UI moves forward with plans to upgrade football facilities

The University of Iowa continues to move forward with plans to upgrade the football team's meeting, training and indoor practice facilities, Athletics Director Gary Barta said Wednesday.

Whether Iowa will renovate or build, or do a combination of both, remains to be seen.

Barta told the state Board of Regents the school is working on two plans. One calls for expansion and renovation, the other for construction. He said he'd be at an undetermined regents meeting with more details, including cost estimates.

Iowa got the OK from the regents in 2008 to begin planning for upgrades to the indoor football practice facility, commonly called “the Bubble,” and the Jacobson football building, which is home to office, training and meeting space and locker rooms.

Barta said Iowa has fallen behind what other schools have, a point hammered home by a tour of several campuses last summer, including Penn State, Michigan State and Tennessee. He said he and Coach Kirk Ferentz believe upgrading the football facilities is “critical” to the future of the program.

“We've outgrown many of the spaces ... and they've become dated, as well,” he told the regents.

The Bubble is about 25 years old and has a life expectancy of 15 to 30 years.

Barta said renovation would be cheaper, but part of the decision will come down to whether they keep the Bubble or relocate. The nearby University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has expansion plans that could play a factor in what the football program does.

Barta said no taxpayer money will be used on the project. In December, he said Iowa had funding commitments ranging from $13 million to $15 million. University spokesman Tom Moore said Wednesday the amount remains about the same.