New facility?

[Deeringfish]

I have a few questions and I wondered if people have answers or opinions.

1) Did the guys get a good tour during the recruiting weekend? What is finished enough to see?
2) Are there any new pictures of the inside? Wouldn't be good publicity to start showing off aspects that are presentable or at least stageable?

Most important for discussion to me.
3) All the talk is about the impact on recruiting. I get it, but that seems so superficial. It is a state of the art practice facility. Shouldn't we expect to see players progress faster and further? or were the old facilities highly functional and this is all eye candy? How much impact will we see in player and team development? What are the real measurable advantages to this facility beyond recruiting?

 

[NJCat]

Shouldn't we expect to see players progress faster and further?

Having the facility right on campus should make it easier for the players to hit the weight room and eat at the training table, plus make rehab easier. If there was a high activation energy barrier for trekking to Central Street, this should be much lower. Given how much time student-athletes spend on training and school, any time savings should be beneficial.

 

[FloridAlum]

Off-the-cuff, every comment I have seen regarding the facility from a current player or a recruit says that this facility will be outstanding and a game changer. Every comment I have seen from an outside guru like the folks at ESPN or the Big Ten network say that the new facility will be outstanding and a game changer. I’m sold.

 

[NJCat]

Every comment I have seen from an outside guru like the folks at ESPN or the Big Ten network say that the new facility will be outstanding and a game changer. I’m sold.

I would take every comment from ESPN or BTN with a grain of salt......

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

I have a few questions and I wondered if people have answers or opinions.

1) Did the guys get a good tour during the recruiting weekend? What is finished enough to see?
2) Are there any new pictures of the inside? Wouldn't be good publicity to start showing off aspects that are presentable or at least stageable?

Most important for discussion to me.
3) All the talk is about the impact on recruiting. I get it, but that seems so superficial. It is a state of the art practice facility. Shouldn't we expect to see players progress faster and further? or were the old facilities highly functional and this is all eye candy? How much impact will we see in player and team development? What are the real measurable advantages to this facility beyond recruiting?

1) Would assume so.

2) There’s probably a planned announcement/rollout once it’s completed.

3) It’s a big BIG deal for recruiting.

 

[NUCat320]

3) It’s a big BIG deal for recruiting.

Should we infer, based on your specific response to the totality of OP's comments, that you do not think that the more convenient, more impressive practice facilities will result in improved player development, strength and conditioning, etc., etc.? Or do you think that's just significantly less important than the impact on recruiting?

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

Should we infer, based on your specific response to the totality of OP's comments, that you do not think that the more convenient, more impressive practice facilities will result in improved player development, strength and conditioning, etc., etc.? Or do you think that's just significantly less important than the impact on recruiting?

It should help some with player development, but a ton for recruiting.

 

[hdhntr1]

1) Would assume so.

2) There’s probably a planned announcement/rollout once it’s completed.

3) It’s a big BIG deal for recruiting.

Has it had much of an impact to date? I ask this as this recruiting class is the first that will have access to it all four or 5 years on campus so I would expect it to have and yet even with it and success on the field over the last several years, staff stability, and the building's imminent completion and the like and yet this years class is ranked at the bottom of the BIG. (Yes, I know recruiting rankings tend to not be the most accurate. Still ...)

 

[Gocatsgo2003]

Has it had much of an impact to date? I ask this as this recruiting class is the first that will have access to it all four or 5 years on campus so I would expect it to have and yet even with it and success on the field over the last several years, staff stability, and the building's imminent completion and the like and yet this years class is ranked at the bottom of the BIG. (Yes, I know recruiting rankings tend to not be the most accurate. Still ...)

Probably a bit, but will be a completely different situation when the facility is up and running rather than a promise on paper.

And I could give two craps about the ranking. We have good players coming in.

 

[AnnArborCatfan]

Agree - looking at the average star ratings, we're closer to the middle of the B1G and that doesn't include that we have lots of experienced older kids playing because we don't lose people early, have people flunk out, have lots of transfers, etc.

 

[cat inkansas]

Probably a bit, but will be a completely different situation when the facility is up and running rather than a promise on paper.

And I could give two craps about the ranking. We have good players coming in.

Like everyone else, I would love to have more 4 stars and occasionally a 5 star. And I think it will come. Meanwhile, I am heartened by the fact that for the last few years our classes have filled up fairly early. To me, this means we are getting commitments from the players we target fairly quickly. So though "only" 2 or 3 stars, we are getting the players the coaches have identified as being among the best available to help our program.

And I think the new facility plays some role here. Thinking virtually all of our 2018 class would have been more heavily recruited if they had not been sold on NU early on .

 

[CSCatFan1]

It sounds like the new facility should be ready for summer/Pre-season practice.

 

[scru]

Has it had much of an impact to date? I ask this as this recruiting class is the first that will have access to it all four or 5 years on campus so I would expect it to have and yet even with it and success on the field over the last several years, staff stability, and the building's imminent completion and the like and yet this years class is ranked at the bottom of the BIG. (Yes, I know recruiting rankings tend to not be the most accurate. Still ...)

it will make a much more meaningful impact when recruits can walk thru it, full of people, a buzz with energy of the NU student-athlete experience. It is asking a lot of a 17/18 yr old to have the full vision to imagine what it can be based on renderings.

 

[Fanaticat98]

it will make a much more meaningful impact when recruits can walk thru it, full of people, a buzz with energy of the NU student-athlete experience. It is asking a lot of a 17/18 yr old to have the full vision to imagine what it can be based on renderings.

Most of the class filled up many months ago before you could even really see what the finished product would look like, or if it would be done on time.

 

[scru]

Most of the class filled up many months ago before you could even really see what the finished product would look like, or if it would be done on time.

Exactly! Expect even better returns in recruiting once it is up and running, alive as the centerpiece of the NU student-athlete experience. It's not just the FB team, but all the athletes, young men and women, having this place to share. Really cool!