Another day, another media tour of a new athletic facility at the University of Louisville.
This one the lavish $17 million Dr. Mark & Cindy Lynn Stadium, which is already the premiere college stadium in the United States — a facility so nice that it’s going to become an instant tourist attraction when construction is completed on August 27. Another incredible accomplishment among man
y for Tom Jurich.
The mammoth video board, which is 49 feet wide and 26 1/2 feet high, was being tested during a media tour of the facility on Tuesday. With a viewing surface of 3,000 square feet, larger than this observer’s house, it is among the largest in the UofL’s growing inventory of video tools.
Equally impressive, however, will be the advertising dash boards (or ribbons) that extend from the centers of the end zones and along the east side of the field. Safe to say, there will be few, if any, college soccer fields with such a dazzling video arsenal. As UofL College Women’s Soccer Coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes noted during the press conference, it will definitely be a distraction for visiting teams this fall.
The grass, which feels more synthetic than natural, has been installed on the playing field and sidelines, and on a berm on the north end of the field. The playing field itself is 118 yards long and 75 yards wide. The UofL and ACC logos and the striping will be added within the next couple of weeks.
The seating area, covered by the signature umbrella extensions, features all chair back seating. The south end zone, in the shape of a pyramid, includes an entrance from which emerge the UofL soccer teams before games. Visiting teams will enter from the side.
Tuesday was moving day for players on both the men’s and women’s teams, with lots of boxes and gear being into place. Plenty of smiles on the faces of the women and men who will represent UofL, many of them seeing the facility for the first time.
The UofL women’s team opens the season in an exhibition game at Tennessee on Wednesday. The men play an exhibition against Rio Grande Friday at Cardinal Park.
I have no idea how this compares to other collegiate stadia across the country but it has to be one of the best if I know TJ. I bet it is a recruiter’s trump card over other schools. Maybe The Observer can tell or show us se other ACC soccer venues and how it compares.
I’ll check them out and if I find anything interesting, I pass it along.