Syracuse Announces $17M Football Indoor Practice Facility

The ACC Atlantic Division's newest member, Syracuse University, has announced plans for a new state-of-the-art indoor practice facility for Syracuse Orange football. The price tag? A cool $17 million.

Syracuse University will continue designing and begin construction on one of the premiere collegiate athletics indoor practice centers in the nation, Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross announced today. Construction is expected to begin later this year. The state-of-the-art, $17 million planned center will continue to move Syracuse Athletics forward as New York's College Team, providing essential and transformational amenities needed to compete for championships in the Athletic Coast Conference. The 87,000 square foot building will provide the football program with an innovative and modern practice environment, enhance recruiting efforts, and help develop the best and brightest student-athletes from across the nation.

"New York's College Team" always gives me a good laugh.

Seriously though, this move is the latest in the ever escalating college football arms race -- a race that threatens to leave Boston College football in its ACC Atlantic Division competition's collective dust if the school doesn't act. And act fast. With Syracuse joining the indoor practice facility building craze, four of the six ACC Atlantic Division teams will have relatively new, state-of-the-art indoor practice facilities.

Florida State. FSU recently broke ground on a new 100,000-square-foot-indoor practice facility that comes with a price tag of $12.7 million. The program raised more than $23 million for the initiative.

Clemson. The Tigers' new indoor practice facility houses an 80,000-square-foot practice area that includes a full football field with ample sideline space, a fully-functional scoreboard, four play-clocks and a videoboard, that allow for the simulation of a game-day experience. Construction costs were $10 million.

Louisville. The Cardinals' indoor practice facility features a 120-yard FieldTurf field, a 100-meter four-lane sprint track, pole vault and long jump pits, as well as, batting cages for both baseball and softball. It's also equipped for the soccer, field hockey and lacrosse teams to use. Price tag was $8 million.

Syracuse. The Orange just unveiled plans for an 87,000-square-foot indoor practice facility that will house Orange football as well as the other Syracuse varsity sports programs. As the school is building on the site of the current outdoor track stadium, Syracuse also announced plans to build a new track facility.

Unlike some of these other division and soon-to-be division rivals, schools like Florida State, Clemson, Louisville and N.C. State, it's kind of important for Boston College to have an indoor football practice facility. You know, one that can withstand a blizzard.

Let's call it $20 million? Brighton Campus? Your move, BB.