As UW-Madison's Campus Master Plan, devoted to strengthening east and west campus thoroughfares proceeds into the 2006-'07 academic year, UW Athletics is cooking up its own master plan aimed at improving'or building'Badger facilities.
Although UW Athletics had a list of three major undertakings it hoped to accomplish, including a new Natatorium, a men's hockey practice facility and an indoor track, it now says it will not know its facility priorities until a consultant helps draft the master plan.
Yet, the Badgers' two 2006 NCAA hockey titles may help the to-be-determined consultant and UW Athletics to 'prioritize,' according to UW Athletics Associate Director John Chadima.
'I think there is a need there for an on-campus hockey facility, a practice facility,' Chadima said. 'From a convenience standpoint, obviously it is not the best situation they have right now, having to travel out to the Bob Johnson facility at the Alliant Energy Center.'
The Shell, headquarters of the women's hockey program, located in the Camp Randall Sports Center, is technically on campus; however, UW-Madison's Division of Recreational Sports owns the facility, not UW Athletics, and some feel an ice rink needs to be built to establish the men's program there.
'We'd have to negotiate with Recreational Sports on how we'd move forward with transferring the Shell from Rec. Sports to UW Athletics,' Chadima said, explaining that UW Athletics may not necessarily buy the facility, but merely come to a transfer-of-control agreement.
Another possible area for a permanent hockey practice facility is the Kohl Center, which, like Camp Randall, has a large chiller for an existing ice sheet.
First proposed at one of the recent UW Athletics senior staff meetings, an athletic facilities master plan will help accomplish many smaller goals when building and renovating better facilities, said Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities, Planning and Management Alan Fish.
The plan will also help to set some preliminary budgets and spur the decision-making process regarding where and when to build or renovate.
'So, until you really work your way through and evaluate all those potential projects, you don't really know what's going to rise to the top,' Fish said. 'It'll be an interesting project.'
Fish said Facilities, Planning and Management officials and UW Athletics expect the completion of the consultation and final draft of the plan in 12 to 18 months.
