The UW-Madison football team's new practice facility is getting closer to the goal line. Yesterday, plans for the project were discussed at a Joint Campus Area Committee meeting.

What?

The school is replacing the Camp Randall Sports Center, known colloquially as “The Shell”, and the McClain Center with a new 450,000-sqft facility.

Features of the new complex are threefold:

Indoor practice field: Replacing the existing Shell, the facility will include coaches offices that overlook the regulation field. There will also be a 300-meter indoor track for the Badgers track and field teams to utilize.
Training facility: The facility will include locker rooms, weight rooms, meeting spaces, and a dining hall to replace the existing McClain Center.
A triangle: The space will include an outdoor plaza honoring Wisconsin veterans and a large indoor space (function TBD).

At $285 million, it is the most expensive construction project ever undertaken by the Wisconsin athletic department.

Why?

The project was conceived to rectify shortcomings of the current aging buildings, including the fact that the existing facility's field is 20 yards shorter than regulation and the ceiling height limits kicking drills.

The entire project will be done in phases with a completion date of September 2027. | Rendering via Joint Campus Area Committee | Joint Campus Area Committee

When?

Wisconsin officials plan to carry out construction in phases:

Aug.-Nov. 2024: The Shell is demolished
Nov. 2024-Mar. 2026: Construction of the indoor practice field
Dec. 2025-Dec. 2026: Construction of the triangle
Feb.-May 2026: The McClain Center is demolished
Mar. 2026: Indoor practice field fully functional
May 2026-Sep. 2027: Construction of the new training facility
Sept. 2027: All phases of the project fully functional

By the Badgers' 2027-28 season, they'll have a gleaming new facility to utilize.