The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/337646
110 ■ THE WOLFPACKER N C State broke ground on its new $14 million, 90,000-square-foot indoor football practice facility in mid-June. NCSU head coach Dave Doeren has said in the months leading up to the ground- breaking that he is excited about the impact the facility will have in the future, starting with 2015 spring practice. "Having a place to practice regardless of the weather is a big deal," Doeren said. "The Wolfpack Club and the administration are really working hard on getting us that project. We hope to have it for next spring or earlier." Doeren pointed out that the weather this past spring proved difficult, and at times the team had to create alternative practice plans. The thunderstorms in the heat of Au- gust have also slowed down past Wolfpack practices. "Fall camp, the lightning that comes in here in the afternoons, that building will help us a lot as well," Doeren said. The indoor field will run 120 yards with enough height for the punters and kickers, and additional training and conditioning space beyond the end zones. Clerestory windows will help provide natural day- light, and the building will have a complete sound system and remote-controlled video cameras. Track and field will also benefit from an in-ground pit and above-ground pad for the long jump and triple jump. Pack Makes Scheduling Moves Several announcements have been made that impacted both the current and future football schedules at NC State. Game times and television were an- nounced for the first three games of the 2014 season. The Pack starts with Georgia South- ern Aug. 30, and for the second straight year the season opener will kick off at 12:30 p.m. The ACC Network will televise the contest. Due to the early start time, NCSU plans to have heat management and relief plans in place if necessary, and those will be communicated to ticket holders in advance of the game. Fans in attendance will get to see Mario Williams' No. 9 NCSU jersey honored on the façade of the stadium. Williams wraps up preseason play with the NFL's Buf- falo Bills two days prior to the Georgia Southern game and will be at Carter-Finley for the Pack's opener. NCSU also recently honored Russell Wilson's No. 16 during the Kay Yow Spring Game in April. A week later, NC State will host Old Dominion, a game that will be carried on ESPN3 and have a 6 p.m. start. After start- ing the season with a pair of games at home, NC State travels to Tampa, Fla., to play South Florida at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The American Athletic Conference dis- closed in June that the game will start at 3:30 p.m. and be televised by CBS Sports Network. Those are the only three game times expected to be announced prior to the start of the season. NCSU's 2015 schedule began to come into clearer focus when it was announced that the Wolfpack had signed a home-and- home deal with Troy of the Sun Belt Con- WOLFPACK FOOTBALL NC State Breaks Ground On Indoor Facility ■ 2014 Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time Aug. 30 Georgia Southern (ACCN) 12:30 p.m. Sept. 6 Old Dominion (ESPN3) 6 p.m. Sept. 13 at South Florida (CBSSN) 3:30 p.m. Sept. 20 Presbyterian TBA Sept. 27 Florida State TBA Oct. 4 at Clemson TBA Oct. 11 Boston College TBA Oct. 18 at Louisville TBA Nov. 1 at Syracuse TBA Nov. 8 Georgia Tech TBA Nov. 15 Wake Forest TBA Nov. 29 at North Carolina TBA Construction on the $14 million, 90,000-square-foot practice facility is expected to be completed in time for 2015 spring practice. IMAGE COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS 110-112.Wolfpack Football.indd 110 6/27/14 2:35 PM