center has undergone several renovations and improvements in recent years. In 1991 a $750,000 AstroTurf surface was installed, while the $500,000 scoreboards/messageboards are also recent additions. The track received a new tartan surface in 1994, including a polyurethane base with three different levels: smooth for basketball, slight granulation for tennis and heavier granulation for track. In 1994 the strength training facility was enlarged to 7,200 square feet, making it one of the largest in the southeast. The facility received a $200,000 facelift, as it was redesigned and reequipped.