This was an article in The Commercial Appeal (Memphis paper)
Good info.!!
University of Memphis 'turf room' destroyed by early-morning fire
October 31, 2002
An early-morning fire on the University of Memphis?s south campus destroyed the ?turf room?, a 40-by-60 yard indoor football practice facility at the Murphy Athletic Complex that had served as a training area for Tiger athletes for more than 30 years.
The fire, which was reported by a passerby around 3:30 a.m. Thursday, was extinguished by 5:30 a.m. and did not spread to the east end of the complex. The east end recently opened as part of a $6 million expansion and renovation that added a new football locker room and meetings rooms.
But extensive damage to the brick, concrete and steel indoor turf room forced it to be demolished by mid-day because it was deemed unstable. The cause of the blaze has not been determined by fire officials.
The fire also destroyed a makeshift football equipment room that had been erected inside the turf room earlier last month when renovation of the old equipment room began. Equipment manager Marc Hohorst said most of the equipment lost in the blaze was practice gear, although roughly 350 pair of game shoes also were destroyed.
The turf room opened in 1971 as part of the Murphy Athletic Complex. When it opened, it was one of the few indoor football training facilities in the southeast.
??It was a state-of-the-art facility back then,?? said Tiger strength coach Mike Stark, a member of the football team in 1971. ??When it opened we had what many considered the best facility of anyone in the South.??
Firewalls prevented the spread of the fire into the older section of the building east of the turf room and into the weight room west of the turf room. The weight room sustained smoke and water damage.
John Flowers, director of football operations, spent most of Thursday arranging for practice gear. Also lost in the blaze were headsets coaches use to communicate during games. Flowers said officials at the Liberty Bowl had extra headsets the Tigers could use the remainder of the season.
:violin:
Good info.!!
University of Memphis 'turf room' destroyed by early-morning fire
October 31, 2002
An early-morning fire on the University of Memphis?s south campus destroyed the ?turf room?, a 40-by-60 yard indoor football practice facility at the Murphy Athletic Complex that had served as a training area for Tiger athletes for more than 30 years.
The fire, which was reported by a passerby around 3:30 a.m. Thursday, was extinguished by 5:30 a.m. and did not spread to the east end of the complex. The east end recently opened as part of a $6 million expansion and renovation that added a new football locker room and meetings rooms.
But extensive damage to the brick, concrete and steel indoor turf room forced it to be demolished by mid-day because it was deemed unstable. The cause of the blaze has not been determined by fire officials.
The fire also destroyed a makeshift football equipment room that had been erected inside the turf room earlier last month when renovation of the old equipment room began. Equipment manager Marc Hohorst said most of the equipment lost in the blaze was practice gear, although roughly 350 pair of game shoes also were destroyed.
The turf room opened in 1971 as part of the Murphy Athletic Complex. When it opened, it was one of the few indoor football training facilities in the southeast.
??It was a state-of-the-art facility back then,?? said Tiger strength coach Mike Stark, a member of the football team in 1971. ??When it opened we had what many considered the best facility of anyone in the South.??
Firewalls prevented the spread of the fire into the older section of the building east of the turf room and into the weight room west of the turf room. The weight room sustained smoke and water damage.
John Flowers, director of football operations, spent most of Thursday arranging for practice gear. Also lost in the blaze were headsets coaches use to communicate during games. Flowers said officials at the Liberty Bowl had extra headsets the Tigers could use the remainder of the season.
:violin: