The Cleveland Browns could ruin our soccer pitch

[Zip_ME87]

Did anyone else happen to see this article? http://www.foxsports.com/ohio/story/cleveland-browns-training-camp-location-possibilities-akron-Can't-state-hiram-otterbein-081214

The biggest hurdle for a Browns-Akron full-time partnership is probably the city setting of the campus, and specifically a lack of grass practice fields. Akron has a grass-field soccer stadium (capacity around 4,000) on campus, just west of the football facilities, though it's unclear how the Browns using that would be received by Akron's nationally-recognized soccer program.

The Browns practicing in our soccer stadium would be awful. I can't imagine the state of that beautiful field when they get done with it. How could UA even consider this?

[LZIp]

Why does using have to mean tear up? I've been to their training camp in Berea and the practice fields always look nice.

[Zip_ME87]

Why does using have to mean tear up? I've been to their training camp in Berea and the practice fields always look nice.

Sorry, not pristine like a soccer pitch. There's a reason why MLS has been going toward soccer-only stadiums.

[Zip_ME87]

I know some folks are just going to pay no attention to this assuming it could never happen. Unfortunately, that is not the case. And, to say that a football team practicing on our pitch would not damage it is crazy. You don't see American Football and Association Football played on the same grass field on any kind of regular basis for a reason. Successful D1 NCAA soccer programs don't even practice on their competition field. Proenza is gone, our AD has made questionable decisions in the past, and our new president is a big football fan. UA has a history of sinking a lot of money into football at the expense of other sports. History could easily repeat itself. UA soccer fans don't ignore this.

[fknbuflobo]

This story seems too stupid to be credible.

[ZachTheZip]

Browns camp would bring more attention and media coverage to our campus in the span of a few weeks than every athletic and academic achievement combined over the course of an entire year. Recruits hear about having a pro team on the campus. Prospective students and their parents hear about UA.

So the pitch might get a little muddy. I say it's worth it and it's not even debatable.

It won't get ruined nearly as bad as you might think. It's probably the most well-drained area of grass in Ohio. The pitch is tougher than you think, and the groundskeepers obsess over it. They'll keep it in great condition.

[robh91]

Browns camp would bring more attention and media coverage to our campus in the span of a few weeks than every athletic and academic achievement combined over the course of an entire year. Recruits hear about having a pro team on the campus. Prospective students and their parents hear about UA.

So the pitch might get a little muddy. I say it's worth it and it's not even debatable.

It won't get ruined nearly as bad as you might think. It's probably the most well-drained area of grass in Ohio. The pitch is tougher than you think, and the groundskeepers obsess over it. They'll keep it in great condition.

Absolutely! No debate. Keep the football players out of our soccer specific stadium. Besides, you can barely call the Browns a professional team… In 2009, Akron had the #1 ranked soccer team in the nation, and a $61M stadium was built for the #113 ranked football team. The following season, the soccer program brought Akron their first ever national championship in a team sport, and the football team went 1-11 for the first of three straight seasons. I can understand that soccer is not as popular here as football, but the least the University can do is leave the soccer pitch to our soccer team.

I think the field will get ruined much worse than you think. There is an enormous difference between soccer players running around the field, and (significantly larger) football players at the line of scrimmage. The groundskeepers do work extremely hard on the field, yet it still has looked pretty torn up by the end of the year the last few seasons. Because of Akron's style of play, games become much more difficult when we visit lower quality fields, and I think it would be crazy to risk the quality of our playing surface when our style is so dependent on it.

[Balsy]

Absolutely! No debate. Keep the football players out of our soccer specific stadium. Besides, you can barely call the Browns a professional team… In 2009, Akron had the #1 ranked soccer team in the nation, and a $61M stadium was built for the #113 ranked football team. The following season, the soccer program brought Akron their first ever national championship in a team sport, and the football team went 1-11 for the first of three straight seasons. I can understand that soccer is not as popular here as football, but the least the University can do is leave the soccer pitch to our soccer team.

I think the field will get ruined much worse than you think. There is an enormous difference between soccer players running around the field, and (significantly larger) football players at the line of scrimmage. The groundskeepers do work extremely hard on the field, yet it still has looked pretty torn up by the end of the year the last few seasons. Because of Akron's style of play, games become much more difficult when we visit lower quality fields, and I think it would be crazy to risk the quality of our playing surface when our style is so dependent on it.

That debate would be much easier if the team wasn't currently 0-2-1.

I can't imagine that having the Browns come to Akron to practice, wouldn't also include an extensive plan for the Soccer field's maintenance (if it were used for football practice...which i'm not entirely sure it would be).

[ZachTheZip]

It's a freaking soccer field, not some piece of sacred ground.

[zippy5]

It's a freaking soccer field, not some piece of sacred ground.

This is the smartest thing I've seen you post. The exposure Browns camp would bring would greatly outweigh a torn up field. Not only for athletics, but that's tens of thousands of people walking around our campus, seeing it, spending their money.. It would be borderline insane to say no to preserve a field. They'll probably re-sod it anyway and it'll be as good as new.

[Balsy]

Besides...what does a field of grass exist for OTHER than to be used? Grass is rather hardy stuff, granted you have the proper drainage and upkeep. FirstEnergy Stadium will be fine.

Browns practicing at UA is an absolute no brainer. It would bring more local attention to the University than the Soccer program (with it's national championship) ever did/does.

I'm on board with the contention that UA Soccer was grossly overlooked on the list of priorities even though it brought the only National Championship we've ever had to the school (and frankly should have had 2 to our name). But the Browns using the campus is 100% a great idea.

[Dave in Green]

Hosting the Browns would offer so many positive opportunities for UA and Akron that many of them haven't even been thought of or mentioned here yet. Every possibility should be considered to try to make this happen. But I understand the concern of Zips soccer fans. The Zips style of play has in the past been enhanced by a pristine home pitch, and no one should want to compromise the potential of UA's only national championship-winning athletic team. Zips football fans need to consider how they would feel if they discovered that hosting the Browns might compromise training for the Zips football team and degrade its newly found competitiveness. I don't think we have enough factual data just yet about the full impact of hosting the Browns to understand all the tradeoffs that need to be considered in order to make an informed decision.

[Captain Kangaroo]

Just look what the Browns training camp has done for Berea. We could be "The Next Berea!?"

[Crew8]

It makes me sick to my stomach to imagine painted football lines on Cub Cadet Field.

[SwitchIt]

Most NFL camps have multiple adjacent grass fields. I can't find one with just one field. Many are done at Colleges and the example of the Steelers at St Vincent's in Latrobe is a good one. This is a very positive partnership and an hour from Pittsburgh. Info w photo of fields layout => http://www.wtae.com/sports/steelers-training-camp-directions-and-parking/15142092

The important quote from the Fox article seems to be "There's a reason that no Div. I football program hosts an NFL training camp right now, and that comes down to space and sharing issues," Wistrcill said. "Our people are trying to look at all those logistical issues. We go in (planning to) submit a multi-year plan, and maybe the layout of camp looks significantly different in the second and third years than it does in the first."

If that is true and there is an improvement plan they would have in mind how about if they:

- Took the well used matted practice turf which is too narrow for soccer anyway and put it back to grass for football. Now you would have 2 grass areas to train in, the soccer pitch with light lines and no field goals or maybe removable/portable ones.

- Add a new high quality turf field with proper width and both football and soccer lines on the property on the other side of Exchange St. at Wheeler and Brown. Even with what appear to be tennis courts there the rest of the open space is as big as the current soccer pitch plus some margin. Training could be taken there and the football stadium turf in the case of heavy rains. 2 adjacent grass to distribute regular sessions and 2 high quality turf to transition to when needed.

The risk is that the grounds keeper would not meet the challenge of getting pitch back to A+ standards and home opener might have to be pushed back and exhibitions in August an impossibility (unless done on new turf) as the Browns go to Aug 15 and there is no way a few days is enough recovery after some repair. If there is a will there is a way to get it back and dull any lines etc, but it has to be done correctly by people familiar with that level repair/rolling/decompacting etc that would need to be done. Those guys are out there in the football world with teams that have a grass game field, at least on a consultancy basis to get everyone up to par.

The big plus outside of the general University benefits mentioned would be that the soccer team now has an A+ full sized modern surfaced soccer training pitch. The current one is about 190' width versus 228' for games (google maps measure) and that is meaningful in soccer terms. Ideally you want to train on the same dimensions as you play, especially in width. Use Browns $/rent and modeled visitor income to build the fields and viewing, sales, vending, new parking surface SE football stadium, clean up area some more, etc. Roll it all in.

[Dr Z]

I have a friend with Steeler season tickets. Every year I listen to him complain about how the Pitt Panthers tear up the field for the first half of the season.. Then the WPIAL high school playoffs are played on the field for a weekend. They end up re-soding the middle of the field after that. Heinz is one of the worst grass fields in the NFL. Still, they continue to win championships. Apples and oranges, but maybe that will make futbol fans feel a little better. PS The field has gotten slightly better over time.

I think the pros outweigh the cons having the Browns on campus. But I understand the futbol concerns, the field will not be the same.

[SwitchIt]

I agree on the pro outweigh the cons, and in the previous post put emphasis on the proper rejuvenation and patience required. Many football stadiums are low and by the water and struggle with keeping the grass healthy. Add to that Heinz has 2 teams playing on it plus some HS and yes it would be under terrible pressure for the entire fall, with the most pressure in late fall after the growing season. Cub Cadet could get some quality late summer sun and warm weather to recover and use after that is just the two soccer teams so it should be fine. There would be no visible lines as most use degradable paint now and it grows out quickly, especially on a short cut as Cub Cadet.

[Dave in Green]

Captain Kangaroo, you might be surprised at how much Berea benefits from the 10,000 or so fans who migrate to the Browns practice field each summer and how much the Akron economy could benefit from that.

SwitchIt, I like your creative thinking in trying to find ways to make it work to everyone's benefit. In a previous discussion on this subject I was trying to do the same in this post with links to aerial views of the Browns' current practice complex and the potential area at UA.

[ZZZips]

1. No UA official to my knowledge has even mentioned using the soccer stadium for a football practice facility.

2. There are several areas on University owned property where a grass field can be installed for use by both our football team and the Browns.

3. The Browns have not acknowledged that they are moving the camp. They are only doing an investigation into possible opportunities.

4. The responses from the bidders have been submitted to the Browns executives. I am positive that our administration would not sacrifice one of the best college soccer pitches in the country for a three week rental opportunity.

5. Scheduling is the only negative trade off to hosting the Browns. Their would be some overlap with our football camp but both entities have smart people that can fit both programs into the same facilities. I am not an expert on either college or pro football camps but do either of them use the actual field facilities for more that 8 hours a day?

6. The income to the university for facility rental and food service would be helpful in times of ever decreasing operating budgets.

[Dave in Green]

ZZZips, thanks for adding that solid background data. Here's the part I don't understand. The Browns already appear to have four perfectly good turf fields adjacent to their administrative complex where hundreds of Browns employees work, as shown in this aerial photo. At any time any of the Browns executives working in that building can walk out the door and watch their players practicing. Why would they want to move their practice facilities 40 miles away from their administrative complex? About the only reason I can think of from looking at the aerial view is that there's inadequate parking in the area for the 10,000 or so fans who show up to watch Browns practices.

A remote possibility might be that for some reason they would want to move both their practice facilities and administrative complex to a new location where they could share practice facilities and reduce their overall costs. Though it seems unlikely that the Browns would move so far from the City of Cleveland, the implications of having the Browns administrative complex in Akron would be huge for the local economy, as the following portion of a 2011 Plain Dealer story on the economic impact of an NFL lockout graphically explains:

The Browns are Berea's biggest income-tax contributor, providing more than a quarter of the city's income-tax base. In 2010, $2.49 million in income tax was collected from 422 Browns employees, according to city Finance Director Dana Kavander.

Berea gets 100 percent of the income tax from administration and coaches. Players are paid a base salary and signing bonuses. Berea gets all the tax on player bonuses, but splits the tax on player salaries 50-50 with the city of Cleveland.

My best guess at this point is that the Browns are "studying" the possibility of a move to try to leverage some kind of sweeter deal out of Berea. But both UA and the City of Akron would be remiss if they ignored even the remote possibility of landing the Browns in Akron.

[Dave in Green]

After posting the above, I found more information that suggests the only reason the Browns are considering moving their training camp is that their current facilities will not handle all the Browns fans who want to spectate at training camp. It would only be those couple of weeks of activity that might be moved. Apparently there's no consideration for moving other activities outside of Berea.

[ZipsBurgh]

ZZZips, thanks for adding that solid background data. Here's the part I don't understand. The Browns already appear to have four perfectly good turf fields adjacent to their administrative complex where hundreds of Browns employees work, as shown in this aerial photo. At any time any of the Browns executives working in that building can walk out the door and watch their players practicing. Why would they want to move their practice facilities 40 miles away from their administrative complex? About the only reason I can think of from looking at the aerial view is that there's inadequate parking in the area for the 10,000 or so fans who show up to watch Browns practices.

The Steelers have a similar setup, but move 40 miles to Latrobe each preseason. Link

[GP1]

There isn't even a place for the Browns to change their clothes. The soccer field is safe. Crisis averted.

[Dave in Green]

There isn't even a place for the Browns to change their clothes. ...

You just wait until you see how much the locker rooms are going to be renovated at the nearby Rubber Bowl!

[Zip_ME87]

6. The income to the university for facility rental and food service would be helpful in times of ever decreasing operating budgets.

What would you think if UA paid the Browns rather than the Browns paying UA?