Lakeside facility

[catsattackfor3]

In all honesty how much of a difference would it have been to put a practice gym, locker room and a few offices for men's and women's basketball in the new lakeside facility that is being dedicated today? Seems like such a waste that all the sports are going to be able to use that facility but not the basketball programs. We all know WR needs a major overhaul and it will be light years from now before that happens but a nice practice gym on campus would of been a "game-changer for our fine young men and women of Chicago's B1G team!"

 

[DocCatsFan]

In all honesty how much of a difference would it have been to put a practice gym, locker room and a few offices for men's and women's basketball in the new lakeside facility that is being dedicated today? Seems like such a waste that all the sports are going to be able to use that facility but not the basketball programs. We all know WR needs a major overhaul and it will be light years from now before that happens but a nice practice gym on campus would of been a "game-changer for our fine young men and women of Chicago's B1G team!"

You're talking a huge difference in terms of the footprint of the place as well as cost. Absolutely huge. There is a reason that no major program that I am aware of shares this kind of space for its top revenue sports programs.

 

[Gladeskat]

You're talking a huge difference in terms of the footprint of the place as well as cost. Absolutely huge. There is a reason that no major program that I am aware of shares this kind of space for its top revenue sports programs.

I'm not sure of what you're saying here. My understanding is that aspects of the Lakeside facility such as the indoor field will be shared with other teams and the general student body. I suspect that only the locker room, weight room, and coaches' offices will be restricted to only NU athletic teams.

I thought NU had weight rooms and basketball courts for general student use in SPAC. If so, the basketball team could reserve court time at SPAC and use the training facilities at the Lakeside facility.

 

[catsattackfor3]

You're talking a huge difference in terms of the footprint of the place as well as cost. Absolutely huge. There is a reason that no major program that I am aware of shares this kind of space for its top revenue sports programs.

The lakeside facility is to be used by numerous sports...it is not just for football. there are quite a few complexes that have the basketball practice facility next to the football indoor facility or housed together under one roof. Michigan's new hoops facility is attached to the indoor football facility

 

[catsattackfor3]

I'm not sure of what you're saying here. My understanding is that aspects of the Lakeside facility such as the indoor field will be shared with other teams and the general student body. I suspect that only the locker room, weight room, and coaches' offices will be restricted to only NU athletic teams.

I thought NU had weight rooms and basketball courts for general student use in SPAC. If so, the basketball team could reserve court time at SPAC and use the training facilities at the Lakeside facility.

what I am saying is it would be nice to have the basketball offices right there on campus and have a practice court attached to the new facility. There are going to meeting rooms, auditorium, training facilities, weight rooms like you said. Difference is that basketball will remain on Central street for its day to day operation. All other sports are going to have practice facilities / fields on the lakefront. The only exception will be basketball which will remain at Welsh Ryan.

 

[Gladeskat]

what I am saying is it would be nice to have the basketball offices right there on campus and have a practice court attached to the new facility. There are going to meeting rooms, auditorium, training facilities, weight rooms like you said. Difference is that basketball will remain on Central street for its day to day operation. All other sports are going to have practice facilities / fields on the lakefront. The only exception will be basketball which will remain at Welsh Ryan.

I understand what you're saying. I'm referring to DCF's comments. I can envision the team having practices at SPAC (or Patten Gym) a few times a week, while keeping offices over at W-R. The key thing as I see it is that training facilities will be available at the Lakeside facility and can enable on campus practices. I don't know if we'd have the space or $$$ to build a separate on-campus basketball facility for NU men's and women's basketball right now.

 

[DocCatsFan]

I understand what you're saying. I'm referring to DCF's comments. I can envision the team having practices at SPAC (or Patten Gym) a few times a week, while keeping offices over at W-R. The key thing as I see it is that training facilities will be available at the Lakeside facility and can enable on campus practices. I don't know if we'd have the space or $$$ to build a separate on-campus basketball facility for NU men's and women's basketball right now.

Here's what I know-- and much of this is based on a discussion I had with one of the ADs last Saturday. The teams (basketball men's and women and volleyball) do NOT use SPAC and there are no plans to change that. There simply is not space or time available for them to used this facility as well as the general student body. It is not on the table. With respect to $$, you are correct. But my understanding is that after the new facility is built and funded basketball will be next but I think it's not gonna be on campus but rather where the current facilities are (WR and Trienens Hall)

 

[NJCat83588]

All other sports are going to have practice facilities / fields on the lakefront. The only exception will be basketball which will remain at Welsh Ryan.

I think Volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball and wrestling all will remain at Central Street..........

 

[Gladeskat]

I think Volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball and wrestling all will remain at Central Street..........

Those sports (except the superheavyweights) might benefit from the one-mile walk to W-R.

/s

 

[NJCat83588]

Those sports (except the superheavyweights) might benefit from the one-mile walk to W-R.

/s

Ain't many student-athletes walkin' 1.1 miles to Central Street............

 

[Gladeskat]

Ain't many student-athletes walkin' 1.1 miles to Central Street............

I used to have to run it when I was late for practice. I should have had a beater bicycle back then.

 

[NJCat83588]

I used to have to run it when I was late for practice. I should have had a beater bicycle back then.

Yeah, back in the day I had to hoof it for cross country practice. But nowadays kids all got cars. Ain't many kids ridin' beater bikes.....

FWIW, I had not one but two bikes stolen from Hinman House. I even had a Kryptonite lock on one of them.

 

[Gladeskat]

Yeah, back in the day I had to hoof it for cross country practice. But nowadays kids all got cars. Ain't many kids ridin' beater bikes.....

FWIW, I had not one but two bikes stolen from Hinman House. I even had a Kryptonite lock on one of them.

I read somewhere that bike theft back in our day was an organized crime activity. Maybe it still is. Lackeys used to steal any bike they could find and then haul them far away for resale. They used to steal entire bike racks full of bikes in Wheaton. I had three bikes stolen as a kid. The last bike was stolen out of a friends back yard.

 

[hdhntr1]

I understand what you're saying. I'm referring to DCF's comments. I can envision the team having practices at SPAC (or Patten Gym) a few times a week, while keeping offices over at W-R. The key thing as I see it is that training facilities will be available at the Lakeside facility and can enable on campus practices. I don't know if we'd have the space or $$$ to build a separate on-campus basketball facility for NU men's and women's basketball right now.

The lakeside is precious space and we probably are just not in a position to use space for BB as well. Really strange about how much people complain about 1.1 miles. Most state school campuses the players would be going further than that anyway. And it is one thing for 100 players to do the treck and another for 10-15. Having the space for themselves as well as a quality weight room will be pretty signifcant. And when the indoor practice facility is freed up it or its replacement will improve the situation dramatically.

 

[willycat]

I think Volleyball, men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball and wrestling all will remain at Central Street..........

I find it odd that the new facility is going to be available to the general student body over the kids who play basketball, volleyball for NU. Don't the students have SPAC and Patton available? Maybe if they need more space they could make the mile plus trek to the facilities on Central, which might help them get used to attending the football games. Just think that the major contributors for the new facility did so to benefit the NU Athletic Programs. Of course it was always known that graduation ceremony's and the "Dance Marathon" could be held there, which I guess is fine.

 

[Katatonic]

Yeah, back in the day I had to hoof it for cross country practice. But nowadays kids all got cars. Ain't many kids ridin' beater bikes.....

FWIW, I had not one but two bikes stolen from Hinman House. I even had a Kryptonite lock on one of them.

LOL! You lived in that dump as well?

And if a player doesn't have a car, he/she usually has several buddies who do.

I find it odd that the new facility is going to be available to the general student body over the kids who play basketball, volleyball for NU.

A new $260 million facility in prime lakefront RE was not going to be entirely palatable unless it had some benefits to the general student body.

And while I, too, thought it would have been nice if BB got their everyday facilities on the lakefront, would have increased the already heft cost even further (and really, the footprint is probably as big as it can be as the lakefront is getting awfully crowded) and someone has to make use of the facilities that FB will be departing.

 

[Alaskawildkat]

LOL! You lived in that dump as well?

And if a player doesn't have a car, he/she usually has several buddies who do.




A new $260 million facility in prime lakefront RE was not going to be entirely palatable unless it had some benefits to the general student body.

And while I, too, thought it would have been nice if BB got their everyday facilities on the lakefront, would have increased the already heft cost even further (and really, the footprint is probably as big as it can be as the lakefront is getting awfully crowded) and someone has to make use of the facilities that FB will be departing.

When I saw the title of the thread over on the Football Board about protests disrupting the facilities event Friday I assumed the protests were in fact about "the footprint."

 

[NJCat83588]

LOL! You lived in that dump as well?

Yep, it was a dump. But I had a single for 2 years, first on the 4th floor next to the window for the sunroof between CCS and then on the 2nd between Lundgren and Hinman. That was a great room, almost as large as a double and with some privacy. Great for parties!

 

[spartcat]

Now that we're entirely off topic, I couldn't help thinking of Joe Tiller's "Basketball on Grass". If our hoops teams really want access to the lakeside facility....

 

[JoeWildcat]

I used to have to run it when I was late for practice. I should have had a beater bicycle back then.

Me too. Used to have to run from Tech over to the baseball field after class/labs. Then we'd often stay too late at practice to catch the last shuttle back to campus and have to run back in time for dinner.

 

[docrugby1]

I did the baseball trot to Central Ave but never got back in time for dinner- Sanche or Gulliver's had to do