When did Midwest/Northern Schools first start using
by TWO (2019-03-08 10:34:24)
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dedicated indoor practice facilities for football. Certainly it is what allows the Irish to start Spring Drills while the temps are low and there is snow on the ground.

I seem to remember ND was one of the first to have an indoor facility dedicated to football, just don't know when that was.

I assume that before that many teams probably used basketball gyms when forced inside.

ND, OSU, and PSU all opened indoor facilities in 1987
by ShermanOaksND  (2019-03-10 21:24:11)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

The Skunkweasels opened their first one, and the nation's first, in 1980.

Loftus opened during the Holtz years, late '80s? *
by MPG  (2019-03-08 10:47:38)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

From wiki:
by Irish72  (2019-03-08 16:27:47)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Dedicated on April 23, 1988, the Loftus Center saw its first football team practice on September 30th of that season. Designed for use by all Notre Dame athletic teams as well as students, faculty and staff. The center measures 614 feet by 210 feet."

Loftus was used in the 1987 football season. Wikipedia is
by OldIrishFan  (2019-03-09 08:10:35)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Unreliable
Loftus was "under construction" in March 1987
by 88_92WSND  (2019-03-10 23:52:35)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

And was scheduled to be done by October. First football practice was September 30, 1987. The first track meet was held in early 1988.

Observer archives.
Same information is on ND's site.
by NDBass  (2019-03-10 11:26:23)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

I can't say if it is right or wrong.
I was there when they dedicated it
by TahoeDweller  (2019-03-08 21:31:30)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

There was a dog and pony show for the Loftus family who donated the money where some of us put on our ND uniforms and tried to look athletic.

I once saw Rocket do a full backflip on the infield turf from a standstill. One day in the weightroom, Chris Zorich got tired of Ricky Watters' antics and picked Ricky up over Zorich's head, while laughing the whole time.

I was a bit shocked at how quickly the facility was considered outdated for football. The indoor track was fantastic.