Some folks might prefer to call it "The House that Urban Built" because it came about in large part because of Urban Meyer's tremendous success in his first year as the University of Utah football coach.
Officially, the new practice facility near the Utah campus will be called the Spence Eccles Field House after the generous university donor, who also has his name on the football stadium and nearby tennis center.
That announcement came Tuesday afternoon at the foot of the new facility, directly south of the Dee Glen Smith Athletics Center on the same ground where the old "bubble" existed.
By the time it is completed in November, it will be 65-feet high with 75,000 square feet of space to house a regulation-size field and a mini theater featuring interactive exhibits and a photographic display of former Ute greats. The synthetic turf will be identical to the FieldTurf used in Rice-Eccles Stadium.
U. athletic director Chris Hill called it "the final piece" to what he feels are the best athletic facilities in the West.
"We are extremely grateful to Spence and Cleone Eccles and their family for their continued support of Utah athletics," Hill said.
Eccles, at Utah graduate who was an all-American athlete on the ski team, donated $2 million with the understanding that other donors would contribute to the rest of the $6 million facility. Those other donors will be revealed later this fall when the practice facility opens.
The new Field House is scheduled to open Nov. 15, the week before the BYU game on Nov. 20. While it may not be totally finished, it should be completed enough that the Ute team could practice that week if the weather is inclement. Then, if the Utes make it to a bowl game, the practice facility will be ready for use throughout the month of December.
New university president Michael Young said Meyer told him the facility was vital to the Ute football program, which was "on the cusp of a dynasty." That comment made Meyer squirm a bit in his seat, but when he got his chance to speak, Meyer said the facility will be important over the next couple of years when college football becomes more divided between the "haves and the have-nots."
"With the addition of our new indoor facility, there is no question Utah is firmly entrenched in the haves," Meyer said.
Two of the main reasons cited for the new facility by Meyer were safety and recruiting.
The old facility, at the same location, had Astroturf with a bubble overhead that broke on more than one occasion. Players suffered injuries playing on the old Astroturf and the field wasn't large enough for the whole team to properly work out at the same time.
Meyer also pointed out that the new facility will be instrumental in recruiting against other schools that have similar facilities. Utah's top rival, BYU, opened a $9 million indoor facility last year.
"Our friends down south are making a move, so we needed to make a move to stay with and exceed the things that our rivals are doing," he said. "With the addition of this facility, this will give us, in my mind, the best facilities in the West."
Besides football, the new Spence Eccles Field House will be used for other Ute athletic teams, including baseball, softball, soccer, golf and track and field. Hill and Young both said the university envisions community use of the facility when the Ute teams aren't using it.
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