Those rumors about the University of Maryland’s plans to turn Cole Field House into a football practice facility are true, and, of course, Kevin Plank is in the mix.
If the university’s trustees sign off, the storied basketball arena will become part of a facility that officials are calling “The New Cole Field House.” In an apparent effort to bring to mind visions of synchronized sea turtles, it will also be known as Terrapin Performance Center.
Along with an indoor field, the $155 million facility will feature souped up weight rooms, a locker room and offices. Two outdoor fields will also be constructed on the grounds. Two university programs will also be housed there: the Center for Sports Medicine, Health and Human Performance and the yet-to-be-created Academy of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
With the basketball team no longer using Cole, the new facility represents the University of Maryland’s increasing focus on keeping up with the football competition in their new home of the Big 10 Conference.
That leaves Plank, a former Terps football player, is perfectly positioned to tighten his link to the program a la Nike’s Oregon connection.
“This project brings together two of my favorite passions, Maryland athletics and entrepreneurship,” Plank said in a statement released by the university. “The lessons I learned on the football field in College Park continue to fuel my entrepreneurial spirit and shape my professional approach. By fostering a generation of entrepreneurial-minded young adults, we are preparing our students not just for the next four years, but for many years to come.”
