Illinois Football Performance Center

#176      
Got a tour of the Texas football complex today. Lots of cool stuff in there. Locker room was sick. Crazy thing is, they’re about to demolish it all build up a new one. I’d be happy if ours is as good as their current one, and they’re about to upgrade.
 
#177      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Got a tour of the Texas football complex today. Lots of cool stuff in there. Locker room was sick. Crazy thing is, they’re about to demolish it all build up a new one. I’d be happy if ours is as good as their current one, and they’re about to upgrade.

It's an incredibly stupid arms race. Just lighting money on fire, giving it to anyone but the players.
 
#178      

Deleted member 236589

D
Guest
Who gives a damn with how it looks from an architectural standpoint? Is it awesome inside? Will 17 and 18 year olds think it will be awesome inside and will it help recruiting/performance?

I'd take it looking like a ball of mud on the outside and winning 9 games over looking like the Taj Mahal on the outside and losing 9 games....EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK.

If a four of five star recruit comes in and says...."well, I love everything about the program and I would commit, BUT I just can't deal with the color of the bricks and how it flows architecturally with the rest of the community and darn it.....I needed to see those columns!!!!".... Then I'll be concerned.

Let's just win. Please.
 
#179      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
Who gives a damn with how it looks from an architectural standpoint? Is it awesome inside? Will 17 and 18 year olds think it will be awesome inside and will it help recruiting/performance?

I usually roll my eyes at "it's for the teens" stuff being peddled by old farts like us, but I do agree that architectural aesthetics tends to be something that goes right over the head of young people. The Northwestern facility is much more pitched to take the breath away of the demographic of sports journalists, not football recruits.

I'm gonna have to see ours in person to really judge, and I hope it doesn't detract too much from the majesty of MS' east exterior, but ultimately, a utilitarian facility that has all the right stuff inside will be good enough. To the point about the stupid arms race, we were one of the few where our existing facilities were getting to be genuinely inadequate for the size and complexity of operations of a modern major college football team.
 
#180      
I usually roll my eyes at "it's for the teens" stuff being peddled by old farts like us, but I do agree that architectural aesthetics tends to be something that goes right over the head of young people. The Northwestern facility is much more pitched to take the breath away of the demographic of sports journalists, not football recruits.

I'm gonna have to see ours in person to really judge, and I hope it doesn't detract too much from the majesty of MS' east exterior, but ultimately, a utilitarian facility that has all the right stuff inside will be good enough. To the point about the stupid arms race, we were one of the few where our existing facilities were getting to be genuinely inadequate for the size and complexity of operations of a modern major college football team.

I would argue that the West’s exterior is much more important to maintain with being on 1st Street and now having Grange Grove in front. I agree about the inadequacy of our facilities, though. As somebody that worked for the team, I can tell you that the office for the GAs (I was not one of them but worked with them enough) was so small that if you were over 5’10”, you had to be constantly ducking down while in there. Can’t imagine how that looked for the future coaches of the profession that came through.
 
#181      

ChiefGritty

Chicago, IL
I would argue that the West’s exterior is much more important to maintain with being on 1st Street and now having Grange Grove in front.

I agree, and I think Grange Grove was probably Mike Thomas' biggest accomplishment as AD and has made that area something good and with the times of college football with the design of the RG renovation (I wish the "Illini" spelled out in the windows were brand-appropriate, but alas).

But then the other side still evokes the stadium as it was in the 1920's, when it was something truly grand and ambitious and unique and really highlights the columns and their meaning and I hope we don't lose that too much.
 
#182      

Joel Goodson

respect my decision™
I usually roll my eyes at "it's for the teens" stuff being peddled by old farts like us, but I do agree that architectural aesthetics tends to be something that goes right over the head of young people. The Northwestern facility is much more pitched to take the breath away of the demographic of sports journalists, not football recruits.

I'm gonna have to see ours in person to really judge, and I hope it doesn't detract too much from the majesty of MS' east exterior, but ultimately, a utilitarian facility that has all the right stuff inside will be good enough. To the point about the stupid arms race, we were one of the few where our existing facilities were getting to be genuinely inadequate for the size and complexity of operations of a modern major college football team.

95% of the NU facility's wow factor is derived from the site. It's awesome, regardless of one's vocation. Granted, 18 yos aren't going to care as much.

As to ours, the site is right and the facility brings us roughly up to par (from woefully outdated and inadequate). I'm more than alright with the FPC. As others have pointed out, the architecture doesn't much matter to the target audience.
 
#183      

chiefini

Rockford, Illinois
I agree, and I think Grange Grove was probably Mike Thomas' biggest and only accomplishment as AD and has made that area something good and with the times of college football with the design of the RG renovation (I wish the "Illini" spelled out in the windows were brand-appropriate, but alas).

But then the other side still evokes the stadium as it was in the 1920's, when it was something truly grand and ambitious and unique and really highlights the columns and their meaning and I hope we don't lose that too much.
 
#184      
I drove by our facility yesterday. There were still cement trucks coming in, and the ground surrounding was a mudhole. The south facing facade is all glass. There is a new structure going up west of the ACES quad and south of the armory. 6th street is closed for new construction at 6th and Green. I was happy to see Green street fully redone. Alma Mater had an MD's white coat and stethoscope. The State of Illinois may be broke and shortchanging higher education, but it is obvious that the U of I in C-U has money.
 
#187      
Interesting. Fully one quarter of the budget ($1.7B of $6.8B, but that's for operating the entire UofI system, not just the CU campus), are the health and retirement benefits of staff.

Were they running far behind and needing to catch up? Bc obviously one quarter of operating expenses doesn't normally go just to healthcare and retirement benefits, unless that is literally the business you're in.
 
#189      

Deleted member 649710

D
Guest
As to ours, the site is right and the facility brings us roughly up to par (from woefully outdated and inadequate). I'm more than alright with the FPC. As others have pointed out, the architecture doesn't much matter to the target audience.

Sadly, the minute the Smith Center opens it will be slightly-better-than-middle-of-the-BIG-pack in terms of football training facilities, and will downgrade from there in the ensuing years. Would have been better, IMHO, if they had aimed for clear best-in-class rather than just Keeping up with the Joneses. I hope that Whitman aims higher with the proposed hockey/volleyball/wrestling arena, goes big, and builds something that sets Illinois apart from most other programs. With the potential for an entire entertainment district in Downtown Champaign, it could be amazing.
 
#190      

illini80

Forgottonia
Sadly, the minute the Smith Center opens it will be slightly-better-than-middle-of-the-BIG-pack in terms of football training facilities, and will downgrade from there in the ensuing years. Would have been better, IMHO, if they had aimed for clear best-in-class rather than just Keeping up with the Joneses. I hope that Whitman aims higher with the proposed hockey/volleyball/wrestling arena, goes big, and builds something that sets Illinois apart from most other programs. With the potential for an entire entertainment district in Downtown Champaign, it could be amazing.
Yes it could be, but considering they are struggling to secure all the funding needed it seems unlikely they will try to build the Taj Mahal.
 
#191      
Yes it could be, but considering they are struggling to secure all the funding needed it seems unlikely they will try to build the Taj Mahal.

I have viewed the top 20 football performance centers. Clemson is rated as the best in the country in the reviews and the Illini Smith compared very favorable to the Clemson Performance center and is quite similiar, even down to the golf course on the roof.
The Illini Smith is far beyond any in the B1g. Northwestern's pc does not count because it is for all sports and not a football only performance center. I personally think Oregon has the sharpest but the Illini Center is still at the top in the conference and the nation. Recruits will love it.
 
#192      

illini80

Forgottonia
I have viewed the top 20 football performance centers. Clemson is rated as the best in the country in the reviews and the Illini Smith compared very favorable to the Clemson Performance center and is quite similiar, even down to the golf course on the roof.
The Illini Smith is far beyond any in the B1g. Northwestern's pc does not count because it is for all sports and not a football only performance center. I personally think Oregon has the sharpest but the Illini Center is still at the top in the conference and the nation. Recruits will love it.
My thoughts were in reference to the Hockey arena comment. I’m sure the ones that come will like it just fine. I think it remains to be seen if it gives us a leg up on anyone else from a recruiting standpoint. So far, not so much.
 
#193      
I have viewed the top 20 football performance centers. Clemson is rated as the best in the country in the reviews and the Illini Smith compared very favorable to the Clemson Performance center and is quite similiar, even down to the golf course on the roof.
The Illini Smith is far beyond any in the B1g. Northwestern's pc does not count because it is for all sports and not a football only performance center. I personally think Oregon has the sharpest but the Illini Center is still at the top in the conference and the nation. Recruits will love it.

Interesting. Did you visit all or just view online? I hope it is true!
 
#195      
Viewed online from various articles including a long video on Oregon and Clemson and Oklahoma. Oregon has some bling that stands out.

It will be interesting to see the new rankings of performance centers. Sounds like it is safe to say we should be top 20.
 
#197      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
When might we see some pics of the finished product? At least the inside would be nice even if they aren't finished with the exterior completely.