2002-2005 Athletic Initiatives

[Turbine]

Originally posted by RedBug58
...If UL cannot build a nice indoor facility for well under $10,000,000, someone is not doing their homework

Based on what New Mexico State is doing (LINK) and the buildings you mentioned, I agree 100%

If a $20,000,000 practice facility is not in order -I don't see why it would not be- (if and only then) I would like to see The Swamp coated with Astro Play, NexTurf or some national brand of turf.

While I think the ongoing drainage project will get rid of the water in the endzones, we cannot afford to be without a practice field.

[cajun tom]

Is it true that UL is getting an indoor practice facility?

This would be a fanstatic benefit to the athletic department.

[Zeebart21]

Originally posted by cajun tom
Is it true that UL is getting an indoor practice facility?

This would be a fanstatic benefit to the athletic department.

yes.

Z.

[1stTake]

The state gave the Saints $6 million for their indoor pratice arena. How much will the Cajuns building cost?

[Zeebart21]

Originally posted by Chuck
How much will the Cajuns building cost?

approx. cost 4 million......

Contrary to popular belief, we will not rely on the state to fund this.

We will do it on our own.

Z.

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana Board of Regents'Minutes of April 24, 2003


On motion of Regent Henry, seconded by Regent Brame, the Board voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Facilities and Property Committee to amend its FY 2003-2004 Capital Outlay Recommendation to include $3,602,000 in the Self-Generated Category for the construction of an indoor athletic practice facility at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

On motion of Regent Henry, seconded by Regent D'Aquin, the Board voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Facilities and Property Committee to amend its FY 2003-2004 Capital Outlay Recommendation to include $4,980,000 in the Self-Generated Category for the construction of a new vehicular parking garage at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

On motion of Regent Henry, seconded by Regent Blake, the Board voted unanimously to accept the recommendation of the Facilities and Property Committee to amend its FY 2003-2004 Capital Outlay Recommendation to include $2,930,000 in the Self-Generated Category for construction of a weight room at Bourgeois Hall and athletic fields at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

The source of the story

[Turbine]

There are other aspects to the endeavor; this picture simply addresses one of the proposed locations of the practice field facility. Right in the heart of Cajun Basin.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by the Big Ragoo
I heard they were talking about putting a 4 lane indoor track around the indoor turf field.

That is great news. Gerald Hebert had told me Reinhardt drive would be cut off as a drive through.

Hopefully I can get my hands on a later drawing.

I wonder what the East side access/departure point to football parking will be. I was thinking the Rienhadrt drive at the end zone would be lost not the Reinhardt drive along the sidelines.

[cajun tom]

I think you are being too judgemental on Nelson. He in my opinion has done a great job on the money he has too work with.

[California Cajun]

At one point I swear he called UL the University of Lafayette. This is the athletic director.

I didn't get to hear all of the interview on Bird's Eye View, but I did hear one reference of University of Louisiana at Lafayette by Schexnayder. I'm fairly certain that's what you heard.

Schexnayder has endeared himself to me more recently because he has answered my last three e-mails. Before then it seemed like everything was in one ear and out the other. I still wish we had an AD that had the background of a Terry Don Phillips, but I agree that Schexnayder does a better job than Phillips in hiring people.

I agree with an earlier respondent that Nelson was kind of playing things close to the vest, but I think the reason is that he doesn't know. I don't think anyone knows.

The most interesting thought in the part of the interview I heard was Jay Walker's comment to Schexnayder that he thought that we were migrating toward affiliation with all football schools and away from the schools that don't sponsor it at the 1-A level. It's been my opinion that at least in the Sun Belt that the football playing schools have more fan interest (and support) in the total athletic program as a whole. One comment made to me was that the football-only schools don't have enough baseball and softball teams, so that's easier said than done.

From memory, it seems to me that placing the facility there would not be big enough, and mess up an outdoor practice field. I would assume that the team would practice outside when the weather permitted to acclimate themselves to the heat and humidity.

How about putting the facility behind the student side at Cajun Field? If we have overflow crowds, we have to have shuttle buses to Blackham Coliseum anyway.