Making the case for an indoor practice facility at North Texas

[PlummMeanGreen]

Thanks for all those photo links, fellers. Very eye-opening, eh?

Keep bringing up the UNT Green Brigade marching band as one of several potential partners for this on-campus venture since even they have (as someone once told me) 3-a-days in August, but why not get as many on board this project who would benefit from it?

And a location for this at the Mean Green Village? Why not on part of the DD practice field areas for starters. IMO, it would be very important that it would cosmetically need to look like almost an extension of Apogee Stadium with similarly colored brick, etc,etc,etc, and maybe even incorporating the "A" (apogee) design prominent at our football stadium.

We know Coach Mac can't keep our players from the heat all the time since they'd be playing in it early on in the season, but during those 105 degree days in August and early September they could go inside and cut down on dehydrations.

During the Fall if Denton had monsoon rains for 2 or 3 very important practice days...they could always go inside for that, too.

Couldn't 2 or 3 on-campus groups of which each would be funding partners work around each other's schedules with such a venture?

So is this a keeping up with the Jones kind of thing here? No, I don't think most of us would see it that way at all, but I do see it as our football program merely reaching out further toward the heights I feel most on this board know Mean Green football can actually reach and having this kind of facility could only help. I believe UNT alum Jerry Durant has a practice facility over at Weatherford HS named after him, but it is a small one.

Just my .02 on something we probably will need sooner than later. We can't keep up with UT or OU, but we will have to keep up with most all in CUSA who have or will have one of these kind of venues.

GMG!

Edited July 26, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[Harry]

While we are window shopping for IPF's what about this question...where would we put it??

[Side Show Joe]

Even our first opponent, Idaho, has one...

[filmerj]

While we are window shopping for IPF's what about this question...where would we put it??

Over the Dickey practice field. They want to go outside, go to apogee.

[Harry]

Over the Dickey practice field. They want to go outside, go to apogee.

Man I don't know -- they use the outdoor Dickey practice field a lot especially during the spring and fall camps...

[filmerj]

Man I don't know -- they use the outdoor Dickey practice field a lot especially during the spring and fall camps...

Only because they don't have an IPF. Heyooo!

[JKvsHimself]

All I know is that every time I drive down I-35 in downtown Austin, I always pass by Univ. of Texas' indoor practice facility and I get jealous.

Many of my friends are in the Long Horn Band and they always talk about being able to practice in there at all times of the day. So maybe building one would not only benefit the football program.

[JesseMartin]

Isn't Idaho's IPF named for one of those decathletes we saw all over TV about 25 years ago? Dan and D-something (another Dan, or Don, or Doug...)? Or is that the stadium?

[adman]

Isn't Idaho's IPF named for one of those decathletes we saw all over TV about 25 years ago? Dan and D-something (another Dan, or Don, or Doug...)? Or is that the stadium?

Dave

[Christopher Walker]

CW-that must have been a recent move, because the ROTC used to be in one of those halls near the Union...grr which one was it...you go in the door and there are steps down, some hallways and then steps right back up again...? Anyway it's where the Aero Dept. was as well. So they must have been planning for the move, but if they are to be moved again then this might be an option...

They've definitely been off of Fouts for the 4+ years imbedded been here. You sure you're not thinking of a recruiting office or something?

[PlummMeanGreen]

Even our first opponent, Idaho, has one...

For those who may not know, Idaho's "indoor facility" is also their varsity football stadium, ie, the Kibble-Dome. IMO, a very inadequate NCAA FBS level football stadium with goal posts attached to the end zone walls.

Seems the last game the Mean Green played there was televised and was a win.

The Vandals needs to build a real FBS level football stadium (if they plan on staying at this level) next to it and then they'd have an exclusive indoor practice facility, ie, the Kibble-Dome.

I sure do like what Highland Park HS over near SMU has done shown in the YouTube link below. Hey! It was good enough for the Green Bay Packers to practice in when they were in town for the Super Bowl a few years ago. Not too much a fan of the over-hanging and way too visible steel girders, though. Seems H.P. HS did a good job of camouflaging theirs quite effectively with a painted white and very well lighted ceiling. And theirs was only $4.5 million? Wonder what that would cost today?

Highland Park's facility:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3tZwSWETk

Edited July 26, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[UNT Mean Green]

Harry, I believe that I heard somewhere that the indoor facility would go on the plot of land somewhat "behind" the volleyball gym. So on the far south / west part of that campus with volleyball, soccer, basketball practice facility, etc.

[JesseMartin]

They've definitely been off of Fouts for the 4+ years imbedded been here. You sure you're not thinking of a recruiting office or something?

I've been out of state for 5 years and out of grad school for about 8...so it was definitely before you were there, haha. If I had a map of campus with me I could definitely tell you which building it was. Are they in the old police station on top of the hill near Fouts?

[TheColonyEagle]

While we are window shopping for IPF's what about this question...where would we put it??

North of the baseball stadium or south of the academic buildings?

[MeanGreenTexan]

North of the baseball stadium or south of the academic buildings?

UNT doesn't own any of that land. We only own the land that's green.

What are the fields just south of the Dickey practice fields? Or, maybe we can build over one of the Dickey practice fields?

[Side Show Joe]

UNT doesn't own any of that land. We only own the land that's green.

What are the fields just south of the Dickey practice fields? Or, maybe we can build over one of the Dickey practice fields?

I was told those were intermural fields, but I agree that would be a good place. Also the field between the practice fields and the blue lot parking has plenty of space for a IPF.

[Harry]

UNT doesn't own any of that land. We only own the land that's green.

What are the fields just south of the Dickey practice fields? Or, maybe we can build over one of the Dickey practice fields?

The problem with building it over one of the Dickey practice fields is that the structure is much wider and would take away both. We're running out of space. Time to bulldoze Denia!

[UNT 90 Grad]

CW-that must have been a recent move, because the ROTC used to be in one of those halls near the Union...grr which one was it...you go in the door and there are steps down, some hallways and then steps right back up again...? Anyway it's where the Aero Dept. was as well. So they must have been planning for the move, but if they are to be moved again then this might be an option...

I think you were thinking of Kendall Hall. It has since been demolitioned, I believe to make way for the business building.

http://www.cob.unt.edu/businessleadershipbuilding/demolition.php

[JesseMartin]

Yeah, I think you're right. It was kinda between Scoular and Kerr, right? So weird how many old buildings are gone in such a short time. So that got torn down, they're over by Fouts and soon to be relocated again...wonder if they have a plan as to where to move. If not, this might really be something someone should talk to them about...somebody still in the area. Walker?

[GrayEagle]

I believe that it could be built over the west practice field. There should be some room between the current practice field and the windmills for the extra width. The (east) open practice field could then be extended to include a portion of the intramural fields or simply overflow onto the intramural fields if needed.

[Christopher Walker]

Are they in the old police station on top of the hill near Fouts?

They are here:

https://www.google.com/maps?ll=33.207714,-97.157078&spn=0.005269,0.008379&t=m&dg=opt&z=17

North of the baseball stadium or south of the academic buildings?

Neither. Unless the university renegs on their natural gas lease in that area north of the proposed stadium, nothing will be going in there. And there's no space really south of the proposed new student housing.

If an IPF goes in, it would replace one of the Dickey practice fields, and probably the one to the right as to keep away from the wind turbine's easements.

By the way, in general let's stick to the new Master Plan tentatively released this year. rather than the one from eight years ago:

Edited July 28, 2013 by Christopher Walker

[UNT Mean Green]

Isn't that the IPF on the bottom left of the master plan in red? Below the volleyball gym and basketball practice?

[Christopher Walker]

Isn't that the IPF on the bottom left of the master plan in red? Below the volleyball gym and basketball practice?

I'd have to go back and check the MP, but you're probably right. That size would indicate however that it is a fraction-field IPF, and only max maybe 80 yards,

EDIT: The 2013 MP does indeed have this structure labeled an Indoor Fieldhouse Facility and is set for the 10-15 year range.

Edited July 28, 2013 by Christopher Walker

[PlummMeanGreen]

I have no idea how many bells & whistles the IPF featured below has, but it was good enough for an NFL team to use during a Super Bowl week.

Yes, this is a repeat post on Highland Park HS's facility, but one that when UNT starts getting serious about building such that I'd bet our powers that be would be making a trip over near SMU to look at one fine day.

The $4.5 million price tag also makes this IPF in the YouTube video look like a similar steal that outsiders with credentials have said our $78 million price tag became for Apogee Stadium; albeit one alum has since told me that that figure would later be higher than that.

I know marching bands across the NCAA use such faciltiies, so I wonder what kind material would be used to tone down the accoustics in such a facility?

What exactly was that faciltiy the Dallas Cowboys had that a sudden storm cell destroyed one afternoon few years ago? Wasn't that mostly a temporary tent kind of venue?

Speaking of bells & whistles, just what exactly would those be at any IPF?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC3tZwSWETk

Edited July 28, 2013 by PlummMeanGreen

[10Eagle10]

count me in the group of those in favor of an indoor facility before baseball. An indoor facility is a necessary enhancement to the crown jewel of the athletic department.

For those worried about space, the indoor facility doesn't have to be a full field. I have seen a few places where the indoor facility is only, say, 60 yards long. I'm sure it would go perfectly where the west practice field is currently situated. If not, then perhaps we sacrifice a fraction of the the victory hall lots. Maybe we can re-route that parking lot road a little bit to accomodate our new structure.