On converting the field house to an IPF...

[ttowncoug]

It might be worth exploring and putting the bubble over the tennis courts. Look at Mizzu's facility.
https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/college-football-indoor-practice-facilities/

The reality is, football is our cash cow. I know the vision was to have it multi-sport. Which is fine, but we don't have the money. Why not throw our capital resources at growing profitable business like most business' do?

 

[dgibbons]

It might be worth exploring and putting the bubble over the tennis courts. Look at Mizzu's facility.
https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/college-football-indoor-practice-facilities/

The reality is, football is our cash cow. I know the vision was to have it multi-sport. Which is fine, but we don't have the money. Why not throw our capital resources at growing profitable business like most business' do?

My recollection is that the plan was/is to move the bubble to the tennis courts.

"Multisport" is easy to accomplish if the structure has proper lighting, HVAC and is tall enough to practice punting.

 

[PeteTheChop]

It might be worth exploring and putting the bubble over the tennis courts.

If I am reading this right, are you suggesting re-locating and re-purposing "The Bubble" elsewhere on campus?

Interesting.

The Bubble's hefty pricetag ($13.7M) and the fact that it remains fairly new (15 years old) makes me hope it will be enjoyed by WSU students for many years to come.

I also hope Sgt. Schulz won't "go cheap" on a new IPF after what Mr. Moos got done with Martin Stadium and the FOB.

 

[PeteTheChop]

My recollection is that the plan was/is to move the bubble to the tennis courts.

DGibbons,

That's great to hear.

I can't remember if it was here, Brand X or Brand Y, but somewhere a few posters stated matter-of-factly that when "The Bubble" was deflated, popped, flattened or whatever, well, that was that.

Whatever the demolition crew left behind would be hauled off to the dump on the back of a couple of flatbed trailers never to be seen again.

But from what you know, will the new IPF go in the same footprint as where The Bubble sits now?

 

[Loyal Coug]

It might be worth exploring and putting the bubble over the tennis courts. Look at Mizzu's facility.
https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/2013/college-football-indoor-practice-facilities/

The reality is, football is our cash cow. I know the vision was to have it multi-sport. Which is fine, but we don't have the money. Why not throw our capital resources at growing profitable business like most business' do?

Nice link, thanks. So tell me how any of those hay sheds look that much different than the Field House. I'm pretty sure the Field House is the tallest of the bunch. and bigger than many. Although poo, I am looking at a Google map and looks like it might not quite be as wide as a FB field.

 

[Observer11]

Quite honestly, I see no viable reason why a school in the south needs an indoor practice facility.

 

[Loyal Coug]

Quite honestly, I see no viable reason why a school in the south needs an indoor practice facility.

Damn, good observation and good point. Hadn't thought about that.

Do USC and UCLA have IPF's?

And really, not that I'm cheap (OK I am), but what do those hay sheds do that the bubble does not?

 

[fingerdisco]

Quite honestly, I see no viable reason why a school in the south needs an indoor practice facility.

What if it rains, or the temperature gets below sixty? How are they supposed to practice in those deplorable conditions?

Ok, kidding aside, 90-plus degree days with 100% humidity makes for dangerous practice conditions, so air conditioned IPFs do make sense during summer/early Fall practices.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Quite honestly, I see no viable reason why a school in the south needs an indoor practice facility.

Damn, good observation and good point. Hadn't thought about that.

Do USC and UCLA have IPF's?

And really, not that I'm cheap (OK I am), but what do those hay sheds do that the bubble does not?

It's not the heat......it's the humidity. I could see a team in the southeast using an IPF on the hottest days of summer. It does get "cold" in parts of the south, even if it's not the same that we get used to in Pullman. An IPF also allows a level of privacy for the coaching staff.

In terms of hay sheds vs bubbles......the bubble gets a little claustrophobic at the edges and it doesn't provide the overall vertical clearance that a traditional IPF does. A good punter could practically punch holes in the roof of the bubble. Plus, you can do more with the aesthetics of a hay shed.

 

[BiggsCoug]

Quite honestly, I see no viable reason why a school in the south needs an indoor practice facility.

To keep up with the Jones'.

 

[dgibbons]

It's not the heat......it's the humidity. I could see a team in the southeast using an IPF on the hottest days of summer. It does get "cold" in parts of the south, even if it's not the same that we get used to in Pullman. An IPF also allows a level of privacy for the coaching staff.

In terms of hay sheds vs bubbles......the bubble gets a little claustrophobic at the edges and it doesn't provide the overall vertical clearance that a traditional IPF does. A good punter could practically punch holes in the roof of the bubble. Plus, you can do more with the aesthetics of a hay shed.

The lighting and HVAC is an issue in bubbles too.

 

[ttowncoug]

I am suggesting scaling back our appetite. I'd bet you could re-fab the field house for about $2-3M. Tops. Look at Mizzu's or the ULL. The field house would be a great location as the players could easily walk over to the facility from the football ops building.

The plan was to re-purpose the bubble and put over tennis courts. Another idea, rip up the turf in the bubble and lay down some tennis courts. You could also separate it so baseball has some space.

The reality is we need to think incrementally on how to get things done. We need to upgrade facilities in football (IPF), baseball and at some point basketball.

We have lost like $750k in basketball revenue annually since we had our run with TB and Klay. A lot of our financial wounds are self inflicted yet we keep complaining we aren't getting more money in the door. This whole situation is analogous to a restaurant owner, who has poor service and crappy food, blaming the customers for being too picky and not support his/her establishment.

 

[BraindeadCoug]

TV coverage is hurting sports attendance across the country and that fact multiplied in remote locations like Pullman.

 

[95coug]

What if it rains, or the temperature gets below sixty? How are they supposed to practice in those deplorable conditions?

Ok, kidding aside, 90-plus degree days with 100% humidity makes for dangerous practice conditions, so air conditioned IPFs do make sense during summer/early Fall practices.

90 degree days in Pullman aren’t typical. 100% humidity days are rare. Both together are pretty much unheard of.

 

[dgibbons]

TV coverage is hurting sports attendance across the country and that fact multiplied in remote locations like Pullman.

I think the TV coverage has really hurt basketball. Attendance is poor even for big opponents now. Back in the way back, Arizona or UCLA would draw a crowd even when WSU stunk.

 

[Loyal Coug]

What if it rains, or the temperature gets below sixty? How are they supposed to practice in those deplorable conditions?

Ok, kidding aside, 90-plus degree days with 100% humidity makes for dangerous practice conditions, so air conditioned IPFs do make sense during summer/early Fall practices.

90 degree days in Pullman aren’t typical. 100% humidity days are rare. Both together are pretty much unheard of.

Pretty sure disco was referring to the teams in the Southeast, not WSU.

For us, I get the need to be indoors when it is totally crappy outside - November and December, and during whatever winter conditioning they do outside of actual practices. And for early season baseball and track.

 

[fingerdisco]

90 degree days in Pullman aren’t typical. 100% humidity days are rare. Both together are pretty much unheard of.

That was in response to the post by Observer11, who was of the opinion that IPF's are necessary in the south. So yes, those conditions are most certainly an issue down in SECville.

 

[longtimecoug]

To keep up with the Jones'.

and impress the donors/alumni

 

[wazzucougs96]

I will never understand why you would want to practice in climate controlled conditions as opposed to the weather you will likely be playing in.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

I will never understand why you would want to practice in climate controlled conditions as opposed to the weather you will likely be playing in.

I think it's important to practice in hot or cold part of the time and certainly in the few days before a game, but if you can keep your players from wearing down over the course of weeks instead of being able to brag about manhood.....you're better off. The NBA is finally starting to realize that even great athletes need a break from the grind or they will wear out.

 

[YakiCoug]

I am suggesting scaling back our appetite. I'd bet you could re-fab the field house for about $2-3M. Tops. Look at Mizzu's or the ULL. The field house would be a great location as the players could easily walk over to the facility from the football ops building.

The plan was to re-purpose the bubble and put over tennis courts. Another idea, rip up the turf in the bubble and lay down some tennis courts. You could also separate it so baseball has some space.

The reality is we need to think incrementally on how to get things done. We need to upgrade facilities in football (IPF), baseball and at some point basketball.

We have lost like $750k in basketball revenue annually since we had our run with TB and Klay. A lot of our financial wounds are self inflicted yet we keep complaining we aren't getting more money in the door. This whole situation is analogous to a restaurant owner, who has poor service and crappy food, blaming the customers for being too picky and not support his/her establishment.

I wonder if they can squeeze a 360-foot by 160-foot football field into a structure that is, what, maybe 130 feet wide? And I think somebody else touched on the footprint for the bubble IPF. I recall that site was picked for a long-term structure. No?

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Wulff had an awesome plan for an IPF, way better than anything Leach could do.

Wulffs IPF was nfl caliber, and although he hasn't had as many IPF ideas as Leach, the ones he did have were way better.

It's science. It's a fact. Even though Leach is good, Wulff was at times even better.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Wulff had an awesome plan for an IPF, way better than anything Leach could do.

Wulffs IPF was nfl caliber, and although he hasn't had as many IPF ideas as Leach, the ones he did have were way better.

It's science. It's a fact. Even though Leach is good, Wulff was at times even better.

I think we should just all agree that it's good that Wulff is gone and let it go at that.

I will say that I'd love to see the field house ripped down and a new IPF put in the same area.........but 100' further east so we can expand our stadium properly.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

I think we should just all agree that it's good that Wulff is gone and let it go at that.

I will say that I'd love to see the field house ripped down and a new IPF put in the same area.........but 100' further east so we can expand our stadium properly.

I am torn on the field house idea, simply because I have so many good memories there.

Also, agree on Wulff, too bad others don't.

 

[PeteTheChop]

The reality is, football is our cash cow. I know the vision was to have it multi-sport. Which is fine, but we don't have the money. Why not throw our capital resources at growing profitable business like most business' do?

Great post T-Town.

Buying out CEK. Remodeling Beasley. Resuming a home-and-home with GU. At the end of the day, what kind of upside do those measures really have?

Building a high-end IPF designated for Football was the kind of all-in maneuver this university got from Bill Moos.

It’s also the kind of thinking that attracts quality recruits and keeps CML in Pullman the next time a program with the deep pockets of Tennessee comes a-callin’ ...

 

[YakiCoug]

Wulff had an awesome plan for an IPF, way better than anything Leach could do.

Wulffs IPF was nfl caliber, and although he hasn't had as many IPF ideas as Leach, the ones he did have were way better.

It's science. It's a fact. Even though Leach is good, Wulff was at times even better.

6 and 40

 

[BraindeadCoug]

I do not think the fieldhouse can be demo’ed or the footprint changed because it has historical status as a building.

Also, if the fieldhouse was expanded to the east and/or an indoor facility built to the east then WSU would need to build a new track and field facility somewhere.

 

[Cougsocal]

I have always said that our substandard IPF is the reason 4 and 5 star recruits have avoided Leach like the plague. If we build it, they will come! Sure, I said the same thing about the FOB, but IPFs, not FOBs are the real recruiting draw, I see that now. And once we add the monorail from the dorms to the football complex, as well as the massive expansion of Pullman International to service widebody jets, then Leach will need a stick to beat off the high end recruits demanding to come to Pullman. Have we talked about the 26/195 Autobahn project yet?