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ESPN Insider - Texas A&M tops Alabama -- for SEC's best facilities
By Travis Haney
As a part of our recent Power 5 job rankings, we considered myriad factors -- including internal support, which manifests itself in a program’s facilities. This week, we’ll take a look at the best and worst facilities in major college football.
We’ll begin with the best:
ACC
Clemson
The conference, rooted in its hoops history, lagged in the football facilities arms race. Clemson became the lead program pushing forward, notably with its West Zone club addition in the mid-2000s. That area has already seen additions and upgrades in the past year or two, including a new, high-tech-looking entryway called “the Oculus.” It’s admittedly gaudy for Clemson, people on the staff say, but it says something about how the program is progressing.
The Tigers added an indoor facility a couple of seasons back. At least in football, they continue to set the standard that others in the ACC are chasing. Clemson’s hoops home, Littlejohn Coliseum, is in the middle of a $63.5 million project to get it in line with the rest of the league.
Honorable mention: Florida State
FSU got more serious about facilities upgrades in the past few years. It added an indoor practice structure and has redone various parts of Doak Campbell Stadium, which also houses the day-to-day football HQ. Administrators continue to look to improve the stadium area, but it’s tricky because it is landlocked by busy roads and campus.
BIG TEN
Ohio State
The Woody Hayes Center, the program’s hub, was well ahead of the curve when it was built in 1987, and it has seen a number of upgrades over the years. The Jim Tressel-era changes in the mid-2000s were profound.
Urban Meyer’s arrival in 2012 has ushered in additional change, and a bulk of the improvements has centered on OSU’s achievement. That includes the 2014 national title and an elaborate focus -- more than many peers -- on the Buckeyes in the NFL. The facility is highly functional; you do not even have to go outside to reach the indoor practice area.
The Horseshoe is a venerable, old college football cathedral, but it’s been kept up to date. The most recent rounds of renovations, in 2014, included better lighting and a flashy new entrance for players.
Honorable mention: Michigan
The program’s indoor facility, with adjacent football offices and support areas, is outstanding. It opened in 2009. The Big House, up the street, is regarded as a landmark in the sport, and it has seen additions and renovations to bring it into this millennium.
Second-year coach Jim Harbaugh is working with administrators to start improving the program’s weight room and other infrastructure. Something tells us he’ll get what he wants.
BIG 12
Oklahoma
In this exercise, facilities evaluations are based on current conditions and structures. That’s difficult to do in Oklahoma’s case because it’s in the midst of a $370-million project that will distance it from anyone in the conference. (The Sooners’ facilities were already near the top of the league, for what that’s worth.)
In particular, the south end zone is seeing the most work. It will be fully enclosed, making Memorial Stadium a continuous bowl. That same end of the stadium has also housed the football building, so that support structure will be entirely redone. After a delay of several months, with rumors circulating that dipping oil prices could quash or alter the project, OU moved forward with its plans. The project is expected to be complete in time for the 2016 season.
Honorable mention: Texas
In a true sign of the times, Texas -- which has a highly functional, modern-looking setup -- is already looking to redo its facilities over the course of the next decade. The aforementioned project at rival Oklahoma, as well as one recently completed at Texas A&M, surely have provided urgency for the Longhorns.
But make no mistake that UT’s current setup is among the top 10 or 15 in the country. That isn’t good enough for the school’s brass; the back seat is no place for a Longhorn, they reason. It’s the Ricky Bobby theorem: If you ain’t first, you’re last.
PAC-12
Oregon
Quite possibly, Oregon’s three-year-old facility is the most talked-about football building in the sport’s history. After visiting campus last summer, the so-called “Death Star” absolutely lives up to the legend -- but not always in a positive way.
At times, the building is a bit overwhelming, looking more like something from a Tom Cruise flick set in the year 2070 than the present-day home of a college football team. The 145,000-square-foot structure is often dark, and it’s always elaborate. Parts of it appear designed not by Nike’s Phil Knight but by a Storm Trooper.
And parts are not all that functional. The locker room is located on a higher floor of the building, and it isn’t terribly close to the weight room or practice fields. Really, though, it’s a small complaint when you’re surrounded by cutting-edge amenities.
Honorable mention: USC
The jewel is the 2-year-old McKay Center, a comfortable home for Trojans athletics (not just football). There’s a patio between McKay and Heritage Hall where athletes congregate, many of them studying and eating in the California sunshine.
The Coliseum is due for some work; outgoing AD Pat Haden is shifting into a role to get that project going.
SEC
Texas A&M
Kyle Field desperately needed to be brought into the 21st century. The school did that, and then some. At a time in which dollars are not always readily accessible, A&M pumped $450 million into a total redo of the stadium, even going so far as to shift the press box from one side to the other.
The reconstructed football building is connected to the stadium’s south end zone, providing one of the country’s most functional setups for players. A&M’s football facilities caught up 30 or 40 years in the past two years. When we first saw the stadium in 2012, it was embarrassing. There were eyesores no one should have ever seen. That’s no longer the case; the areas behind the curtain are just as pleasing as what’s seen on a telecast.
Honorable mention: Alabama
Since Nick Saban came on board in 2007, Bryant-Denny Stadium has seen significant upgrades and the program’s football building has been made over entirely.
The 37,000-square-foot weight room, which came with a $9-million price tag, is a spectacle. Until A&M’s Texas-sized project, Bama had set the standard for SEC facilities. You’d better believe the Tide will keep pushing forward, too, especially as long as Saban is around.
By Travis Haney
As a part of our recent Power 5 job rankings, we considered myriad factors -- including internal support, which manifests itself in a program’s facilities. This week, we’ll take a look at the best and worst facilities in major college football.
We’ll begin with the best:
ACC
Clemson
The conference, rooted in its hoops history, lagged in the football facilities arms race. Clemson became the lead program pushing forward, notably with its West Zone club addition in the mid-2000s. That area has already seen additions and upgrades in the past year or two, including a new, high-tech-looking entryway called “the Oculus.” It’s admittedly gaudy for Clemson, people on the staff say, but it says something about how the program is progressing.
The Tigers added an indoor facility a couple of seasons back. At least in football, they continue to set the standard that others in the ACC are chasing. Clemson’s hoops home, Littlejohn Coliseum, is in the middle of a $63.5 million project to get it in line with the rest of the league.
Honorable mention: Florida State
FSU got more serious about facilities upgrades in the past few years. It added an indoor practice structure and has redone various parts of Doak Campbell Stadium, which also houses the day-to-day football HQ. Administrators continue to look to improve the stadium area, but it’s tricky because it is landlocked by busy roads and campus.
BIG TEN
Ohio State
The Woody Hayes Center, the program’s hub, was well ahead of the curve when it was built in 1987, and it has seen a number of upgrades over the years. The Jim Tressel-era changes in the mid-2000s were profound.
Urban Meyer’s arrival in 2012 has ushered in additional change, and a bulk of the improvements has centered on OSU’s achievement. That includes the 2014 national title and an elaborate focus -- more than many peers -- on the Buckeyes in the NFL. The facility is highly functional; you do not even have to go outside to reach the indoor practice area.
The Horseshoe is a venerable, old college football cathedral, but it’s been kept up to date. The most recent rounds of renovations, in 2014, included better lighting and a flashy new entrance for players.
Honorable mention: Michigan
The program’s indoor facility, with adjacent football offices and support areas, is outstanding. It opened in 2009. The Big House, up the street, is regarded as a landmark in the sport, and it has seen additions and renovations to bring it into this millennium.
Second-year coach Jim Harbaugh is working with administrators to start improving the program’s weight room and other infrastructure. Something tells us he’ll get what he wants.
BIG 12
Oklahoma
In this exercise, facilities evaluations are based on current conditions and structures. That’s difficult to do in Oklahoma’s case because it’s in the midst of a $370-million project that will distance it from anyone in the conference. (The Sooners’ facilities were already near the top of the league, for what that’s worth.)
In particular, the south end zone is seeing the most work. It will be fully enclosed, making Memorial Stadium a continuous bowl. That same end of the stadium has also housed the football building, so that support structure will be entirely redone. After a delay of several months, with rumors circulating that dipping oil prices could quash or alter the project, OU moved forward with its plans. The project is expected to be complete in time for the 2016 season.
Honorable mention: Texas
In a true sign of the times, Texas -- which has a highly functional, modern-looking setup -- is already looking to redo its facilities over the course of the next decade. The aforementioned project at rival Oklahoma, as well as one recently completed at Texas A&M, surely have provided urgency for the Longhorns.
But make no mistake that UT’s current setup is among the top 10 or 15 in the country. That isn’t good enough for the school’s brass; the back seat is no place for a Longhorn, they reason. It’s the Ricky Bobby theorem: If you ain’t first, you’re last.
PAC-12
Oregon
Quite possibly, Oregon’s three-year-old facility is the most talked-about football building in the sport’s history. After visiting campus last summer, the so-called “Death Star” absolutely lives up to the legend -- but not always in a positive way.
At times, the building is a bit overwhelming, looking more like something from a Tom Cruise flick set in the year 2070 than the present-day home of a college football team. The 145,000-square-foot structure is often dark, and it’s always elaborate. Parts of it appear designed not by Nike’s Phil Knight but by a Storm Trooper.
And parts are not all that functional. The locker room is located on a higher floor of the building, and it isn’t terribly close to the weight room or practice fields. Really, though, it’s a small complaint when you’re surrounded by cutting-edge amenities.
Honorable mention: USC
The jewel is the 2-year-old McKay Center, a comfortable home for Trojans athletics (not just football). There’s a patio between McKay and Heritage Hall where athletes congregate, many of them studying and eating in the California sunshine.
The Coliseum is due for some work; outgoing AD Pat Haden is shifting into a role to get that project going.
SEC
Texas A&M
Kyle Field desperately needed to be brought into the 21st century. The school did that, and then some. At a time in which dollars are not always readily accessible, A&M pumped $450 million into a total redo of the stadium, even going so far as to shift the press box from one side to the other.
The reconstructed football building is connected to the stadium’s south end zone, providing one of the country’s most functional setups for players. A&M’s football facilities caught up 30 or 40 years in the past two years. When we first saw the stadium in 2012, it was embarrassing. There were eyesores no one should have ever seen. That’s no longer the case; the areas behind the curtain are just as pleasing as what’s seen on a telecast.
Honorable mention: Alabama
Since Nick Saban came on board in 2007, Bryant-Denny Stadium has seen significant upgrades and the program’s football building has been made over entirely.
The 37,000-square-foot weight room, which came with a $9-million price tag, is a spectacle. Until A&M’s Texas-sized project, Bama had set the standard for SEC facilities. You’d better believe the Tide will keep pushing forward, too, especially as long as Saban is around.
