Idea for new football practice facility at Dacotah

[2006gwfcchamps]

I used Google Maps to cut and paste 2 fields from the grass practice area and they fit exactly where Dacotah field is if you line them up north and south.

They could both be artificial turf since in 10 years every DI field will be that or grass and the new artificial stuff plays the same as grass. Plus the draining is so much better and it never wears out.

One of the fields would be covered either with a bubble or a permanent building and the other would be open. I know the whole team sometimes practices in the Dome and that's only 1 field, so 2 fields should be plenty.

And since the new arena is going to be build, the BSA won't need to expand outward, just replace the stuff on the inside.


This also helps the players out since their permanent lockers are now in the Dome. They will only have to walk across the street instead of all the way to the current grass fields.

Then the university could use the current grass area for more student housing as it expands its enrollment.

[Jeffdaryl3rd]

Interesting idea and something they could consider doing after they remodel the BSA and build a new arena. After that I would have no problem spending some money on a practice facility.

[TheBisonator]

Is this what you're talking about??

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v199/SmileyBoy/PracticeFields.jpg

[TheBisonator]

I just realized that renovation plans for the BSA include expanding on the west side. What they could do is just slide over the fields about 100 feet and cut out a little chunk of the north part of R Lot, and have the west edge of the fields go right against the tennis courts. So picture the fields slid over to the west by about 100 feet.

[mikelsch]

If one field was covered, it could be used as a training facility for football, soccer, softball, baseball in the winter ---> good idea

[2006gwfcchamps]

Yes, exactly. Very nice, Bisonator.

This is sort've what I had in mind:

http://fieldturf.com/images/installs/webgood.jpg


Obviously NDSU instead of Virginia. And, if you can imagine it, one of the fields would be covered. OR, if it came to it, you could have both fields open. The artificial stuff drains so good that the only time you can't really practice on it is if there's lightning.

[insane_ponderer]

gotta admit, that would look really nice.

[IowaBisonToo]

Somebody would have to write an awfully big check for that! It would be S-W-E-E-T though.

[Jeffdaryl3rd]

We had a bubble at my high school that is taken down in the summer months, and it is really, really nice for practices for baseball, soccer, football, etc. Not cheap, but not unreasonable I think.

[2006gwfcchamps]

Somebody would have to write an awfully big check for that! It would be S-W-E-E-T though.

I wouldn't think it would be more than 3 million if you had 2 open fields. Not sure how much a bubble would be.

[CaBisonFan]

I used Google Maps to cut and paste 2 fields from the grass practice area and they fit exactly where Dacotah field is if you line them up north and south.

They could both be artificial turf since in 10 years every DI field will be that or grass and the new artificial stuff plays the same as grass. Plus the draining is so much better and it never wears out.

One of the fields would be covered either with a bubble or a permanent building and the other would be open. I know the whole team sometimes practices in the Dome and that's only 1 field, so 2 fields should be plenty.

And since the new arena is going to be build, the BSA won't need to expand outward, just replace the stuff on the inside.


This also helps the players out since their permanent lockers are now in the Dome. They will only have to walk across the street instead of all the way to the current grass fields.

Then the university could use the current grass area for more student housing as it expands its enrollment.

I like your ideas. I'm writing this a little bit tongue-in-cheek, but I think that the Fargodome would make a wonderful practice facility, and that a new U-Shaped stadium at the Dakota Field site would be very cool. 8-)

I'm not a fan of domes...haven't been since the Vikings went into the baggy. Being an old-timer, I would rather have old Dakota Field with some added seating and some improvements to other facilities surrounding the stadium. I love outdoor football.

Good post. We need to look forward.