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So SMU is going to invest $12M in new practice facilities. Does anyone know the breakout in $$$ between the new facility versus refurbishing Moody?

Also, how does the $12M compare dollar-wise to the upgrades that have occurred recently at TCU, Baylor and A&M?

Personally I am more excited about BB than I ever would be for FB. With the right model, facilities and coach, we can compete with anyone in this state outside of maybe UT in BB. That will never be the case in FB due to the BCS cartel and our small student base.

SoCal_Pony wrote:So SMU is going to invest $12M in new practice facilities. Does anyone know the breakout in $$$ between the new facility versus refurbishing Moody?

Also, how does the $12M compare dollar-wise to the upgrades that have occurred recently at TCU, Baylor and A&M?

The TCU practice facility cost $5.6 million when money was raised in 2003, per their website; Baylor's is approx. $8 million and is under construction. I don't know how much the A&M one will cost as they are still raising money for it, but it looks more extensive, and thus more expensive, than the TCU and Baylor facilities.

I assume the $12 million includes something for Moody such as a new scoreboard and a new floor, but I am guessing.

Is the TCU facility that corrugated architectural wonder that is plopped down in the parking lot adjacent to Daniel Meyer? (where the Texas Christian students get hop-locked before/during football games?)

TCU's facility is a joke


I think they just took your run of the mill prefab hangar and left out the door...

To be fair, there is a brick facade in the front.

Current STUDent wrote:TCU's facility is a joke


I think they just took your run of the mill prefab hangar and left out the door...

Have you been in it? Its not bad at all. Two full courts, offices and its directly connected to their coliseum at the concourse level. Dont judge a book by its cover. We should be able to build one better, but right now, advantage tcu by a long shot.

omg...THAT's the practice facility everyone has been falling over themselves to point out as evidence for TCU's embracing an effective 'model' and showing true commitment?

If I'd have known that, hell...why bother with the 12M facility? Just put a bigger version of the Ducky Bob's Mustang Stables tent up right next to Moody. Done deal.

Hoop Fan wrote:Have you been in it? Its not bad at all. Two full courts, offices and its directly connected to their coliseum at the concourse level. Dont judge a book by its cover. We should be able to build one better, but right now, advantage tcu by a long shot.

Has this facility tremendously aided their recruiting efforts in the past couple of years? I can't imagine it would be real enticing.

Have they begun to recruit better athletes than when they had Billy Tubbs? TCU's record seems to suggest otherwise.

The great recruiting hope of facility upgrades is illusory.

McClown27 wrote:

Hoop Fan wrote:Have you been in it? Its not bad at all. Two full courts, offices and its directly connected to their coliseum at the concourse level. Dont judge a book by its cover. We should be able to build one better, but right now, advantage tcu by a long shot.

Has this facility tremendously aided their recruiting efforts in the past couple of years? I can't imagine it would be real enticing.

Have they begun to recruit better athletes than when they had Billy Tubbs? TCU's record seems to suggest otherwise.

The great recruiting hope of facility upgrades is illusory.

all things being equal, nobody recruits better athletes than Billy Tubbs. Tcu made a deal with the devil when they brought in Billy. I think tcu fired him because they couldnt stand the filth anymore, as much as anything. Daughtery came in and runs things more mainstream. Once again McClown you are trying to make these oversimplified two dimensional points. The facade of their practice facility does not make it a bad facility just because it is not in the Georgian style. And besides, the practice facility is needed for practice and court time. It is not the crown jewel of recruiting. The stadium and lockerrooms are the things where appearance counts. Practice courts are not an amenity,they are a bare necessity just for workouts.

Hoop Fan wrote:The facade of their practice facility does not make it a bad facility just because it is not in the Georgian style. And besides, the practice facility is needed for practice and court time. It is not the crown jewel of recruiting. The stadium and lockerrooms are the things where appearance counts. Practice courts are not an amenity,they are a bare necessity just for workouts.

I agree with you that the practice courts are desirable primarily as places to workout. However, they have not been sold as such. Just like Ford, they have been sold to the alumni as facilities that will improve recruiting. From the Ford experience, it is clear that new facilities will have little impact on recruiting. Of course, although Blog contends it has already changed, changes the model have to be done before the program begins to contend in any revenue sport.

Daugherty replaces Tubbs - TCU
Doherty replaces Tubbs - SMU

Brick facade or not, the first twister that comes through cow town will turn that thing into a trailer park. That facility is an example of what happens when you don't wait for full funding and you have to skimp on material costs. This has nothing to do with architectural style it has do to do with the quality of materials used.

Current Student,

Thanks for the great investigative work on your part.

That picture of the barn house simply reinforces my belief that if and when SMU finally decides it wants to compete, it can blow the doors off TCU. Could you imagine that piece of junk on the SMU campus? It is laughable.

Our $12M practice facility will be something everyone can be proud of, just like all the new buildings on our campus.

TCU is a dump anyway. So you can put up any cruddy thing you want and it fits in. Daniel Meyer ain't no gem to look at either. The campus with that yellow stucco stuff is pretty awful aethetically. SMU has architectural standards. Thus any building that we build will cost a whole lot more than a Butler Building.

Alums care about architecture. Athletes generally do not. I can't stand tcu and think its funny when they can be made fun of, but have any of you actually been inside the facility? Its not bad at all. They spent the money inside, not on the facade. And I highly doubt they are worried about a tornado. Those hangers over at Love Field and Addison Airport haven't ever been uprooted have they? Once again we can make fun of tcu, but they are the ones laughing. And before you proclaim victory because of the Doherty hiring, he has a long way to go to prove anything.