Texas Athletics Master Plan Released

[Bwilk55]

Here is what we can expect over the next several years in terms of athletic upgrades. Major additions, South End Zone of stadium to be completed, new indoor practice facility, new basketball arena, as well as upgrades across the board. The entire plan can be seen here:
http://texassports_com.s3.amazonaws..._Athletics_Master_Plan_March_2016.pdf?id=5142

My favorite part is below. If we could pull off the listed goals, we would have a very happy fan base!

"• Every Texas Athletics program should achieve to an NCAA championship level by:
o Recruiting and retaining the most talented student-athletes
o Attracting and retaining the finest coaches and staff
o Providing state-of-the-art academic support, strength and conditioning, training, and sports medicine programs that emphasize achievement and the overall well-being of student athletes
o Providing facilities for sports performance, sports science, and nutrition
-Every Texas Athletics program should have the best facilities for recruiting student-athletes and serving teams and clients (supporters)"

 

[Bass Elder]

One issue for certain...there is not a sport in either mens or womens we shouldn't be in NC contention for most every year -- and has been the case for multi-years.

 

[Bwilk55]

For men's sports, our tennis, golf, track and field, swimming and diving have all been having a decent amount of success including recent NC by S&D and golf (with hope for another this year). Unfortunately, the 3 major sports have been struggling. Basketball and Football seem to be on the way back. Baseball hitting rock bottom currently.

The women are doing quite well also. Volleyball, track and S&D have been consistently solid. Rowing has grown into a competitor. Still some ground to make up in other sports.

 

[BringBackRoyal]

The women are doing quite well also. Volleyball, track and S&D have been consistently solid. Rowing has grown into a competitor. Still some ground to make up in other sports.

Women's basketball is finally on the way back as well, after a quarter-century of being almost entirely irrelevant. First 30-win season since 1988 and only the second Elite Eight since 1990.

For some unknown reason, though, our softball coach is apparently exempt from the expectations that apply to our other coaches. First-weekend exits in the postseason in eight out of 10 years and one WCWS every decade is evidently good enough for Plonsky.

 

[Scholz]

Where the heck are people supposed to park?

 

[HornsRuleU]

Here is what we can expect... Major additions, South End Zone of stadium to be completed, new indoor practice facility, new basketball arena, as well as upgrades across the board.

Miscellanous thoughts:

The "master plan" leaves a lot of questions.

South End Zone --

• FINALLY! Before I die, can I please see this done?!?
• How many added seats? Gonna play footsie with little brother on this one? With Michigan?
• Will Godzillatron be moved higher? Seats wrapped around it, or all full rows below it? Much higher risk of lightning strikes, if it goes behind the seats?

New indoor practice facility --

• What are the advantages to this over The Bubble, besides a more professional, permanent appearance? Taller, for the kicking game? (The Bubble is only 61 feet high, and that's only at the center.) Do you have to evacuate the Bubble in strong winds or other weather?
• Did they go with a 1 story plan, due to capitol viewing corridors?
• They're considering building the IPF to be closer to Moncrief-Neuhaus. That'd be good, but where?
• I didn't realize the band and other sports use it, but that makes sense.

New basketball arena --

• The maps show a location just south of the Myers track/soccer stadium, but the plans say the "new Erwin" location isn't set in stone.
• On-campus is highly preferred to off-campus. That's good. I wonder if Coach Smart influenced that, and when... During contract negotiations?

"• Every Texas Athletics program should achieve to an NCAA championship level by:
o Recruiting and retaining the most talented student-athletes"

...who meet Texas' standards, in character and academics!

 

[Bwilk55]

Where the heck are people supposed to park?

That new structure by the Disch is a parking garage. Of course, 1 parking garage can not fix the parking situation but will help a bit.

 

[Bwilk55]

Women's basketball is finally on the way back as well, after a quarter-century of being almost entirely irrelevant. First 30-win season since 1988 and only the second Elite Eight since 1990.

Ah yes, I did not mean to exclude them. Unfortunately, 2nd place is the ceiling as long as UCONN keeps at it.

 

[misterTeasyEmalcomXf'inAkicksome]

Where the heck are people supposed to park?

It's just just an athletics events question. UT is going to have to start adding more parking garages because parking lots are just too inefficient for a growing school inside a city. If you look at those maps of the future campus plans, they also show buildings that are going to be built that aren't athletics buildings. The good news is that some of those include garages. The lots by the baseball field are definitely not going to be lots for long as these other things are built. The map indicates that is one of many that will be changed into a garage to make better use of the space. If you scroll through the pages of the athletics master plan they DO address parking for basketball games and events at the proposed events center location on page 72. It certainly seems as if parking garage availability will become more and more key for all sorts of UT events, not to mention day-to-day life.

It's really too bad the voters shot down the last urban rail proposal. That could have been a big help for park-and-ride type situations. Hopefully it won't be the last idea the city comes up with.

My biggest question with regard to the master plan is... what is the timeline for any of these projects? I didn't see anything addressing "when?" in the document, but I definitely skimmed parts of it (while I found other parts pretty interesting to read).