Illinois State Officially Opens And Dedicates Indoor Practice Facility

NORMAL, Ill. – A large group of Illinois State supporters, student-athletes, staff and alumni gathered for an event many had been patiently waiting for, as Illinois State University held the official dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for the Indoor Practice Facility on Saturday evening.

The event featured comments from Illinois State Interim Director of Athletics Dr. Jeri Beggs, Illinois State University Interim President Dr. Aondover Tarhule, Chair of the Illinois State University Board of Trustees Dr. Kathy Bohn, Illinois State head football coach Brock Spack and ISU Student-Athlete Advisory Council President Kaitlyn Donovan. The evening culminated with attendees heading into the Indoor Practice Facility for their first look at the newest campus building.

"I know this is a time that so many of us have been eagerly awaiting," Beggs said. "The student-athletes, especially, cannot wait to use this facility. The Indoor Practice Facility will have a tremendous, positive impact on our student-athletes across multiple sports. However, it won't just be for Redbird teams. Illinois State University is a dedicated community partner and this is a facility that will also serve the larger community in the years to come."

The Illinois State University Board of Trustees authorized the Athletics Department to proceed with design, bidding, construction, and financing of the Indoor Practice Facility during a special meeting held on campus on Dec. 12, 2021. The official groundbreaking ceremony for the Indoor Practice Facility took place on the grass practice field north of Horton Field House on April 10, 2022.

At the heart of any University is its people. Faculty, staff, and students work together to make a thriving environment in which to live, learn, and grow," Tarhule said. "However, that work can't get done to the highest levels without the physical, built campus environment. Facilities that support learning, living, practicing, and competition are vital to the work we do. 
This new Indoor Practice Facility is a good illustration of that fact."  

The Indoor Practice Facility is a heated, opaque dual-membrane fabric air dome with insulation pockets for planned year-round use. The facility is built in the location of the former football practice field directly north of Horton Field House. A 100-yard practice football field features a single end zone with run off areas and artificial turf to match the current surface at Hancock Stadium. 

The facility will be open to all Redbird teams and will ease congestion for teams currently using Horton Field House as an indoor practice area.

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