when television began carrying major league baseball games in the 1950s, minor league baseball suffered from a drop in advertising revenue. many of the smaller minor leagues around the country folded. the northern league became one of these casualties when it was announced prior to the 1971 season that it was ceasing operations. after the original northern league disbanded, the stadium was rarely used over the next twelve years. it was being threatened with demolition when the newly created northern league awarded duluth a franchise in 1993. the stadium has had a tenant every year since. when the dukes moved out of the stadium in 2002, the void was filled almost immediately by the huskies.