FB: Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference

[d3fan1515]

Heard some awesome news out of Benedictine... Supposedly, plans are to have a brand new Locker Room facility by the time football season rolls around!! The new facility is suppose to have the whole 9 yards... Wood lockers, a players lounge (complete with flat screens, couches and video game consoles), Offensive/Defensive meeting rooms and also showers and bathrooms. I also heard this facility is exclusively for the football team, all other sports will not be able to use this facility, but are also going to have locker room over-hauls within the next couple of years! I heard this from a reliable source, so this is very exciting news!

[Pat Coleman]

True -- although, Kickoff 2011 subscribers knew about this in August. Here's a Q&A we did with Jon Cooper:

D3: You guys have had some really nice outdoor facilities the past few years and I know the gymnasium refurb is going on this summer.
JC: That's going on right now as we speak. The football offices are located in a construction trailer outside the Rice Center because they basically had to rip apart the inside area. The fieldhouse floor was redone two years ago or a year ago in the spring. Now this year is the renovation of the weight room, fitness center and office space, so there's no place for us to go. They moved us all down into a former equipment room. Stuff was falling on our heads from the construction, so they realized that wasn't the best thing in the world. When it's done, it will be done in October, we may finish the season here and then move as soon as the season is done. Next year, new locker rooms.

D3: I have to ask, then, because I've heard nothing but great things about St. Thomas' locker rooms. What were the visitors' locker rooms like there?
JC: It was really nice, but getting into their locker rooms ... I'll be honest with you, we had two vice presidents make the trip to St. Thomas and they walked through St. Thomas' facility and they said, 'Oh my gosh.' It was the best thing that ever happened, because they came back here and took a look at the plans for the renovation and they revamped them. That's one of the reasons why it's taken so long.

D3: What did you guys get out of that -- what's new in the plans?
JC: They reconfigured the locker room, with the kind of lockers and the number of lockers to house a larger roster. Also the weight room -- the fitness center was split into two levels to create one that is primarily focused on athletics. And the square footage of the fitness center and weight room was increased. I'm pretty sure that some of the changes were the direct result of what they saw at St. Thomas. We're not getting what St. Thomas has, trust me, but it was a productive trip because you can really see there are haves and have-nots at our level.

[d3fan1515]

I did get kickoff Pat, completely forgot about that being discussed in your interview with Coach Cooper! I think my excitement is more about the detail that is going to go into this locker room! This will be a division 1 facility!

[d3fan1515]

BU's 2012 Non-Conf slate looks like Wheaton, North Park, Albion... This is a pretty challenging non-conf schedule, I commend the BU athletics department for putting this schedule together and I think it will benefit the program in the long run. Wheaton is a very challenging opponent, a perennial CCIW powerhouse and Albion is a defending conference champion! I am curious to see how this turns out for BU! Anyone else have any info on the other teams in the conference, who are they playing for the non-conf portion of the season?

[audad2011]

Surprising news at AU!!

http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/sports/10992388-419/walsh-replaces-duncan-as-aurora-university-football-coach.html

[old 40]

Wow! Big News from AU. I wonder if the old coach had worn out his welcome. I hope  the master plan is a well thought out strategy. Next season should be interesting. I would not count out the Spartans.

[Gregory Sager]

BU's 2012 Non-Conf slate looks like Wheaton, North Park, Albion... This is a pretty challenging non-conf schedule, I commend the BU athletics department for putting this schedule together and I think it will benefit the program in the long run. Wheaton is a very challenging opponent, a perennial CCIW powerhouse and Albion is a defending conference champion!

What, no thoughts about that third non-con opponent that BU has on the 2012 sked?

[NCF]

BU's 2012 Non-Conf slate looks like Wheaton, North Park, Albion... This is a pretty challenging non-conf schedule, I commend the BU athletics department for putting this schedule together and I think it will benefit the program in the long run. Wheaton is a very challenging opponent, a perennial CCIW powerhouse and Albion is a defending conference champion!

What, no thoughts about that third non-con opponent that BU has on the 2012 sked?

Trying to bait the enemy?

[d3fan1515]

I do have thoughts about North Park Sager, I have no doubt that they will be a tough opponent for BU next year!  I was just pointing out the accolades that the other two non-conf opponents had achieved over the last year.

BU will be sporting new helmets next year, MATTE BLACK! If you "like" Benedictine Eagle Athletics on facebook you can check out the helmet! The helmet is completely black with a red B that is outlined in white! They came out awesome!

[NCF]

I do have thoughts about North Park Sager, I have no doubt that they will be a tough opponent for BU next year!  I was just pointing out the accolades that the other two non-conf opponents had achieved over the last year.

BU will be sporting new helmets next year, MATTE BLACK! If you "like" Benedictine Eagle Athletics on facebook you can check out the helmet! The helmet is completely black with a red B that is outlined in white! They came out awesome!

I wish North Central would do something like that.  Or at least go back to the black/red shoe.

[d3fan1515]

I am also a fan of the entire team having the same spikes!

[NCF]

The team looks better when everyone is the same from top to bottom.

[d3fan1515]

Agreed!

[NCF]

Agreed!

Does BU take any summer trips? North Central is going to Spain in june. They do this every three years.

[d3fan1515]

They don't do it yet, but I know that it is in the works and that they want to do it!