Video on new U-M Lacrosse, Track stadiums, performance center
U-M Athletics YouTube has finally picked up with activity. I think it's a crime that they don't upload their video content to YouTube in terms of highlights and whatnot given the CBS-run MGoBlueTV has become accessible as Area 51.
Interesting video on the new stadiums that will be popping up on the Edwards Bros. site out by the U-M Soccer Stadium. Narrated by Jim Hackett!
This beast will be completed during the 2018-19 athletic season at a cost of $168M.
While that's nearing completion, the beginning stages of the new volleyball/wrestling/gymnastics arena will be coming together. That arena will stand where the U-M Indoor Track Building currently is, which will be demolished when the new venues are ready.
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Still being paved over. Hopefully the the monuments stay where they are and they just put them on an island or something so no one rams into it in the new Ferry Field Parking Lot.
In Endzone, Dave was annoyed that people could freely roam and run the Ferry Field track. He also wanted to restrict the performance center to Michigan athletes only. The regents said no way to the project unless all U-M students could use it. What an ass.
What a shame - its a piece of history.
Up-to-date weight training facility that will no doubt rival Bama and the like!
That's for non revenue sports not football.
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When are they going to replace Oosterban fieldhouse? It looks quite out of place compared to everthing that's in red brick around it.
It's a huge eyesore.
I thought they built Glick fieldhouse to replace Oosterbaan. There's really no need for it anymore, unless the Glick is not big enough to host softball and lacrosse practice.
I've said this a bunch of times, but I don't really think the lacrosse program needs this. And I think this is a symptom of the overall athletics facilities arms race that is taking place among big-time athletic programs that are swimming in cash because they don't have to pay the players...
Michigan is building this because Stephen Ross donated $200 million dollars to the university (100 million to athletics) specficially earmarked for non revenue sports facilities. You're nuts if you think Michigan is going to turn away that kind of gift because "they don't need it." Michigan wants all their student athletes to have and compete in great facilities. The arms race isn't slowing down so no use bitching about it.
Just because you have the money doesn't mean you need to spend it immediately.
Building all these new facilities for sports with next-to-no fan interest is "build it and they will come" syndrome. I love non-revenue sports and all, but they're just that: non-revenue. I'm in favor of a leaner, less-facility-driven Athletics Department, akin to what Northwestern provides. There's no need to have the number of sports and accompanying high-end, big-ticket facilities to go with them when there's simply no interest in most of these sports.
No. What I'm saying is there's no need to build a Taj Mahal when you can build a perfectly good and functional facility that is commensurate with teams' needs as well as the level of fan interest. And work to renovate what you have instead of building new for the sake of building new. Plus finding ways to combine facilities or readapt to your current facilities to cut down on long-term maintenance costs.
Is there a demonstrated need for a dedicated lacrosse stadium? Probably not. Was Ferry Field inadequate for running track meets? It's a track. If it was good enough for Jesse Owens, it should still be good enough for the current team. Locker room upgrades? Absolutely, on board, etc. But the increase in the department's physical plant, paired with the fact that these facilities will all need upkeep, etc., makes it shortsighted in my sight to take a huge donation and see how many perpetually empty seats you can build.
So not winning championships?
Thank God that mentality isn't the one the people running things here have.
In it to win it, baby.
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Facilities never won anyone a championship. The coach did and then facilities were upgraded to keep the program rolling. Building facilities expecting more championships is frankly, kind of dumb.
If we're talking non-revenue sports - NW women's lacrosse won like 5 straight NC's at one point and is always contending for a title (but with that said i don't know what their facilities are like). But, I think facilities can add some value, but aren't vital to a team's success.
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Exactly, and what promising top-flight recruit for ANY sport, revenue or non-revenue, wants to go to school where the facilities say, "Hey we like you, but maybe not as much as we like the other athletes, but you should really come here any way." These kids do have other choices and many of these are also at good academic schools (i.e. Ivys, Stanford, etc.)
But yeah, continue to be ignorant of what NU does. Because women's lacrosse.
Spoken like a true Chicagolander.
Women's lax. Their ONE sport that is a national success yearly. One.
Not a Chicagolander. I just live here temporarily.
But, cool.
Well I guess if its tied to a specific, massive donation, there's nothing they can do right? I mean, they'll have to spend it on what he stipulates I guess. Glad to see the non-revenue sports get some love, but it still doesn't seemlike the best use of such an incredible amount of money.
I'll admit - the lacrosse stadium looks pretty cool. But - its way the hell down State Street, basically on the way out of town. So, I'm not sure it will generate a lot of turnout, especially from the students who are not really close to it. On the other hand, if the program gets good and as the sport grows in popularity, they may find themselves with large numbers of fans, but only 2,000 seats to accomodate them. Maybe they can expand on it but the whole thing seems unnecessary when they have O'baan and the Big House.
(I loved playing in O'baan Fieldhouse and its not a terrible place to watch a game either)
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