A tasty tidbit nestled amongst other news in the Post's wrap-up of Randy Edsall's Tuesday press conference was the probable impending construction of an indoor football practice facility:
- Edsall said he expects to have an indoor practice facility, perhaps as early as 2012. But he said no decisions have been made on location or specifics. The facility "will benefit all athletic teams and the student body," said Edsall, who added that intramurals could be played inside the facility during evenings.
It sounds like it won't be football-specific, which is a bit of a disappointment, but ultimately it's more economical and efficient. Many - probably most, in fact - of the programs in the conference have some kind of indoor practice facility, which has purposes both practical and in recruiting. Florida State has the only football-only one at the moment, while Clemson, Georgia Tech and Duke - yes, Duke - all have a football-only facility in the building stages.
I'm guessing everyone knows that it can get pretty cold in College Park in November and December. Y'know, like, it can snow, and stuff. Getting an indoor facility for days like this, or for rainy weeks, would be a pretty big help: it would avoid extra injury risk, plus make sure that the flow of practice doesn't get interrupted by any inclement weather.
It's also a boon in recruiting, mostly because it's another shiny new toy to show shiny new recruits. Just make sure that the "athletic teams and student body" are all cleared out when they're showing Jalen Tabor around.
But more important than any of that, it has the same effect on me that the Gary Crowton hire did: it shows that the administration is supporting the program. This is a show of goodwill and backing from Kevin Anderson (and probably Kevin Plank, too), a sign that they'll dedicate more funds and resources to the program. That can only be a good thing.