In June, the Auburn Board of Trustees approved plans for a $16 million indoor practice facility, which will be built parallel to Samford Avenue.
The new facility will cut across the current practice fields behind the Athletic Complex.
Construction of the facility will begin in December, with a completion date set for next August.
"It's a pretty quick turnaround," said athletic director Jay Jacobs. "Fortunately, because of the board's support and president's support at the June meeting, we were able to get it approved, so our people are already ordering the structural steel and all those things."
Jacobs said the multipurpose facility will be available for men's and women's sports, including football, baseball, softball, soccer and track.
"It will be used for inclement weather when it's pouring down rain or lightning, or both," Jacobs said.
Jacobs added that the air-conditioned practice facility would also be used when temperatures outside become too uncomfortable.
"I know from playing here that if I knew that I was going out there in 100 degrees, and it's a two-hour practice, all I'm trying to do is survive," said Jacobs, an offensive lineman at Auburn during the '80s. "If I know I'm going to be out in the heat for an hour, I can go full-speed, then know I'm going to go inside."
Auburn coach Gene Chizik said fall practice has been good for the team, even though it's been hot.
"We'll always continue to be out in the heat enough to make sure that we're in great shape," Chizik said. "But at the same time, we want to be able to, when we have to, bring them in for walk-throughs and part of practices that, again, are going to be whatever is in the best interest of our players."
Jacobs said the indoor facility has additional health and instructional benefits.
"There's still going to be intensity, but it's not going to wear my body out," Jacobs said. "So I can learn more, and also it's injury prevention because when you get tired and fatigued, that's when you have injuries."
Once completed, the new 120-yard indoor practice facility will replace Auburn's current 40-yard indoor facility, the John H. Watson Fieldhouse, which is also located behind the Athletic Complex.
Jacobs said he hopes to renovate the fieldhouse to include a weight room and sports medicine training room for Olympic sports, both of which currently reside in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.
"If you're a soccer player or a tennis player or whatever, and you come over here for treatment, and you need to do some hydrotherapy, you can do that," Jacobs said. "And then if the trainer wants to get you to run some sprints or do some special stretching, then you have the indoor."
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