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I thought I heard that ground had been broken on the new practice facility and it would be ready by next year. Is that true or are their still plans to do it? In the recruiting process that information is being shared as if the plans are already in place.

i suppose they could have, there is construction going on all over the SMU campus. I for one thought they were still in the planning and fund raising phase.

No, that thing on Airline is a pothole.

Bigtime41 wrote:I thought I heard that ground had been broken on the new practice facility and it would be ready by next year. Is that true or are their still plans to do it? In the recruiting process that information is being shared as if the plans are already in place.

I have not heard that. I think they are still short about $6M but I am not for certain. That was the last I heard.

whats $6million between friends?

Apparently, something as small as a burger between friends, or a coach and players will get you in hot water at SMU.

Which is planning to be done 1st or at the same time? Moody renovations or practice courts?

1. Practice Facility
2. Moody Renovation
3. Total Money Has Not Been Raised
4. Construction Has Not Started

You have to have a practice facility with offices, lockerrooms, etc. first. You can't tear up Moody without having that because 3 teams use Moody's floor for both practice and games. Also, the minute Moody is touched, it loses some grandfathering with certain building codes, like bathrooms, concourse width, stair lighting, etc. That's why it makes sense to build a separate facility that is linked by a tunnel, then start chipping away at Moody itself.

I think that is kinda messed up because I was under the understanding that the facility was under construction. When do you think construction will begin because I know several recruits and potential recruits were told that it was a done deal? That is a selling point when recruiting.

The plans are done, and it is my understanding that Jimmy and Rhonda have been given the plans and can show recruits. There is a rule that there has to be maybe 90% (can't remember the exact number) of the estimated cost raised in pledges to break ground. There is a committee, including a number of former bball players, working on getting to that threshold.

IIRC, the tilt-wall construction will make for a relatively fast build once it is started.

I think you can be sure that SMU will have a practice facility soon. That much is a done deal I think. Plans are drawn etc. As for how soon it will be done, don't know the answer to that.

Does anyone know where it is going? Are there plans on file anywhere that we can go look at?

at one time, somebody posted a link to the Master Plan from the official SMU website, not the athletic website. Had a map that showed new, old and planned buildings on the campus.

It will go directly behind Moody, next to the tennis courts. Right now there is a parking lot there.