The cash-strapped University of Maryland knows a serious commitment needs to be made to ensure success in athletics once they move from the ACC to the Big Ten (next year), and there is no photo evidence providing a potential look to the future. Images of a new indoor football facility were shared by Alex Prewitt of The Washington Post via Twitter and thinks the outside resembles a space ship. The Dallas Cowboys already play in a stadium that often draws comparisons to the Death Star, so we will have to wait and see what sci-fi comparisons are made to Maryland’s new football facility once constructed.
First came the look at the inside of the new indoor practice field, which does little to dazzle seeing as it is simply a football field surrounded by four walls and covered by a ceiling. There is not of imagination to use inside until the building is constructed, so the question is just what the outside will look like when completed?
Prewitt shared a look at the east side, the view from the Terrapin Walk, and more of an aerial look at the whole complex. As Prewitt mentions, the plans look to include a bit more to the blueprint than just a simple indoor practice facility. The football offices will be held in the new building, but there could also be room to use for other purposes at the university.
Maryland announced plans to build an indoor facility in August, with plans to start a campaign to help raise the funds to cover the price tag. The Baltimore Sun reported the total price could be anywhere between $50 and $80 million.
Maryland will be lining up some nice pay days in the future once they are eligible for full Big Ten payouts. Maryland will officially join the Big Ten on July 1, 2014 but will have to wait a little longer before being eligible for the full Big Ten payouts that continue to lead the conferences. Jeff Ermann from Inside MD Sports also notes there is a sizable financial contribution from Under Armour for the development of this new facility that could be as high as $30 million. Many schools try to emulate the success story that has been written at Oregon with their relationship with Nike, but many have failed to match the results. Maryland has a way to go before being in the same category as Oregon of course, but with a healthy relationship with Under Armour perhaps over time the Terps can follow a similar path to success.