8 Best Indoor Facilities in College Football

Only three schools at the FBS level play their games in domed stadiums, but the number that have the ability to practice indoors is exponentially greater. In the neverending arms race of college football, having an indoor practice facility is no longer a luxury but rather a necessity, and not just for schools in cold-weather climates.

With the ability to work on plays and implement schemes in a closed (and private) environment, schools use these fields as a way to separate practices from the games themselves. Those who have one can do what they want, when they want and how they want, while those still stuck practicing outdoors are at the mercy of mother nature.

Which ones stand out above all others? We note some of the best indoor facilities in the country.

Alabama

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Name: Hank Crisp Indoor Facility

There are a lot of reasons that Alabama is at the forefront of everything college football related, and its indoor practice facility is part of that formula. The 97,000 square foot Hank Crisp Indoor Facility went through a major renovation in 2009, which included installation of a new turf surface and an overhead camera system that is similar to the sky cams used by TV networks to cover games.

The building is used for various Crimson Tide sports, including baseball, soccer and softball, but its main use is for Alabama's football team. It includes a 130-yard football field, which the school's website says makes it the largest collegiate indoor practice facility in the country.

Auburn

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

Name: Indoor Practice Facility

Auburn hasn't bestowed its complex with the name of a donor or sponsor, but that's about the only thing about it that doesn't stand out.

Opened in 2011 at a cost of $12.5 million, the 92,000 square foot complex includes a 120-yard football field and plenty of windows along the sides to allow for a bright atmosphere when the Tigers are running through spring drills or trying to get out of the summer heat.

"The indoor facility is yet another brick in the foundation we are building for Auburn football and other sports that will train there," Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said when the facility was first approved for construction in June 2010, per the school's website.

LSU

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Name: Charles McClendon Practice Facility

The name above is actually what all of LSU's massive football athletic complex (other than Tiger Stadium) is called, as this includes the indoor practice field that was built in 1991. Though one of the older ones in the country, it's still among the best as it helped set the standard for what's become the norm rather than the exception.

At 82,500 square feet, it has a full-size turf practice field and plenty of space along the sides for viewing and evaluating. It also has its own Facebook page, if you're into that sort of thing.

Michigan

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

Name: Al Glick Field House

Michigan has one of the largest stadiums in college football, so it makes sense the Wolverines also have one of the most immense indoor practice fields at their disposal.

At more than 104,000 square feet, the Al Glick Field House is as spacious as you'll find in collegiate athletics. The five-year-old facility cost $26.1 million and is incredibly bright and airy, while also avoiding the cramped feeling that some indoor fields have because of extra space on the sidelines and beyond the end zones.

Ohio State

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Name: Woody Hayes Athletic Center

Ohio State has had an indoor complex since the late 1980s, but it went through a major facelift last decade that cost $19.5 million and has the Buckeyes again among the leaders in facilities. At 78,000 square feet, it's not the biggest, but it's by far one of the best around.

In addition to the full-size football field, there is a massive weight room that takes up 13,000 square feet, along with an 1,800-square-foot area dedicated to cardio workouts so the Buckeyes can stay in shape no matter what time of year.

Syracuse

Name: Ensley Athletic Center

Syracuse is one of the programs in FBS that plays its games indoors—along with Idaho and UTSA—and now it has a practice facility that compliments the Carrier Dome. At a cost of $14 million, the Orange just opened the Ensley Athletic Center and is currently holding spring practice in there.

The 87,000-square-foot complex took only seven months to build, yet isn't lacking in any of the bells and whistles that you'd find at SEC programs or ones in the Big 12 that lead the pack in indoor practice space.

Tennessee

Name: Neyland-Thompson Center

Tennessee is trying to get its program back to the level it was in the 1980s and 1990s, with coach Butch Jones ushering in this resurgence on the field. Away from the stadium they're doing this with an old facility, but one that's still among the best in the country.

The 120,000-square-foot Neyland-Thompson Center has been in use since 1989, with the two-story structure featuring a 120-yard turf field on the main floor that was updated only five years ago. Above that are the Volunteers' football offices, meeting rooms and other ancillary service areas.

Because of the second story, it doesn't have the peaked roof that many schools' indoor facilities feature, but the 65-foot clearance still makes for enough space to throw high, deep passes.

Vanderbilt

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

Name: None

As part of a $31 million renovation to the school's student recreation center, Vanderbilt has moved toward the front of the line when it comes to indoor practice fields for football with its 120-yard turf field that opened in November 2013.

"Vanderbilt now has something Florida doesn't," wrote Teresa M. Walker of the Associated Press (h/t the Brownsville Herald) when the facility opened. Florida has since announced plans for a $15 million indoor facility.

While the Commodores' football team will be the main occupant of the field, as part of a rec center, it can be used by students and other Vanderbilt sports teams.

Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.