Illini Sports: Gridiron prep
New football facility will support player conditioning and recruitment
Henry Dale & Betty Smith Football Center construction. (Image courtesy of UI Athletics) New football facility will support player conditioning and recruitment
Soon the required headgear in the new Henry Dale & Betty Smith Football Center will switch from construction hard hats to gridiron helmets. Scheduled for completion before the upcoming fall season, the new 107,650-square-foot facility will adjoin the south end of the Irwin Indoor Practice Facility. Amenities will include locker rooms, position meeting rooms, player and recruiting lounges, offices for Head Coach Lovie Smith and his staff, and expanded facilities for sports medicine, and strength and conditioning. Everything in the new Center is designed to promote development of current student-athletes and aid in the recruitment of future Illini football players.
