[Stevev]

It is really nice to know that. After looking at JMU's media guide it seems very nice but LU's could be quite a bit bigger since we have 3 floors to their 2. You are right about it being a great recruiting tool. Top notch recruits look for that kind of stuff these days. Hopefully it would attract better teams to come play here.

[Sly Fox]

Here is a link to pics of JMU's setup that opened recently:

http://www.jmusports.com/BFS/APC%20Tour/Default.asp

[Chris Lang]

Look at Gardner-Webb's new facility too. Top notch place. I was stunned by how nice it was when I went down there last October.

[Stevev]

Thank you both for the info. Nice pictures of JMU's place. I will have to check out GW's too.

[Libertine]

To be honest, I was kind of surprised w/ G-W's facility. I'll admit that, on the outside, it's beautiful and it would look really nice to a recruit but there are some parts of the facility that make no functional sense. If I actually had to work in that building I'd be pulling my hair out. Here's hoping LU doesn't make the same mistakes.

[LU'sbestmanger]

JMU's was very nice. i really like the locker room, and the luxury box sort of view. if we can do better than that, it would great

[D Edcil]

Imagine that, no firm "final" plan. This is typical LU and why I doubt its D1A ability (defer criticism to appropriate thread)
1. A Sprint track but no indoor practice facility? Why not shell out the couple of 10k's it would take and put in an indoor practice facility? I am thinking you could also use it as a "Sprint Track". There are not many, if any D1A programs w/OUT an indoor practice facility.
2. It started with two new practice fields and now we have..............ZERO. Someone is not following the master plan.
3. I would guarantee the thought process is to tear this building down if/when we have to expand the stadium for our exhalted D1A entrance!
4. Why have ONE incredibly large locker room and then divide it up? If you have the space, and a few extra minutes, I am sure you could put into place a plan to erect non load bearing walls and have 2 or 3 SEPERATE locker rooms. In keeping with LCA's desire to be an "Oak Hill" of the East, wouldn't a SEPERATE locker room be a good recruiting tool? Or how is it going to sound "Here is a really big locker room that we share with the other team?" to new recruits? I am sure we can sell it by why should we have to?
This is what frustrates me the most!!! This type of half patooty effort to have something that COULD be great! I have more complaints (What happened to the addition of a new press box and the switching of the current to "luxury boxes") but I would risk carpal tunnel and have to call PA MED

[SuperJon]

If the indoor field is 40-50 yards then you could logically use it for an indoor practice to do walk throughs, 7 on 7, or even practice running plays. The scrimmage the other night only used 30 or so yards total.

[TallyW]

I took that to mean that there were a few strips that ran 40-50 yards long... not that they have 30 yards deep by 50 wide... I may be wrong.

D Edcil... I was under the impression from the previous post about the divided locker room that it WAS split between the two with non-load baring walls. It sounds like they did exactly what you'd want them to do.

Practice fields aren't that big of a deal. They can be put most anywhere there is room. It's not too big of a deal that there is now a road connecting the campus when the "master plan" did not include a tiny building formerly known as Ericson.

Your third point isn't really a point as much as it is unfounded, (and highly unlikely) unsubstantiated babble.


Here we go with another person ripping the University for nothing but to say that they can.

[Stevev]

As far as the indoor practice facility is concerned I think at this point it would be an overkill. The weather in Lynchburg is not bad enough to substatiate a full blown indoor practice field. I would think that it cost some serious bucks and since we are still 1A right now it wouldn't be necessary. We should all be somewhat thankful for what the university is attempting to do this year with the operations center and the field turf.

[SuperJon]

The new ops center and field turf is becoming the standard for I-AA. Look at App, Western, JMU, etc. They all have things like this or are in the process of getting them.

[Baldspot]

The original architectural drawings for our stadium had phase II: open end of the stadium to be closed in a horse shoe and then phase III: add an upper deck on the side. I saw the drawings but that was so many years ago I'm sure the plans have been changed several times. Last time I was on campus the football practice field was behind Hancock? Guess I'm dating myself.

One of the nice things about the school, nothing ever stays the same.

[D Edcil]

Well my eye sight isn't what it used to be. The discussion regarding the locker rooms involved the CURRENT locker room, not the NEW one. I stand/sit/slouch corrected
As for the other posts, I don't feel I am off the mark. The practice fields still are over by Hancock etc and can get pretty nasty. As for whether the weather (How is THAT for spelling genius!) is a factor, look at all the D1 schools that have an indoor practice facility. FSU, U of F and Miami have pretty nice weather, yet have the indoor practice facility. So do the west coast schools. It is a nice recruiting piece, and if we are doing this thing why not do it right? What a HUGE advantage it would be to have this nice indoor facility when very few other 1AA programs do. Plus with our D1A aspiriations, it would ALREADY BE IN PLACE. Planning Planning Planning!!
I am VERY thankful, and even SHOCKED that we are going to the new Turf. Very SMART move. I will give credit where credit is due.
TALLY I am not ripping the university "just because I can". I am pointing out that it looks like another case of "here we go again". Why should we "just be grateful" (STEVEV) for what the university is doing? Why do I get criticized (not that I mind!) for DEMANDING excellence?? I don't just want to say, "Oh the practice fields can go wherever there is room" b/c that is the problem we have now! I would like to see somet hought into drainage, proximity etc to the facility we have. Is that so "evil"? I am not ripping, just asking!! Now if you want me to rip............

[SuperJon]

I agree with you on every single point you just made but of course it'll be seen as ripping the school.

[LU'sbestmanger]

is there supposed to be a luxury box?

[Stevev]

According to last year's media guide there is one planned for the second floor of the new building. Not sure how big it is going to be. I guess there is a lot I don't know as far as details are concerned. Just not a lot of information out there on LU's web site. I have a question. What are they going to do to the current training area (on the other side of the current LU locker room in the current field house? If they are going to divide up the current home team locker room to form the visiting team locker and LCA, by question is what will go in training room when the new building is complete. I thought that it would be for LCA.

As far as the talked about indoor practice area is concerned how much would something like that cost. It is something we could add on some time in the future when we make the big jump. We need to take this thing one step at a time and not get too carried away.

[PAmedic]

Random thought: any chance the old turf can be transferred over to the practice field when they put down the FieldTurf? maybe too much prep work necessary to make it cost-effective.

I'd think that would really help out conditions- that thing used to get the SNOT beat outta it.

[Stevev]

I would think that the thing to do would be to have 2 practice fields. One grass and the other the old turf. The question is where?

Getting back to the indoor practice area thing that D Edcil brought up. My question to you is this: Does Virginia Tech or UVA have an indoor practice area. I have been on VA Tech's campus 2 years ago and did not know that they have one nor have seen one. I could be wrong though. As far as the Florida 1A schools having one is due to fact that it is so ungodly hot there in the summer/ early fall that they would need one for the players to get out of the sun and humidity. Just a thought.

[D Edcil]

I would think that the thing to do would be to have 2 practice fields. One grass and the other the old turf. The question is where?

Getting back to the indoor practice area thing that D Edcil brought up. My question to you is this: Does Virginia Tech or UVA have an indoor practice area. I have been on VA Tech's campus 2 years ago and did not know that they have one nor have seen one. I could be wrong though. As far as the Florida 1A schools having one is due to fact that it is so ungodly hot there in the summer/ early fall that they would need one for the players to get out of the sun and humidity. Just a thought.

Here is a link for the indoor plans for VA TECH. Not sure about UVA, but I didn't have the grades to care!
http://www.hokiesports.com/football/MG2 ... lities.pdf

Doesn't the fact that NO ONE knows where the practice fields are going to be concern you? It raises a red flag with me. I would agree with you one artificial turf field and one natural grass field would be clutch. But right now, there appears no plan for a practice field. Where they are at now it pitiful and will only get worse
As for an indoor facility, I do know that DUKE (Of all programs) has an indoor facility that is VERY nice. They are only a few hours south of us, so I think your weather argument may not be "holding water"

[SuperJon]

Touche'

[bigsmooth]

UVA's plans are to build an indoor facility where university hall is now, after the new JPJ Arena opens. VT uses rector field house now. i think indoor facilities are great and the weather does get bad enough to warrant them, plus another great recruiting tool.

[Sly Fox]

They are not as great of a recruiting tool these days as they were five years ago before seemingly everyone had them. But in all honesty, they are a luxury more than a necessity for a program like ours.

[bigsmooth]

for a I-AA program it is huge!

[SuperJon]

We'll be I-A in 2 and a half years though...

[Brokeback Flamer]

We'll be I-A in 2 and a half years though...

I know SJ where is everyone's FAITH in the future? How can they look at the PAST and not see where we will BE?? The fighing Irish will play here before the decade is out!!!
Seriously, if those D1A'ers are making the point that the groundwork is being laid for the big jump, wouldn't this be a good place to start? I am sure A L would put another 0 on the check to make it happen!! Where is DE when I need him!