The Florida Gators, the University of Florida’s intercollegiate football team, recently announced plans to construct a $15 million indoor practice facility. Currently the only team in the Southeastern Conference league to lack designated indoor practice space, the Gators were forced to miss 30 practices in 2014 because of weather-related events.
The new facility will house a 120-yard synthetic turf field, additional space for practice drills, three camera platforms, satellite training-room facilities, equipment storage, and restrooms.
“It’s crucial for a top-tier college athletic center to offer indoor practice space,” says Eric Willin, Chief Operating Officer, of EZFacility, a sports facility management software developer in Woodbury, New York. “The world of major collegiate sports is ultra-competitive. For a team like the Gators to miss out on dozens of practices because weather has held them back is simply a shame. It’ll be a huge step forward for the team to have its own indoor facility.”
When inclement weather strikes now, the Gators sometimes move into the university’s men’s and women’s basketball center or to the nearby Florida Gym. But the logistics of transferring the entire team to these locations when weather turns foul can be daunting.
The project will be funded through private gifts and capital financing. Davis Architects of Birmingham, Alabama, is the project designer. Construction began in early January, and the center is slated to be ready for use in September.
Florida Gators to Build $15 Million Indoor Practice Facility
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