Best MDIA facilities?

[Timbalaned]

Yeah, but we dont consistently draw enough fans to charge. I think we would be in the red for sure, we have to develop more of a consistent fan base before we try and move to an area where we charge. The way our athletics are set up here, no one pays for tickets when you buy them. There is an incidental fee for students at the beginning of the year that just goes in the tution and stuff and then you get bball and football tickets the rest of the year. All other sports you just show ID and get in. fans coming to a club lacrosse game would be perplexed at being charged.

[Mike Messina]

I think playing at WVU in Mountaineer Field is pretty cool. Not the greatest field, but how many other places do you get to play where the football team plays.

When i was playing, the turf at mountaineer stadium was pretty bad, but it was always fun to play there. They just redid the turf. They have some excellent field turf there now. Oddly though, the goalpost on one end wasn't removed and the refs made the mid field line the 45 on one side. It really messed our guys up. Took like 5 offsides calls.

[defense_wins_championship]

It's a shame that more schools don't let their lacrosse programs use their indoor football facilities. That place at Oregon looks awesome. I also know that Michigan State could have a great indoor facility with a little more cooperation from their school. We are lucky up here at Central Michigan to be able to use our indoor football facility after enough butt kissing. It isn't without it's flaws though. The idiots who engineered it made the field only 100 yards long so we mark it off to 106 (4 yards short), we could probably squeeze in another two but guys would be getting driven through the walls. Another problem is that the baseball team also uses it and has nets hanging over about five yards along the box sideline. The refs are cool about it and it is played just like it's out of bounds, we've only had 3 balls get hit in the last two years. The other problem that we had to address is the walls being white so we use yellow balls (donated by Detroit Lax). I wouldn't put it up there with Michigans indoor field but we do get all of our home games on it. And when you live in this slophole during the spring it's very nice to not have to worry about the weather. We also have great locker facilities and music for the game. Maybe more teams will consider the treck up to Michigan once the word gets out about the other indoor facility in the state.

[PigPen]

To JP and/or anyone else in an indorr facility-what color ball do you guys use (I cam't remember which color other than while is reg for men's)? How is the visibility in there. Do the goalies need visors or sunglasses. It has to be hard topick up a shot coming out of white/grey surface.

[JHBYU33]

BYU's Indoor Field

[bste_lax]

To JP and/or anyone else in an indorr facility-what color ball do you guys use (I cam't remember which color other than while is reg for men's)? How is the visibility in there. Do the goalies need visors or sunglasses. It has to be hard topick up a shot coming out of white/grey surface.

We use white. One ref recommended we use one of the official color balls (I know green is NCAA-approved and either yellow or red is). White is alright, at times it blends in with lights (conviently placed at stick level). Night games aren't too bad but day games with the white background can be a little tough. After you are in there a while, your eyes get use to it so it is sort of a home field advantage as Iowa practices in there and is aclimated to it. I have noticed teams being a little out of it in the first half as they get use to it.

[TexOle]

When I played at Olaf we used white balls in the domes. One end it got hard to see the white ball and the other end the blue golf netting got annoying. It is a trade off. I liked using the orange balls in the domes, but most players don't like them. I officiated a winter league and the director of the league requires them to play with yellow balls. If the ball has the logo of NCAA approved then it is fine for play. I am not going to test every ball before a game according to the rule book. Believe me that is one of my favorite parts of the rule book. It is all personal preference. It might be nice to know that I asked to play with a white ball in 6 inches of snow.

The important stuff to remember when playing indoors is to establish the ground rules well in advance. That will end some controversies.

Remember that all face shields must be clear. That would make most visors illegal.

On a side note I want to play with a blue, green, and orange ball on the smurf turf at Boise St. I think all 3 colors would be fun.

[robinetteja]

If anyone has ever played Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado in Ray Dennison Memorial Stadium they know all about the stunning mountain views from the field. I'd have to say that the FLC fans can get pretty "rowdy" during the Friday night games under the lights.

[MANthrax]

I've been there, and what i saw was a huge hole in the ground. And besides during the friday night games, i doubt you can see the mountain views.

[the lax]

BYU hands down probably has the best facilities in the league.

Sidenote on Michigan's fieldhouse, I remember having to change in a rec building and then walk outside for about 20 minutes before reaching the field. Also, I remember the team searching for bathrooms when we are arrived. We happen to open a door in the fieldhouse that led to a weight room. Some hulk of man asked, "Can I help you?" We asked if there with bathrooms we could use. He said, "No, get out of here" and then went on lifting. What baffles me is the football team beat Ohio State, shouldn't he have been in a better mood?

[onpoint]

That's when you just open the door behind the visiting bench and take a knee in the crisp Michigan outdoors. Oops, did I just say that out loud??

[John Paul]

Alex, that's the same thing our guys do all the time. No shame in that. Lax, you were walking pretty slowly if it took you 20 minutes to go one block (probably saving your energy for the game or frozen solid from the weather), but we now get locker rooms in Yost Arena for our visiting teams - right across the parking lot. Same ones all the visiting varsity teams use. The new fieldhouse will have attached locker rooms and a nice public lobby/restroom/concessions area.

The weightroom staff in our football building is never in a good mood, by the way. Part of the job description.

[MANthrax]

Texas Tech has great cheerleaders. When i was there last year, i remember the cheerleading clinic the girls put on. It was fantastic, i learned moves i never new girls could do, i mean i could do. The door was closed on my whole team, but that didn't stop our observation of the team cheer.