What Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Said About Construction of New Practice Facility

How the Ducks are learning to deal with the construction around Autzen Stadium.

"Yeah. Still learning, right? It means drills are moved in different spots, means that some of the drills are not, you know, you don't have as much field space for, so you have to adapt and adjust the drills. But it's something that we can handle well," Lanning said about the construction.

It's interesting to note that the Ducks teased a new documentary series covering their off season titled "Under Construction" pointing to the current renovations.

So, what is happening with the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex?

Expected to push boundaries for football facilities across the country, the renovations to the Hatfield-Downlin complex introduces a brand new 140,000 square foot indoor facility mimicking the shape of the Oregon "O" from special polymer tile and Northwest timber. The indoor area will be temperature controlled to mimic certain environments for athletes.

"The center of the roof would be paneled with tinted polymer panels supported by a steel cable system, which allows natural light to reach the field without glare while insulating against heat," the University of Oregon wrote in a press release.

The new facility will allow other sports at Oregon to use the Moshofsky Center, often occupied by football throughout the off season.

There will also be 30,000 square feet of renovations to the existing complex.

According to the university, the renovations are "entirely funded through private philanthropy" and managed by the UO Foundation.

Why does this facility matter for current and future athletes?

“Probably more than anything, just the fact that Oregon continues to prove that we're going to be the best of the best,” Lanning said to Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus earlier this year. “When you get here and you're like, these are unbelievable facilities for our players. We talk about living off the land. And then they find out that it's only gonna get better… There's a lot of benefits to this new building that are going to be really special and directly impact our student athletes.” 

"Highly competitive, top-tier college football benefits our community in a myriad of ways, but especially economically, with thousands of visitors each fall spending millions of dollars. The economic and community impact of UO Athletics has increased in step with the trajectory of the University of Oregon football program. Maintaining a competitive edge has never been more challenging," the University said regarding the new complex.