U-m Regents Approve $26.1 Million Indoor Football Facility

[bdan2002]

U-M Regents approve $26.1 million indoor football facility

Posted by Jeff Arnold April 19, 2007 18:48PM

Categories: Sports

The University of Michigan Board of Regents on Thursday approved a new $26.1 million indoor football practice facility that will provide a safer practice environment for players.

The new facility, which will in the future be used instead of Oosterbaan Fieldhouse, is expected to be built adjacent to Schembechler Hall, will include approximately 104,000 square feet, will be built on an existing outdoor field and is expected to include an full-sized football field, lobby, restrooms and storage space.

Funding for the project will be provided from athletic department resources and gifts.

"This is just part of the many facilities we have undertaken and will undertake in the future," Michigan athletic director Bill Martin said in a prepared statement. "This is a continuing process as we need to update the facilities on our athletic campus to today's standards."

Regents also voted the appointment of Jickling Lyman Powell Associates as the design architect. University officials hope to break ground on the facility by Dec. 1 with a target date for its completion set at Jan. 1, 2009, according to associate athletic director for facilities Mike Stevenson.

The facility, Stevenson said, will also be used by seven other varsity sports as well as club sports, making Michigan one of the few universities nationwide to have two indoor facilties.

When told of the Regent's approval, an ecstatic Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr called Thursday " a great day for University of Michigan football."

For complete coverage, read Friday's Ann Arbor News.

[emmitt01]

U-M Regents approve $26.1 million indoor football facility

Posted by Jeff Arnold April 19, 2007 18:48PM

Categories: Sports

The University of Michigan Board of Regents on Thursday approved a new $26.1 million indoor football practice facility that will provide a safer practice environment for players.

The new facility, which will in the future be used instead of Oosterbaan Fieldhouse, is expected to be built adjacent to Schembechler Hall, will include approximately 104,000 square feet, will be built on an existing outdoor field and is expected to include an full-sized football field, lobby, restrooms and storage space.

Funding for the project will be provided from athletic department resources and gifts.

"This is just part of the many facilities we have undertaken and will undertake in the future," Michigan athletic director Bill Martin said in a prepared statement. "This is a continuing process as we need to update the facilities on our athletic campus to today's standards."

Regents also voted the appointment of Jickling Lyman Powell Associates as the design architect. University officials hope to break ground on the facility by Dec. 1 with a target date for its completion set at Jan. 1, 2009, according to associate athletic director for facilities Mike Stevenson.

The facility, Stevenson said, will also be used by seven other varsity sports as well as club sports, making Michigan one of the few universities nationwide to have two indoor facilties.

When told of the Regent's approval, an ecstatic Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr called Thursday " a great day for University of Michigan football."

For complete coverage, read Friday's Ann Arbor News.

I look at projects like this and it makes me wonder why the big boys even include the first few weeks of their schedules in the win/loss columns. Spending at a rate 10 times that of the schools you schedule to fill out your schedule makes it virtually prideless to win.

[Eagle1855]

And now begins the barrage of butt-hurt UNT fans because we dont have a stadium and they do, blah blah blah

Good for Michigan. If we had the kind of money and alumni support, I'd love to see that kind of stuff here. Someday...

[NT80]

making Michigan one of the few universities nationwide to have two indoor facilties.

I predict uT will soon add another one also, but more expensive and larger than this one.....

[emmitt01]

I predict uT will soon add another one also, but more expensive and larger than this one.....

With rims...cuz Michigan's doesn't have rims.

[Green to the Bone]

When we build our new indoor practice facility, what color should it be?

[Eagle1855]

When we build our new indoor practice facility, what color should it be?

dont you mean, "which shade of green do you prefer?"

That way we can get people saying things like "build it forest green or don't build it at all"... or the "I like Kelly Green, just PLEASE dont paint 'North Texas' on the side". Personally, I say make it with the interlocking NT or cancel football.

[Stan R]

With rims...cuz Michigan's doesn't have rims.

HAH!

[LongJim]

And now begins the barrage of butt-hurt UNT fans because we dont have a stadium and they do, blah blah blah

Good for Michigan. If we had the kind of money and alumni support, I'd love to see that kind of stuff here. Someday...

No kidding.

FWIW, UT spent "only" 4M on theirs. Southlake Carroll's was 2M.

[FirefightnRick]

This is the very reason why programs such as Rice, Tulane and Vanderbilt considered dropping down or dropping football altogether. It's getting more rediculous every year, of course Michigan would really have to get on their spending horse to catch tU and Ohio State.

Rick

[DeepGreen]

This is the very reason why programs such as Rice, Tulane and Vanderbilt considered dropping down or dropping football altogether. It's getting more rediculous every year, of course Michigan would really have to get on their spending horse to catch tU and Ohio State.

Rick

I look for the NCAA or conferences to make wholesale changes in 1A classifications within the next 10 years. What we will end up with is an "ultra BC$" conference that only the rich and famous programs will be members of. Some of the "pseudo BC$", or as I prefer to describe them, BC$ Lite, programs like So. Florida, Cinncinati, etc. will not be included. Criteria may just be 85,000 plus stadiums that are filled every weekend - for TV, of course!

Who knows, maybe the NFL will buy out the NCAA and take over just the BCS big boys.

I dunno, but the college football dollar spend race has gotten totally out of hand.

Edited April 21, 2007 by DeepGreen

[Green to the Bone]

I looks for the NCAA or conferences to make wholesale changes in 1A classifications within the next 10 years. What we will end up with is an "ultra BC$" conference that only the rich and famous programs will be members of. Some of the "pseudo BC$", or as I prefer to describe them, BC$ Lite, programs like So. Florida, Cinncinati, etc. will not be included. Criteria may just be 85,000 plus stadiums that are filled every weekend - for TV, of course!

Who knows, maybe the NFL will buy out the NCAA and take over just the BCS big boys.

I dunno, but the college football dollar spend race has gotten totally out of hand.

I agree. We see this huge inflation of zillion-dollar programs and facilities, while other kids get in trouble, maybe even booted from a team, because a coach let them make a cell phone call home or bought them dinner or an alum gave them a cushy summer job. Not to excuse the violations, which deserve punishment, but if the purpose of the rules is to maintain student athletes' "amateur" status, doesn't this gigantic expenditure send a mixed and hypocritical message? What does practicing in a $26 million indoor facility that serves no educational purpose do to a player's "amateur" status?

Some are going to argue that it's just the market at work. But isn't there a point where people are supposed to make value judgements?

Edited April 21, 2007 by Green to the Bone

[trud1966]

I agree. We see this huge inflation of zillion-dollar programs and facilities, while other kids get in trouble, maybe even booted from a team, because a coach let them make a cell phone call home or bought them dinner or an alum gave them a cushy summer job. Not to excuse the violations, which deserve punishment, but if the purpose of the rules is to maintain student athletes' "amateur" status, doesn't this gigantic expenditure send a mixed and hypocritical message? What does practicing in a $26 million indoor facility that serves no educational purpose do to a player's "amateur" status?

Some are going to argue that it's just the market at work. But isn't there a point where people are supposed to make value judgements?

IMO, bottom line, to spend that kind of money is insane. But yeah, there is a market at work there, unfortunately. Big programs will continue to spend like this order to keep sucessful. If a school like Michigan suddenly lost its football program, most would agree, it could be financially disasterous to the university. Damn near shut the place down. Whereas if UNT lost the program, I'm sure it would trudge on. Again, I'm not protecting it, but I do recognize the fact there are reasons why there are vast differences between programs like Michgans as opposed to the UNT's of the country. Still 26 mil does seem crazy. I can understand because of the climate of that part of the county and making guys practice outdoors in 20 degree weather for 15 hours a week. But is the place lined with gold or something? Seems sad that their indoor practice facility is probably much nicer than our outdoor game facility.

[NT80]

IMO, bottom line, to spend that kind of money is insane. But yeah, there is a market at work there, unfortunately. Big programs will continue to spend like this order to keep sucessful. If a school like Michigan suddenly lost its football program, most would agree, it could be financially disasterous to the university. Damn near shut the place down. Whereas if UNT lost the program, I'm sure it would trudge on. Again, I'm not protecting it, but I do recognize the fact there are reasons why there are vast differences between programs like Michgans as opposed to the UNT's of the country. Still 26 mil does seem crazy. I can understand because of the climate of that part of the county and making guys practice outdoors in 20 degree weather for 15 hours a week. But is the place lined with gold or something? Seems sad that their indoor practice facility is probably much nicer than our outdoor game facility.

One could argue that what made Michigan, OU, Ohio ST. and other such places known is their football program$. Can you imagine if NT overnight was in the Big12 with a 70K stadium and $50 mil athletic budget and about to build a $26 mil indoor facility, how would our perception change with media and scholars? We'd suddenly become a Tier I school and have Top 50 programs in all areas of study. Football = image.

Edited April 21, 2007 by NT80

[trud1966]

One could argue that what made Michigan, OU, Ohio ST. and other such places known is their football program$. Can you imagine if NT overnight was in the Big12 with a 70K stadium and $50 mil athletic budget and about to build a $26 mil indoor facility, how would our perception change with media and scholars? We'd suddenly become a Tier I school and have Top 50 programs in all areas of study. Football = image.

B-I-N-G-O

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

This thread is on the UNT football forum because

A, Michigan is on our future schedule

B. We have announced the construction of a new indoor practice facility

C. We have been invited to the Big 10 Conference

D. Barack Obama is making a donation to our new stadium

[GreenBat]

This thread is on the UNT football forum because

A, Michigan is on our future schedule

B. We have announced the construction of a new indoor practice facility

C. We have been invited to the Big 10 Conference

D. Barack Obama is making a donation to our new stadium

Since this post is directed at my question about the Mustain thread I will respond.

A. Awesome, that should bring us at least $250,000 and I'm guessing if it falls throught GOE will make up the difference.

B. I missed this announcement. Again I'm depending GOE deeep pockets to make it come true.

C. Again, this is great. And will mean millions to the athletic department. But if it is not true, I'm depending on our No.1 fan GOE to make good on the cash that this would have generated.

D. Nice to see that a possible future president believes in North Texas athletics, but I'm wondering how GOE believes posting ridiculous things that take away from a REAL fans passion about North Texas athletics.