By Connor Bell
After 14 years of Maryland football calling Gossett Football Team House their home, they have finally decided to move onto bigger in better things in a house that was a home to former champions, Cole Field House.
However this is not the same old field house that Maryland fans have remembered since they were born, this new facility will be state of the art. Its main features will be an indoor practice field complete with a weight room next to it, two new outdoor practice fields and a brand new locker room just to name a few upgrades.
Not only will this new field house have a new football facility and locker room, it will feature an entrepreneurship center as well. In this center, business students will have opportunities to test their inventions or products using the technologies and space available in the center.
This part of the new building was built because Under Armour CEO and founder Kevin Plank asked it to be built. Plank, a Maryland graduate, was once an entrepreneur himself trying out different fabrics on Maryland’s campus until Under Armour was born. He wants this center to help the dreams of young Maryland student entrepreneurs become a reality like his did.
Plank has also contributed $25 million dollars to the current $155 million dollar project.
As of right now, construction has finally started on the new facility as bulldozers and cranes lifted long-standing seats in the old basketball court area out of the concrete. The university has also auctioned these seats off at a minimum of $200 per chair.
The construction will mainly focus on completing all the new football facilities first before they move on to the academic centers. Once the football area of the field house completed, the entire team will move into it, freeing up space for other sports to move into the Gossett Football Team House.
This move will be crucial, as currently more than seven sports share the building known as the Varsity Team House. This team house has been in use for a very long time and lacks in space, storage, and updated equipment. With Gossett open, at least half the teams currently occupying this old building can move into the Gossett team house where more equipment can be stored, and coaches can have offices right near where they play.
And as you can imagine, the Maryland football staff is excited for the change to come in its surroundings.
“I am really excited for the renovation,” equipment manager Shelton Ely said. “Recruiting is going to be great!”
Another equipment manager said, “Working with the new equipment and facility will help out with [our jobs] a great bunch.”
On the 106.7 “The Fan” radio show, head coach D.J. Durkin said the facility being built, “will be second to none,” and it will be a huge plus for recruiting visits.
The football facility part of the New Cole Field House is scheduled to be done in time for the 2018 season.
