‘The Bubble’ to host several different activities
The CU Athletic Department recently finished building a $3.1 million indoor facility at the football team’s practice fields. “The Bubble,” as most people in the athletic department are calling it, will serve to provide CU athletics with a sheltered area to practice in during the winter.
According to Tom McGann, CU’s director of game management and operations, the primary reason for building the facility was for varsity football practice time, but other students will get to use it as well.
“The main use will be football, and other varsity sports if they need to train,” McGann said. “I think we’ll have some club sports in there. If intramurals needs some time, that’d be great.”
“The Bubble” covers one entire football field, is composed of artificial turf and is pressurized to retain air. It stands 65 feet tall at the center, and is lit by indoor lights and some sunlight. “The Bubble” is also portable, making it possible to be disassembled in the summer months when it is not needed.
McGann also said that some sports classes might be held there during the day.
“If we have some classes, like a soccer skills class, something that never could have happened in January, now there would be an opportunity to do some things like that.”
McGann says that CU is willing to rent out the facilities to local community groups, but that CU’s needs must be serviced first before that can happen.
“If we have space, time and the ability, we’ll always take care of the community,” McGann said.
Annie Mulvany, director of intramural sports at CU, sees the new weatherproof dome as a huge asset to her program and to the many students who participate in intramural sports.
“Not only could we play re-scheduled games in there, but if we do get the facilities for a scheduled block of time, then we could offer a whole different kind of league,” Mulvany said. “You know, we could do indoor soccer in there, we could to indoor flag-football, lacrosse or even a sport that we don’t have.”
Funding for the domed enclosure was paid for by private donations. The largest, a $1.5 million donation from the Anthony H. Kruse Foundation, was presented to CU at halftime of the school’s home opener against Florida State.
The indoor facilities’ potential to athletes of all levels, from varsity, to club, to intramurals, has many sporting students excited.
“It would be great to have somewhere to practice that would be shielded from the weather,” said Jolian Dahl, senior and captain of the men’s ultimate frisbee club team. “That would be great if the university could open it up to more students. That would really help with our training.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Brad Cochi at brad.cochi@thecampuspress.com.
