Come on everyone. It's windy in Lubbock and the weather is weird!
Imagine what our recruiting would look like if our football team had an indoor practice facility.
Imagine what our record would be if we had one.
We are one of only two Big 12 schools without an indoor practice facility.
Some of you skeptics out there might be asking, "if we build something that everyone else already has, how is that an advantage?"
That, my friend, might sound logical, but it is the wrong question to be asking.
Use your imagination!!
Let me see if I can help.
Imagine you're a highly sought after recruit. Put yourself in their shoes.
Now let's take a walk. . .
Baylor
Allison Indoor Practice Facility
Year Built: 2009
Size: 110,000 square feet
Cost: $12.1 million
Length of football field: 80 yards
via static.businessreviewonline.com
Mind of Recruit: Wow, that looks kinda church-like. I wonder why they put windows behind the goal posts?
Iowa State
Bergstrom Indoor Practice Facility
Year Built: 2004
Size: 92,000 square feet
Cost: $10 million
Length: Full length
via www.rdgusa.com
Mind of Recruit: Am I still in Ames?
University of Texas
"The Bubble"
Year Built: 2002
Size: 71,000 square feet
Cost: $4 million
Length of Field: ?
via grfx.cstv.com
Mind of Recruit: Texas!!
Texas A&M
McFerrin Athletic Center
Year Built:
Size: 75,000 square feet
Cost: $9 million
Length: Full football field
via grfx.cstv.com
Mind of Recruit: Not much sideline space. No wonder they're called Aggies.
Oklahoma
Everest Indoor Training Center
Year Built: 2002
Size: 74,000 square feet
Cost: $9 million
Length: Full Size Football Field
via rugbyou.files.wordpress.com
Mind of Recruit: I am but an insignificant little flea in the universe of OU football.
Oklahoma State
Sherman E. Smith Training Center
Construction on hold. Mr Smith passed away in 2011.
Mind of Recruit: So you guys spent all the money on a stadium people use 6 times a year, but no $$ for a practice facility we'd use 365 days a year?
Kansas
Anschutz Pavilion
Year Built: 1999
Size: 40,000 square feet
Cost: ?
Length of Field: ?/ Multiuse facility
via insite.sportsdirectory.org
Mind of recruit: Wow what a nice facility! Kansas must be really good at football!
Kansas State
Year Built: 1999
Size: 94,000 square feet
Cost
Length of field: "Largest in the nation"/ Multiuse facility
via grfx.cstv.com
Mind of Recruit: Largest indoor football facility in the country? Manhattan? Kansas? Do I look like I was born yesterday?
Missouri
Daniel J Devine
Year Built: 1998
Size: 40,000 square feet
Cost: $12 million
Length of Turf: 90 yards (multi use)
Mind of Recruit: He's at the . . . 50!. . . the . . . 40! . . the . . . uh, wall?
West Virginia
Caperton Indoor Practice Facility
Year Built: 1998
Size: 75,000 square feet
Cost: $9 million
Length of Field: 90 yards, Multiuse facility
Mind of recruit: No windows AND no airport? Morgantown has so much going for it.
TCU
Sam Baugh Indoor Practice Facility and Cox Field
Year Built: 1998
Size: 80,000 square feet
$7 million
Length of field: 80 yards/ multi use
Mind of recruit: Dude, I must be hallucinating. There's, like, no goal posts in here. Heh heh. Heh heh. Duude.
And what about the Athletic Training Center (a.k.a. The bubble)?
Described as alternately "venerable" by the Texas Tech Athletics Website and "spacious" by the Official Handbook, the Athletic Training Center originally built in 1986, "contains over 3 million cubic feet of space, making it the largest full-circle membrane structure in the world for use by people including a 60 yard football. "
Technically the ATC ought to be the largest indoor training center in the "world."
Unfortunately, the football turf size is too small relative to those of other schools.
(Tech has also run practice at the indoor practice facility at Frenship High School" a $7 million, 60,000 square foot with a 55 yard football turf that was financed with municipal bonds.)
Mind of recruit: Wait, are those tennis courts? What is this? TCU?
Conclusion
You see. It all comes down to what the recruits think.
If a recruit is good, and he wants to win championships, and he wants to play right away, and he wants to be successful in academics, he can go anywhere.
Throw an indoor practice facility in the mix, and it's a whole 'nother ball game.
Build it and they will come.
$10 million.
Come on Red Raiders!!
Do it!!