Skip to main content

Upgraded facilities help ACC keep up with Joneses

By WTOP Staff

JOEDY McCREARY
AP Sports Writer

There’s a construction boom taking place across the Atlantic Coast Conference.

During the past 18 months, half the league’s schools have either begun or completed major projects to upgrade their football facilities.

Some are expanding stadiums and adding premium seating and luxury boxes to generate revenue, while trying to improve the gameday experience for fans.

Many others are building practice facilities or adding other perks that directly benefit the athletes themselves — and, of course, catch the eyes of elite recruits.

The schools say spending big bucks on new buildings is a tangible demonstration of their level of commitment to developing and maintaining strong football programs in a conference still trying to sell itself as a major player in the sport.

“It shows the coaches, the staff, they’re all committed to us having the best, and are committed to having the program the best that it can be and striving to be the best in the nation,” Clemson tight end Stanton Seckinger said.

“Nowadays, having facilities like this is just one of the steps you need to do,” Seckinger added. “You look all around the country and a lot of people have those things. It does make a difference.”

Added Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson: “What it does is it helps you keep up with the Joneses.”

It won’t be long before the $7 million building that Johnson’s Yellow Jackets call home will be one of the older ones in the conference — and it opened just three years ago.

By the end of the current construction cycle, every school in the ACC will have access to a permanent indoor practice facility except for Boston College and Miami.

“Anytime that you have construction going on, it’s a sign of progress,” Syracuse coach Scott Shafer said.

When North Carolina State broke ground last month on its privately funded, $14 million practice facility, athletic director Debbie Yow said the Wolfpack “won’t have to feel envious or wonder when we’re going to have one.”

Neither will Wake Forest, which held the groundbreaking ceremony for its $21 million indoor building a few weeks after the one at N.C. State. Florida State, Clemson and Virginia opened new indoor practice facilities in 2013, and Syracuse is due to debut one by the end of this year.

Virginia Tech hopes to have its new one ready by the start of next season and some of the school’s other teams, including track and field, will inherit the old building constructed in the 1970s.

“Everyone benefits by us having this thing,” coach Frank Beamer said.

In some cases, the new facilities may have effectively paid for themselves.

Florida State’s $15 million indoor building opened before last season, and the Seminoles went on to win their third national title. This year, they unveiled a $4.25 million upgrade that included improved locker rooms — with an iPad in each locker, a new lounge for the players, and statues of past stars.

One reason Louisville was invited into the ACC was its superior facilities, which include recently expanded Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. The Cardinals are planning further improvements, raising funds toward a $14 million academic center at the stadium.

And while Clemson didn’t formally open its $10 million indoor building in January 2013, the Tigers held a handful of practices there leading up to their Chick-fil-A Bowl victory over LSU in December 2012.

“Whatever the final price tag on the building was, it’s not even close to what it would have cost to have a 3½-hour infomercial for Clemson University in front of millions and millions of people who get to watch” the bowl game, coach Dabo Swinney said.

They also hope the next wave of players take notice of this building boom.

“Anything new and brighter makes things a little bit easier on the recruiting trail,” Shafer said.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe said a recruit’s typical reaction to the Blue Devils’ ambitious construction plan is “huge.”

Duke — which opened its indoor practice facility in 2011 — plans a massive upgrade to bring 85-year-old Wallace Wade Stadium into the 21st century. Once this season ends, workers will remove the track, lower the playing surface and extend the stands closer to the field. The press box — which presently doubles as the school’s sports medicine offices — will be demolished and rebuilt over a roughly 18-month period to include luxury suites and club seating, and the open end of the stadium’s horseshoe will be bowled in to raise capacity by roughly 10,000 seats to just under 44,000.

“The commitment’s there. They see the commitment’s there,” Cutcliffe said. “It’s next-level stuff.”

___

AP Sports Writers John Kekis in Syracuse, New York; Aaron Beard in Raleigh, North Carolina; Hank Kurz Jr. in Blacksburg, Virginia; Pete Iacobelli in Clemson, South Carolina; Gary Graves in Louisville, Kentucky; Associated Press Writer Kareem Copeland in Tallahassee, Florida; and AP freelancer Matt Winklejohn in Atlanta contributed to this report.

___

Follow Joedy McCreary on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joedyap

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote