Auburn football scores cutting-edge facility
AUBURN, Ala. (BVM) — When the Auburn Tigers’ football team won the BCS National Championship in 2010 and then made another appearance in 2013, it became a household name in the college football world. But as time goes on, these events are seeming more like flukes and good fortune than the idea that the Tigers are a top NCAA team.
Since 2013, their most recent championship game, the Tigers have suffered at least four losses a season, with a few seasons showing five or six tallies in the loss column. After setting the bar high in the early 2010s, this wasn’t matching school expectations. Former head coach Gus Malzahn was fired, and interim coach Kevin Steele took over for their Citrus Bowl loss, leaving at the conclusion of the season for a defensive assistant job at Tennessee.
But a new era awaits the Tigers under new head coach Bryan Harsin, who joins Auburn after leaving his gig as the Boise State head coach from 2014-20. Optimism has filled the air as fans and players alike are looking forward to a fresh slate, and the university has kicked Harsin’s time off in the right way. On Friday, Auburn’s Board of Trustees gave final approval for a new state-of-the-art football performance center.
This facility will cost $91.9 million and take up a space of 233,400 square feet. By the time it’s completed, which is slated to be July 2022, Harsin will have had a full season under his belt and a new addition to his persuasion tactic when talking to recruits.
The football program’s operations building will be included within this project. That will house a weight room, locker room, sports medicine and nutrition offices, team meeting rooms, football administration offices, as well as equipment and laundry rooms. This project will also entail an indoor practice facility and two natural turf football fields.
On top of the necessities, it’ll feature plenty of luxurious amenities for the athletes. The players will have a lounge, barbershop, flight simulator and two recording studios at their access. For top recruits, this could help move the needle and get them to come to Auburn.
Although the program has taken a step backwards in recent years, this decision shows that the school administration supports and believes in Harsin and its team. Investing this much money into football alone shows that everyone involved is hopeful they can get back to their winning ways.
