Miami Hurricanes Announce Plans for Indoor Practice Facility

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The University of Miami announced plans to break ground on an indoor practice facility at a private event on Friday. On behalf of their mother Carol, Jeffrey Soffer and his siblings $14 million donation towards the new facility is the largest in school history.

The facility will be 81,800 square feet. It will feature an 80 and 40-yard field. According to the University’s press release, the 40-yard field will connect to the Squillante Strength and Conditioning center. The new facility will be built on the current football practice field and will have interconnectivity to the Hecht Athletic Center and the Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence.

Other amenities for the new facility will include a 20,000 square foot football operations center. That will include a mezzanine level that will encompass the football coaches offices overlooking the indoor practice fields. six position meeting rooms, a head coach’s suite, three conference rooms for coaches, a recruiting suite for football with lounges and meeting rooms and a modern video center.

The facility will not be built until all the funds have been raised to be able to break ground. In addition to the donation from the Soffer family, another $10 million has been raised. They have raised $24 million towards the $34 million needed to build the facility. The fundraising will continue through the fall.

The Hurricanes are the only Power Five Conference school without an indoor practice facility or one that’s currently being built. Coral Gables averages 10.5″ of rain from August-November. The ‘Canes would frequently have practices canceled or delayed due to rain. Rain also plagued Miami’s March 31 pro day .

Mark Richt announced he and his wife were donating $1 million towards the practice facility in front of boosters in Chicago in May. Richt has emphasized the facility’s importance since he was hired in December.

Richt made the facility a point of emphasis on his spring and summer speaking tour with the hopes of raising funds to make the facility a reality. He stressed its importance at the introduction of the facility yesterday.

Richt said:”An indoor practice facility means a great deal to this football program…I am grateful that the University and the Department of Athletics recognized the need for an indoor facility and worked tirelessly to make it happen.”

The plan is for the project to completed in time for the 2018 season. Soffer stressed the importance of the facility and that she is proud to have her name on it.

“We met with coach [Mark Richt] and [athletic director Blake James], one thing led to another and here we are today. … I’m excited because this indoor practice facility puts us another level as far as recruiting and commitment to our wonderful student-athletes and coaches. Our facilities are now to be comparable with any other school in the country. And as a woman, I am proud to have my name on the University of Miami indoor practice facility for football.”