UCLA Football Facilities Still Languish Under Chianti Dan While Baylor Builds On-Campus Stadium

We did a lengthy series on UCLA football facilities a while back, concluding with a plea for upgraded practice and strength and conditioning facilities and an on-campus stadium:

First and foremost, our practice facilities absolutely need to be upgraded. We need at least 2 full outdoor 120 yard fields, with normal straight uprights. We need to fix the drainage on the natural grass portion or make them both field turf. An indoor practice facility is not really a necessity in Westwood, but functional outdoor facilities are.

Second, and this is something else that needs to be done immediately. The bare minimum is Spaulding (or a replacement for Spaulding) and improving Acosta/Knapp. We need to build a new strength and conditioning center that is at least equal to what USC and Cal are doing.

Finally, we come to the most controversial, most long term aspect, but really, the most important. An on-campus football stadium. Why do we need an on-campus stadium? Well, for one, the LSU-Bama game was worth $18 million to the City of Tuscaloosa. Additionally, as Baylor coach Art Briles argued, an on-campus stadium really matters for recruiting:

Instead of looking to the suggestions of UCLA fans and alums, instead, Chianti Dan asked in confusion, "what's wrong with Spaulding". I guess someone finally told him, because Chianti Dan promised to consider a feasibility study for....sprucing up Spaulding...or something.

Meanwhile, Tulane of all places has recently announced an on-campus stadium, San Jose State is upgrading facilities, and Baylor has been working on their new on-campus 45,000 seat stadium, scheduled for completion in 2014:

The Baylor Bears continue their season of good news, announcing the "largest capital gift in university history" for the purposes of a new, on-campus football stadium. And based on photos the athletic department is releasing of that stadium, somebody's paying for a mighty pretty building. This is all just concept art, of course, but still

And still, Chianti Dan fiddles. Chancellor Gene Block apparently doesn't like hearing complaints from the people he's supposed to serve. So tell him to get rid of Chianti Dan.