North Texas' new Volleyball Facility, new

[ADLER]

A new scoreboard is being installed into North Texas' new Volleyball facility. When complete, the arena will probably be one of the nicest pure volleyball venues around. (Do other colleges even have facilities strictly dedicated to volleyball?)

New Athletic Facilities Being Built On Campus

Follow the above link. There are construction photos of the new volleyball arena and locker rooms, tennis facility, soccer stadium, and pictures of the new Field Turf being installed at Fouts Field.

Thank you to the Athletic Department for providing the Wednesday construction updates.

[UNTLifer]

Wouldn't it have been easier to repaint the walls prior to hanging the scoreboard? The big blue W may be hard to cover or are we readopting blue as a secondary color and claiming the W stands for women's facility?

[Mad Hatter]

Just a question that maybe someone knows the answer to. Would it have been possible to make the Fouts endzone bleachers moveable? What I mean is that say you anchor the side that connects to the regular stands, but then have the ability to swing the stands in over the track during games. That way the folks int eh endzones are a lot closer to the action? Maybe it would have jsut cost too much? Or damaged the track? It sure would make the stadium look a little better.

GMG!!!

Edited July 22, 2005 by Mad Hatter

[firstclassmortgage]

There will be alot of work needed to have it the best volleyball facility around. Rather disappointing when you go look at it.

[ADLER]

There will be alot of work needed to have it the best volleyball facility around.  Rather disappointing when you go look at it.

What is needed that is not already being planned? Don't most college teams, especially those in non-BCS leagues, play volleyball in some multi-use facility on a floor marked for basketball, volleyball, and other indoor sports?

Do most have their own locker rooms?

I think this is going to be a really special facility for our volleyball team once it is completed.

On another note:

A few years ago I watched North Carolina's womens soccer team play a national championship at their facility. Things have probably changed since then, but they played in an open field surrounded by oak trees with no seating. Our new stadium will not be huge but it will have the same seating capacity as Liberty Christian's former football stadium. The new soccer facility may never be as nice as the UT-Austin soccer stadium, but it is a huge step up from the currently used Peterbuilt field, and will not be a hindrance when recruiting athletes.

[NT80]

What is the former Men's Gym (snakepit) going to be used for? I thought it would make a perfect volleyball-only facility.

[GrayEagle]

Another question, is freshman P.E. still required? If so, where is it conducted? Could that be the usage for Bahnsen Gym?

[ADLER]

What is the former Men's Gym (snakepit) going to be used for?   I thought it would make a perfect volleyball-only facility.

The building seems structurally sound, but the hardwood floor is old and showing it's age. With the addition of the Student Rec Center, and all the courts in the PEB, there really is not an urgent need to keep a basketball court inside the old Snakepit.

The gym could be used for an indoor tennis facility, but it would be so far removed from the new tennis facility that it would be worthless for competitions, and as a tennis practice facility, it could only be used by a couple of people per evening.

The building could be turned into a weightroom and training facility for the men's basketball team. It's location between the Super Pit and the PEB would be ideal for both the North Texas teams and also for the summer Nike tournament. A short tunnel could even connect it with the Super Pit so duplicate locker rooms would not be needed and room in the Super Pit would be available for other uses. A basketball training center could also be extremely valuable as a recruiting tool.

My ideal situation for the building is going to sound a little eccentric. Expand the ends of the building so that it is long enough to hold a regulation hockey court. The high seating on the sides would be perfect for hockey. Hockey is really becoming popular as a participation sport in the D/FW high schools, and it would probably be just as popular with the college kids.

Most of the Division 1 schools in Texas including North Texas, already have University club teams. There is the possibility that their league could eventually become NCAA affiliated.

Perhaps Stars Center which has built many ice facilities throughout the D/FW suburbs could be enticed into partnering in a facility on the North Texas campus. If not in the old Snake Pit, what about a new building on the south end of the Eagle Point Campus adjacent to the new tennis center.

Wouldn't it be nice to have one of these on campus?

Edited July 23, 2005 by ADLER

[GreenBat]

Adler,

I like your thinking.

Here's an idea, sponsor a women's Hockey team to offset the scholorships for baseball.

I think NCAA women's hockey would open up NT to more diverse student population.

[BaylorGuy314]

(Do other colleges even have facilities strictly dedicated to volleyball?)

Many don't. Baylor volleyball shares its facility with basketball, although they are working on fixing that when the indoor tennis courts get built in the next couple of years.

A&M and Texas both have volleyball specific facilities however:

Texas (capacity: 4,400):

A&M (capacity: 7,800):

Those are just off the top of my head.

Edited August 11, 2005 by BaylorGuy314

[PlummMeanGreen]

Many don't. Baylor volleyball shares its facility with basketball, although they are working on fixing that when the indoor tennis courts get built in the next couple of years.

A&M and Texas both have volleyball specific facilities however:

Texas (capacity: 4,400):

A&M (capacity: 7,800):

Those are just off the top of my head.

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The TAMU volleyball facility looks like their men's former varsity basketball faciliy, ie, G. Rollie White Coliseum.

Is UT's their former men's BB facility whose name escapes me at the moment?

Come to think of it, NT' old Snake Pit BB faciliyt now named after Coach Ken Bahnsen would have made a very nice volleyball venue, but I think NT is going to have a nice one AND in the new Mean Green Athletic Village.

[GreenBat]

Come to think of it, NT' old Snake Pit BB faciliyt now named after Coach Ken Bahnsen would have made a very nice volleyball venue, but I think NT is going to have a nice one AND in the new Mean Green Athletic Village.

←

The Snake Pit has been the volleyball facility, for a long time.

But I agree, the new facility should help the program prosper.

[MootPoint]

The Snake Pit has been the volleyball facility, for a long time. 

But I agree, the new facility should help the program prosper.

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After it is finished, I believe we will have the only dedicated volleyball facility in the belt.

[NT80]

After it is finished, I believe we will have the only dedicated volleyball facility in the belt.

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What was wrong with the SnakePit? Wasn't it a volleyball-only facility now too? It seems larger than anything they have to renovate at Liberty Christian.

[UNTFan23]

What was wrong with the SnakePit?  Wasn't it a volleyball-only facility now too?  It seems larger than anything they have to renovate at Liberty Christian.

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The Snake Pit/Men's Gym is also used for classes. Many times before a volleyball game would start, class would be in session up to almost when the game was scheduled to begin.

[GreenN'walinsVet]

The TAMU volleyball facility looks like their men's former varsity basketball faciliy, ie, G. Rollie White Coliseum. 

Is UT's their former men's BB facility whose name escapes me at the moment?

Come to think of it, NT' old Snake Pit BB faciliyt now named after Coach Ken Bahnsen would have made a very nice volleyball venue, but I think NT is going to have a nice one AND in the new Mean Green Athletic Village.

←

I dont know about Texas but yes Texas A&M turned G Rollie White into a Volleyaball specific Arena once Reed Arena was built.

[MootPoint]

The Snake Pit/Men's Gym is also used for classes.  Many times before a volleyball game would start, class would be in session up to almost when the game was scheduled to begin.

←

Yep. Men's Gym is not totally devoted to volleyball.

[MeanGreenThing]

With only one section of floor seating in the Men's Gym, the fans just seem so removed from the game to me. The acoustics are also terrible, anybody listening to the opening introductions is lucky to understand anything.

[res1dg16]

I think NCAA women's hockey would open up NT to more diverse student population.

... yeah - women with no front teeth