When does the upgrade in facilities start paying off?

[WinOneThisCentury]

Ok, 2016 looked very much like 2014 to me. Now, we have the remarkable 2015 season, but the hay was already in the barn for that season. So, you have to ask yourself, have the recruiting classes been significantly better over the past two years, and will it start showing up on the field. I think we are certainly getting some of the guys we want earlier, but the argument was that the facilities were holding us back to an extent in recruiting. The Texas Debacle was certainly a momentum killer after the 2015 season. It's going to be interesting to see if that closed the door to Texas.

Now, I get Iowa is a development program. We take good recruits and make them NFL players, at least in the trenches. I'd like to see us become a recruiting program...where we take 4 star players and make them better. There is no excuse any longer as to why that can't happen. I think we appear to be more organized at targeting higher rated players, but that may just be Rob's incredible recruit profiles.

 

[hawkjunkie]

The new football practice facility was not officially & completely opened until the summer before last. So, any effect on recruiting would be this season, and possibly some the previous.... We had the Eno debacle and losing 4 top rated recruits. There went that... Although I think we still came up with a good class this year.

I would say if the facilities are going to pay off, it will be in two more years. Give these guys at least a year to develop. Time will tell... But we got some damn nice facilities! That has to open up the eyes of plenty recruits.

 

[judzeehawk]

Davis not roaming around the facilities has to help!

 

[BigD]

I don't keep up with badgerland. Since they have clearly taken the number three spot in the B1G what do they offer in way of facilities. If the answer is nothing I guess we are going to have to find another excuse.

 

[1hawkeye1]

Seems like by the time the facilities start to pay off, they'll be banging the drum to have them updated.

 

[IAHAWK1982]

I believe the team moved into the new facility in January of 2015. So this past season's freshman class would have been the first to possibly have been influenced by it. And the team itself that may have benefited by the facility's better atmosphere for training the team. Give it some time. Don't expect instant results. A lot of other schools have great facilities. This isn't going to make Iowa look way better than all schools, but will keep them on par with the better programs.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

The new football practice facility was not officially & completely opened until the summer before last. So, any effect on recruiting would be this season, and possibly some the previous.... We had the Eno debacle and losing 4 top rated recruits. There went that... Although I think we still came up with a good class this year.

I would say if the facilities are going to pay off, it will be in two more years. Give these guys at least a year to develop. Time will tell... But we got some damn nice facilities! That has to open up the eyes of plenty recruits.

Don't agree on the all or nothing philosophy on this. YOu can or they should have been selling the "future" of the facilities to recruits/players that would be freshman, sophs and possibly juniors this year.

I wouldn't say "OK, when our facilities are completely done, then we're really going to hit the recruiting hard.". They should have been selling it the past 2-3 years.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I don't keep up with badgerland. Since they have clearly taken the number three spot in the B1G what do they offer in way of facilities. If the answer is nothing I guess we are going to have to find another excuse.

The only thing they have on us is their kick ass stadium and raucous student fan base. That can tilt the balance.

Oh, and they have lakes Mendota and Monona. I'm going to guess a prettier campus.

 

[Joshbrown]

Oh, and they have lakes Mendota and Monona. I'm going to guess a prettier campus.

I've visited. My fraternity brothers and I used to road trip there often. Stopping over on our way to Lake Geneva so we could pretend we were sophisticated as we indulged at the Playboy club. Anyway, they have nothing on Iowa City. Gotta luv that river running thru campus. Floating down on inner tubes with hotties in bikinis every summer. Ahhhhhh, memories.

 

[Bordone]

You know what Wisconsin has on Iowa... 2 million people and only one division one school. And that facilities upgrade wasn't done to instantly generate truckloads of 5 star recruits, it was done to remain relevant as an athletic program. Not sure why some people on this board feel the need to post nonsense to complain about for absolutely no reason.

 

[Seth53]

I wouldn't consider the upgrades a deal-makers, rather, a holding pattern.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

You know what Wisconsin has on Iowa... 2 million people and only one division one school. And that facilities upgrade wasn't done to instantly generate truckloads of 5 star recruits, it was done to remain relevant as an athletic program. Not sure why some people on this board feel the need to post nonsense to complain about for absolutely no reason.

I don't think the post was complaining about anything...it was asking if the new facilities were generating improvements in recruiting. "It was to remain relevant as an athletic program"...and how does that happen? Better uniforms? Pink Locker rooms? It remains relevant by recruiting better football players...and if you don't think the facilities were a part of that you are sorely mistaken.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

You know what Wisconsin has on Iowa... 2 million people and only one division one school. And that facilities upgrade wasn't done to instantly generate truckloads of 5 star recruits, it was done to remain relevant as an athletic program. Not sure why some people on this board feel the need to post nonsense to complain about for absolutely no reason.

.............and get the hell off my lawn!