I could hardly keep the drool from spilling out all over my lap when I was nearing the end of Chris Williams’ interview with Jamie Pollard last week.
Chris had just asked Pollard about facilities.
Pollard mentioned the under-construction women’s tennis facility then bam. He dropped a big comment about the football facility.
“We are scratching the surface on an expansion to the Bergstrom football building for the football team,” Pollard said. “For an expanded locker room, players lounge area that really is a result of the changes about food delivery and how you can do things with student athletes.”
Wait, you’re telling me that in today’s college football, Iowa State doesn’t have a player’s lounge? In that big, awesome building that is meant only for football, they didn’t include a place for the players to hang out, do homework or anything besides get ready to play football?
This made no sense to me — initially.
“It doesn’t make one way right or wrong, when the facility was built we had a set budget at that time, but the impetus at that time was that it was a place to go to work,” Pollard said. “Coach Campbell’s philosophy is that it’s a place to call home. He really wants the football players to not just come to the building to work, but to come to the building to be. That facility really doesn’t have a place where they can just hang out.”
This is the world of college football today.
As much as Paul Rhoads may have wanted the building to be all about work, that’s just not how it is in this sport anymore. Google Image search new college football facility and you’ll see pictures of huge players lounges with 20 TVs, barber shops, pool tables, game consoles and smoothie shops.
At Nebraska they have iPads in the lockers. Alabama has an arcade and four waterfalls that run into a hydrotherapy room. Oregon has self-ventilated lockers (whatever the hell that means) plus a barber shop.
Do kids really NEED any those things? Heck no!
Old school people probably don’t like it, but a lot of college football today is who has the cooler “stuff.” Iowa State football was lagging behind in the “cool” factor, whether it be the facility, uniforms or whatever.
I don’t know what needs to happen, but somebody needs to help Matt Campbell and his staff bring cool to the Bergstrom.
1 — On Saturday, three-star, class of 2017 point guard McKinley Wright included Iowa State in his top five. You can read more about that right here.
I wrote that I think Wright is the best point guard prospect Iowa State is in with right now, and I really mean that. I know people are hoping for Collin Sexton, but realistically it isn’t going to happen.
Wright is a 6-foot, 180-pound, floor general that can shoot, rebound, get to the rim, handle the ball and defend. This is no backup plan.
I really believe Wright is the best point guard that ISU has a chance with right now.
2 — It was reported by Sports Business Journal on Monday that the Big 12’s TV partners are starting to push back at expansion due to a lack of appealing candidates. I understand where ESPN and Fox are coming from with this one.
I want to see the Big 12 expand as much as the next guy, but I don’t see the point if the options don’t really add anything to the conference.
I’d be surprised if CW doesn’t weigh-in on this sometime this week.
3 — The Rio Olympics kick off later this week and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m one of those guys that will get wrapped up in a random sport then learn everything there is out there about that sport.
Did you know the minimum depth of a water polo pool is 1.8 meters? It is.
I couldn’t tell you anything I learned in college, but I do remember water polo rules from London in 2012.
4 — As you can already tell, CW is out this week so you can expect roughly 20 commitments, new uniforms, the release of the walk-out song and everything else that will get everyone riled up.
I’m mostly kidding, or maybe hoping. You know, for my sanity.
5 — The Des Moines Register’s Tommy Birch will be joining me on Tuesday for a position breakdown podcast. Football talk is expected, high-fives are a given.
6 — The open practice for Iowa State fall camp is on Thursday so Garrett Kroeger and I will be there ready to give complete updates. I’m interested to see how a Matt Campbell practice is different than Paul Rhoads.
7 — Let’s have a good week, okay? Okay.
