How Arizona State Facilities Can Impact The Future

Photo Courtesy: ASU Athletics

By Justin Toscano

College football teams compete on the field from August to December and some into January, but the recruiting race continues throughout an entire year.

Arizona State’s football team received an official look at its new facilities at Sun Devil Stadium last Friday, which are part of the overall $268-million stadium renovation the athletic department is going through.

ASU’s new facilities include a barber shop, illuminated lockers and a plunge pool that can hold up to 30 players. The new player’s lounge features TVs, video games, a ping pong table and pool table. Additionally, the weight room received an upgrade.

A Look Back

The improvements seem like they’ll be a great recruiting tool, especially because other programs — Pac-12 and from other conferences — have stepped up their digs, too. If a program wants to eventually compete with others for the 4-star and 5-star prospects, it better offer the same benefits to high schoolers looking for their home for the next four years.

Phil Knight and Oregon led the charge in the uniform game in college football. Now, it seems like every program has multiple combinations. For context, ASU football didn’t wear the same uniform combo on two different Saturdays during last season.

But in 2013, months after Alabama football completed its $9-million renovation of its football facilities, Oregon football blew the college football world away with theirs. The Crimson Tide’s renovations included arcade games, pool tables and 30-foot long hot tubs.

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In terms of recruiting, the Phil Knight-funded $68-million improvement at Oregon took recruiting to a new level. The lobby has 64 55-inch TVs, the weight room floor is made of Brazilian hardwood and there are TVs embedded in the coaches’ locker room.

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When looking at Oregon’s facilities, it isn’t difficult to see why the Ducks win many recruiting battles using that allure alone. During the same time, a team much closer to the Sun Devils upgraded their facilities, too.

The University of Arizona’s Lowell-Steven’s football facility debuted prior to the season opener in 2013. The $72.3-million upgrade included transforming the north end of Arizona Stadium. All five stories of the Wildcats’ football facility were much-needed for the Wildcats.

Most recently, Clemson football unveiled its new football facilities prior to National Signing Day this year. Clemson’s $55-million renovation included a Wiffle Ball field, a barber shop and a 30-foot stainless steel slide.

The finishing touch on Clemson’s new facilities was the College Football Playoff trophy it earned after dethroning Alabama in January.

ASU football isn’t Oregon, Clemson or Alabama, in winning or donor base. It isn’t expected to seriously compete in recruiting with the country’s top football programs that are consistently pursuing 5-star recruits, and that’s OK.

In 2014, USA Today Sports’ Josh Peters reported Knight’s contributions to Oregon were north of $300 million. If there’s an ASU alumnus or alumna who can donate anything near that amount, he or she hasn’t stepped forward yet.

But in context, these new ASU facilities are a great addition to the programs recruiting ammunition. They provide another dynamic for the coaching staff to sell recruits on committing to ASU over other schools, especially those in the Pac-12.

A prospective nursing student wants to see the medical facilities. A journalism student wants to see the school’s broadcasting studio. Football players want to see where they’re going to spend the next three or four years of their lives as they strive to reach the next level.

How state-of-the-art is the weight room where they’ll develop their bodies? Where will they hang out before or after practice with their teammates? How cool is the tunnel they’ll run to greet a screaming crowd on Saturdays?

It may have taken some time, but coach Todd Graham and ASU football now have shiny new answers to these questions, and many more.