If you are looking for a football practice field for sale, or are thinking about constructing an indoor practice field, you probably have a lot of questions. How large does it need to be? What will it cost you?
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A steel building is an ideal choice for an indoor football practice field. It can give you the clear-span structure you need, plus it will be sturdy enough to offer amazing longevity with minimal maintenance requirements.
In this post, we will answer some of the questions you have about building a metal indoor football field practice facility, and point you toward a few manufacturers that might be worth considering for your project.
How Many Square Feet is a Football Field?
A football field is so large that we often use it when we are giving illustrations of size or distance (i.e. if you tell someone “he ran the length of four football fields.”) But what are the exact dimensions?
The length of a football field is 120 yards, while the width is 53.3 yards.
It measures 57,600 square feet.
So, when you purchase an indoor sports facility, you need to choose a structure that is going to be large enough to accommodate the entirety of the football field.
That means, for example, that a 100’ x 100’ structure is not going to cut it, as that only gives you 10,000 square feet.
But a 200’ x 450’ structure, on the other hand, would give you more than enough space: 90,000 square feet.
You may want to think about getting a structure that does feature substantially more space than you need for the field itself. It depends on how you plan to use it.
If you would only be using the indoor field for practice, then you could get away with the bare minimum to fit in the field.
But you probably are going to want to actually be able to host games inside the indoor football field. You are already putting a fair amount of money into this, so you want to maximize your ROI.
Getting a larger structure lets you fit in both the football field itself and stands for spectators. You can also fit in other facilities as well.
Don’t Forget About Height
You might be curious about the largest indoor football practice facility in the US. It belongs to the Las Vegas Raiders, and was constructed by Butler Manufacturing.
Describing the facility, Butler writes, “Thanks to Butler Manufacturing™, and the work of a talented Butler Builder®, today stands the largest indoor football practice facility in the United States. The Las Vegas Raiders football team’s indoor practice facility is incomparable to other facilities in the US, as it includes 150,000 square feet of indoor practice space equaling one-and-a-half football fields.”
For its construction method, Butler used its Heavy Structures system. What Butler has to say about the design of the indoor field draws attention to the importance of remembering to factor in height when you commission your structure. Basically, the ceiling must be high enough that the ball is not in danger of hitting it.
Butler explains, “The enormous size of the indoor practice area was driven by the team’s desire for a clear height over 100 feet across the entire width of the playing field. The structure was going to be tall, but at the same time, since the project is located very close to an airport, height restrictions had to be observed. These constraints meant that the roof of the facility had to maintain a low slope profile. Fortunately, the Butler MR-24® roof system was ideal for the 130,000 square feet of area needed to cover the monolithic facility.”
How Much Does an Indoor Football Field Cost?
Now you are probably wondering about indoor practice facility prices. Building an indoor football field is not cheap, though a steel building can still be cost-effective.
General Steel Buildings says, “The cost to build an indoor sports facility depends on a few factors; first, the size of the building package. Larger structures cost more but are cheaper in terms of cost per square foot. Second, building prices are determined by design, including the custom features that you select for your sports facility. Lastly, the price of steel at any time can fluctuate based on market performance. These factors combine to set your final price.”
The company links out to its FAQ answer about steel building price per square foot. Alas, it still does not provide an exact answer there. Searching around, however, we have seen numbers like $11-$40 per square foot, depending on a variety of factors. As you can see, that is quite a wide range.
But even at the lower end, that is quite expensive due to the size of the structure. Let’s say for the sake of argument that you decide to get a structure that measures 57,600 square feet, the exact size of a football field.
Now let’s say your cost per square foot comes out to $20. When you multiply that by 57,600, you get a cost of $1,152,000.
And actually, if you can get away with a cost like that, you are in great shape! In reality, the total cost of many indoor football practice fields comes out to a whole lot more. Remember, you also need to account for shipping, assembly, finishing, interior features, and more.
In fact, if you want an example of the total possible cost for a completed indoor football practice field, you can consider the one constructed for Liberty University.
As explained here, “As part of the football program’s FBS reclassification process, Liberty opened its newest football facility during the summer of 2017 – the Liberty Indoor Football Practice Facility. The new $29 million project provides Liberty a full-size indoor football practice field, plus end zones, with a 70-foot ceiling clearance. The facility is located to the Northeast of the Liberty Football Center and adjacent to Liberty’s other AstroTurf practice field.”
The price for your own indoor football field may be higher or lower than this, depending on the exact size and specific features you choose to include. When you contact a metal building company, they can offer you a customized quote. They can also help you understand the factors that affect costs and give you personalized recommendations for how you can save money and still get everything you need.
Get Your Own Indoor Football Field Building
Now you know more about indoor field construction. We have discussed the size you need to accommodate a football field as well as what you can expect in terms of pricing. Once you do have an indoor football field, the sturdy steel structure will offer you excellent value, allowing for practice in all weather conditions and standing the test of time. To request your custom quotes now, click below to visit our recommended metal building companies.