Notre Dame football is "finally getting a new indoor practice facility," with the school "scheduled to begin construction on the 111,400-square-foot Irish Indoor Athletics Center" in July '19, according to Laken Litman of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. The new facility "will be home to the football and men’s and women’s soccer teams." Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly said, “From a football perspective, it’s our lab. We didn’t really have a lab for us to get in and do the work we needed and now we’ve got one.” The new facility "will be built on the site of what is now the western-most field of the LaBar Practice Complex" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 4/8). In South Bend, Eric Hansen wrote the urgency of the facility's announcement was "more about practicality than about keeping up with opulence in an escalating football facilities arm race" (SOUTHBENDTRIBUNE.com, 4/6).
NORTHWESTERN PASSAGE: In Chicago, Shannon Ryan noted Northwestern has unveiled Ryan Fieldhouse, a 96,135-square-foot practice facility that is "part of a larger" $270M sports complex with "skyline views just feet from the lake." The "indoor, regulation-size practice field could theoretically be used for football, soccer and lacrosse." Along with the Walter Athletics Center -- athletic offices opening in August -- the complex "offers locker rooms, weight rooms and nutrition, medical and academic services" to all teams. The venue is "closer to the center of campus, instead of the 1-mile hike to the current facilities" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 4/6).
