FB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[firstdown]

Wally - there are  some high schools fields around the counrty that would make any D3 team green with envy.  Center Grove High School (the 5A State Champs) has both field turf and a diamond vision  display to enjoy replays. Westlake High School in Austin has a similar facility. There are high school stadia in the Dallas area that seat over 20,000.  These facilities are expensive to build and to operate. There are a number of D3 schools that host high school games on their fields regularly.  This helps offset some of those operating costs.  Given their success in football of late, I have no doubt that Franklin College will upgrade their facilities.  However, if the new high school facility in Franklin is better this weekend, then by all means use it.

[Li'l Giant]

Wally - there are  some high schools fields around the counrty that would make any D3 team green with envy.  Center Grove High School (the 5A State Champs) has both field turf and a diamond vision  display to enjoy replays. Westlake High School in Austin has a similar facility. There are high school stadia in the Dallas area that seat over 20,000.  These facilities are expensive to build and to operate. There are a number of D3 schools that host high school games on their fields regularly.  This helps offset some of those operating costs.  Given their success in football of late, I have no doubt that Franklin College will upgrade their facilities.  However, if the new high school facility in Franklin is better this weekend, then by all means use it.

I've seen the one up at Westlake. No joke, that place is nicer than the stadium at I-AA Texas State.

I agree with firstdown here. Franklin should be able to host it wherever they want.

[rscl70]

Wally - there are  some high schools fields around the counrty that would make any D3 team green with envy.  Center Grove High School (the 5A State Champs) has both field turf and a diamond vision  display to enjoy replays. Westlake High School in Austin has a similar facility. There are high school stadia in the Dallas area that seat over 20,000.  These facilities are expensive to build and to operate. There are a number of D3 schools that host high school games on their fields regularly.  This helps offset some of those operating costs.  Given their success in football of late, I have no doubt that Franklin College will upgrade their facilities.  However, if the new high school facility in Franklin is better this weekend, then by all means use it.

I've seen the one up at Westlake. No joke, that place is nicer than the stadium at I-AA Texas State.

I agree with firstdown here. Franklin should be able to host it wherever they want.

Just a little ol' high school stadium...http://www.flickr.com/photos/ronnie44052/32539177/

[D3_DPUFan]

Franklin absolutely should have had its field ready to go this week...period. The game was played November 10 for crying out loud. When's the last time you heard of something this ridiculous happening...even in high school??? ? Coach Leonard and the team deserve better than this...IMHO it is outrageous that Rupp & Co. have to leave their home stadium to go to a high school field for a high level playoff game...wow. Having said that, I do think Franklin should have the option of moving it to another site...certainly not losing the ability to host the game...

Wally - there are  some high schools fields around the counrty that would make any D3 team green with envy. 

That should read many, not some...and in some areas most large school high school stadiums are better than those at the DIII level....and of course, most high schools have far better attendance as well...

[bashbrother]

With the cost of annual maintenance for a natural surface and the falling cost of field turf, there are becoming less and less excuses to not get it done. 

It is unfortunate, that as the football program at Franklin is at its brightest moment.... the quality of their facilities is what is being talked about. 

Will the players over 300 lbs. need to wear a black stripe on their helmets on Saturday?     

[altor]

The game was played November 10 for crying out loud. When's the last time you heard of something this ridiculous happening...even in high school??? ?

Because somebody has to come to their defense...

If I were the Franklin groundskeeper on November 16 when the brackets came out, I know I would not have invested a bunch of time and money to work on a football field that was unlikely to see another game for 9 months.  And I'm not talking about believing they could win.  All four top seeds had to lose in order for Franklin to earn this home game.

Practically speaking, if you don't host a game in the first round, it is not likely that you will host a game at all (unless you are in Texas or the West Coast).  Even with all the upsets, only Wabash and Franklin will have done so this year.

[D3_DPUFan]

Because somebody has to come to their defense...

If I were the Franklin groundskeeper on November 16 when the brackets came out, I know I would not have invested a bunch of time and money to work on a football field that was unlikely to see another game for 9 months.  And I'm not talking about believing they could win.  All four top seeds had to lose in order for Franklin to earn this home game.

Practically speaking, if you don't host a game in the first round, it is not likely that you will host a game at all (unless you are in Texas or the West Coast).  Even with all the upsets, only Wabash and Franklin will have done so this year.

I'm not a groundskeeper (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night) but it seems only common sense that you are going to repair a ripped up field regardless of whether it will be played on again for months. There is absolutely no excuse for this...also makes a real impression on recruits... 

[aueagle]

Next time you check-out Sports Illustrated, look at the Under Armour ad. The facility that has been used is a high school staium in Texas.
And then there were 2....(in Indiana)......Franklin & St. Francis.......

[GRIZ_BACKER]

Because somebody has to come to their defense...

If I were the Franklin groundskeeper on November 16 when the brackets came out, I know I would not have invested a bunch of time and money to work on a football field that was unlikely to see another game for 9 months.  And I'm not talking about believing they could win.  All four top seeds had to lose in order for Franklin to earn this home game.

Practically speaking, if you don't host a game in the first round, it is not likely that you will host a game at all (unless you are in Texas or the West Coast).  Even with all the upsets, only Wabash and Franklin will have done so this year.

I'm not a groundskeeper (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night) but it seems only common sense that you are going to repair a ripped up field regardless of whether it will be played on again for months. There is absolutely no excuse for this...also makes a real impression on recruits... 

Taking Altor's comments into account and the likelihood that FC will be installing field turf this summer, if I were the AD I am not going to waste time and money repairing the field in November.  There is no reason to play on a field that even if they worked on it it would still not be 100% and risk players being injured and compromising the teams abilities to use 100% of their arsenal.  The field turf benefits both schools IMO. 

With regard to recruits FC has done just fine in the HCAC with grass.  FC's stadium and field is not sub standard.  The only issue is that there was a driving rain on 11/15 and the field was ruined.  Had it not rained that day we wouldn't even be having this discussion.  Just my two cents worth.

[D3_DPUFan]

With regard to recruits FC has done just fine in the HCAC with grass.  FC's stadium and field is not sub standard.  The only issue is that there was a driving rain on 11/15 and the field was ruined.  Had it not rained that day we wouldn't even be having this discussion.  Just my two cents worth.

My comment regarding recruits was not aimed at Franklin's grass field---actually, I think a good grass field is far more impressive than turf and better for players. Let's face it, turf has become the field of choice for high schools. My point regarding recruits is how bush league it looks to have to move a huge playoff game off campus to a freakin' high school field...that's weak and the football program at Franklin deserves better. 

[altor]

I'm not a groundskeeper (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night) but it seems only common sense that you are going to repair a ripped up field regardless of whether it will be played on again for months.

Just to clarify, I'm not a groundskeeper either (I don't even play one on TV).  But, it seems only common sense that you would repair a ripped up field in the spring after the ground has thawed and you can get new grass to grow.

That said, after I posted what I did last night, I had to wonder:  Did Wabash have the same weather on the 15th that Franklin had?  If so, how did they get their field back into playable shape?

[wally_wabash]

I'm not a groundskeeper (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night) but it seems only common sense that you are going to repair a ripped up field regardless of whether it will be played on again for months.

Just to clarify, I'm not a groundskeeper either (I don't even play one on TV).  But, it seems only common sense that you would repair a ripped up field in the spring after the ground has thawed and you can get new grass to grow.

That said, after I posted what I did last night, I had to wonder:  Did Wabash have the same weather on the 15th that Franklin had?  If so, how did they get their field back into playable shape?

The weather most likely would have been pretty similar in the two areas during that period of time.  My guess as to why Wabash's field was useable and Franklin's field is not is that Wabash's field was probably in better shape to begin with before the weather got crummy in central Indiana.  I know that in 2006, Wabash's grass was in awful shape.  The Bell game hosted at Hollett that year was particularly brutal.  It's obvious that a lot of work was done (resodding and subsequent maintenance) to make sure that there wouldn't be repeat in future seasons.  And now of course Wabash is installing a synthetic surface to be used in '09 and beyond so the issue is moot.

[D3_DPUFan]

That said, after I posted what I did last night, I had to wonder:  Did Wabash have the same weather on the 15th that Franklin had?  If so, how did they get their field back into playable shape?

I talked to a guy who was at the Franklin game and I think Franklin did have more rain, including during the game...but kudos to the folks at Wabash. 2006 the field for the Bell game was ridiculous...not this time...field was in great shape despite some pretty nasty conditions...

[usee]

DanSand posted on the CCIW board that Augustana, during its 4 National Championship run from 1983-1987, played only 1 playoff game on their home field and hosted the balance at a local HS stadium. I was at a few of those games and the HS stadium was a welcome reprieve to the hole that was in Rock Island those years. Augie used to practice all year on their game field so by midseason it was unplayable. They have field turf now.

[Li'l Giant]

Honestly, I wouldn't care if the game was played at Tuttle Middle School as long as my team was still alive in the playoffs. Yeah, I think it would be preferable to be on campus, but I think Franklin fans will still have a lot to be proud of.