LINCOLN — Nebraska Athletic Director Bill Moos isn’t exactly complaining about Nebraska’s football facilities.
In one moment he’ll say “we’ve a lot of good things” in place. He praises NU’s weight room. He likes that football players eat at the same training table as athletes from other Husker teams.
But Moos pauses when asked to rank NU’s football facilities within the Big Ten.
“Football facilities? Out of 14? Probably eighth, ninth,” Moos said.
Does it concern Moos that a program hoping to win Big Ten titles and qualify for the College Football Playoff has middle-of-the-road facilities in its own league?
“Mmm-hmm,” Moos said.
Over a 45-minute interview with The World-Herald, Moos touched on a variety of issues, including his impression of Nebraska’s football season and why he made himself available to reporters after NU’s 56-10 loss at Michigan. But the meat of the conversation — what animated Moos most — was facilities.
At both Oregon and Washington State — Moos’ two previous stops — facilities and branding were his top priorities. The Cougars built an expensive, lavish football building that includes a second-floor weight room, an unusual design feature for which Moos insisted.
“If we can put a man on the moon, we can put a weight room on the second floor,” Moos said.
At NU, it’s increasingly clear Moos would be open to a complete overhaul of Husker facilities, down to details that would escape most A.D.s, such as natural lighting.
And Moos said Scott Frost also understands the importance of facilities.
“Scott has seen that, he’s been places, he knows,” Moos said.
Frost spent the most time at Oregon, which built a football complex so ornate the media jokingly called it “The Death Star.” Moos noted Oregon currently has a top-five national recruiting class.
“In Eugene, Oregon. Seriously?” Moos said. “That didn’t happen because they have five national championships and 10 Outland Trophy winners (like Nebraska). It happens because they’ve got the sizzle.”
Much more from Moos in a Monday Rewind column, including an idea he’d like to borrow from another Pac-12 school.
