Yes. I've seen sketches and some plans.
The Practice facility will be located on the east side of Crisler - jutting out from the east side into the first few rows of the parking lot. It will be connected to Crisler. A couple nice features:
- there will be offices, locker rooms, video, hang out areas, PT/trainer areas, and practice courts for both the men's and women's teams.
- the finishing will be very very nice.
- the coaches believe that this will have a very positive effect on the programs. With the current setup, basketball offices are at Weidenbach hall (on State Street), but practices and trainer stuff is at Crisler. There is no "hang out" area. So the programs are split, with lots of running back and forth. There is no area that they really "own," like Football owns Schembechler hall and the Glick facility.
With the new practice facility, the basketball operation will be all together. Areas for coaches, video, trainers, and practice. It will be their space, and they won't have to share it with the Indian pow-wow or academic events.
- the facility will be integrated with the existing training areas under the east side of Crisler, and there will be an entry tunnel from the facility into Crisler (just to the left of the current visitors bench).
- Crisler renovations are a couple years down the line. They include a covered entry way (including stairs) on northeast corner. Also plans to completely redo the concourses -- bumping them out a few places, putting in an M-Den, and getting rid of the dusky old display cases. Plans (not finalized) to upgrade concessions and retailing.
Other things include new seating, painting the ceiling, new systems, etc. They are considering, but have not settled on putting in a premium seating area.
All in all, it will be a nice upgrade, but nothing like the giant leap forward that we are seeing with the big house project.
Hi everyone. Thanks to Brian for reaching out. I am happy to contribute to the board, and to attempt to answer any questions you have about the financial aspects of the project.
The project is turning out VERY nicely. Lots of investment, but it will have a huge effect on everyone's game day experience -- concourses, crowd flow, bathrooms, concession areas, and of course very nice places for the suit guys.
People don't seem to realize how rare it is for have an athletic department that support itself. And that can pull of projects like this without asking for subsidies from the University (Ohio State) or surcharges on all students (MSU for Breslin).
Some aspects of Bill Martin's tenure are debatable. But anyone who questions his financial acumen is deluded. On that dimension, at least, he's the best in the country.
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