The Univ. of Minnesota's 338,000-square-foot Athletes Village is "up and running," as the school "opened the new construction for a media tour on Saturday," according to the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. The $166M project includes "three new buildings: a football center including a locker room, weight room and staff offices; an indoor football practice facility; and the 'Center for Excellence' that includes academic, nutrition and training centers as well as practice facilities for men’s and women’s basketball" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 2/11). THE ATHLETIC's Chad Graff noted the Athletes Village was "first planned" in '13 and "approved for construction" in '15. In the "ever-evolving arms race for facilities in college athletics," UM's new set-up "may be outshined in years to come." But for the first time in decades, the school "boasts amenities and services up to par with -- if not exceeding -- other Big Ten schools." The school has raised $108M of the $166M "needed for the facilities." UM said that if it "can’t fully fund the additions, they’ll use revenue from the athletics department to foot the bill." The new facilities also "benefit other teams, which will take over the spaces left behind by the football and basketball teams." As part of a separate $2.6M project that is just beginning, the old basketball facilities will be "renovated for the wrestling team, the golf team will add an indoor facility," and $13M of that will "go toward a new track and field facility" (THEATHLETIC.com, 2/10).
