Tourney trumps intramurals

March 12, 2009 by Jorge Labrador 

Overflow parking decision may hinder semester recreation

The patriotic motto “Don’t Tread on Me” could very well be the battle cry of UNLV Recreational Sports during the Mountain West Conference basketball tournament.

The intramural fields off Harmon Avenue and Swenson Street are to be used as overflow parking during the MWC, which began Tuesday and will run through Saturday. 

This use is raising concerns that the fields could be damaged and have their reseeding delayed, leaving little time for students to use the field during the spring semester.

“We may possibly get the fields back with five days of use left for the semester, thus displacing possibly thousands of students from using the fields,” said Blake Simpfenderfer, program coordinator for intramural individual and dual sports and special events.

“The bigger issue we’re facing is if this is going to set a precedent. If… they’re going to take away our student use field for a parking lot, what other student use facilities are they going to take?”

The last time the field was used as overflow parking, the university reserved the fields ahead of time. Simpfenderfer said the plan to use intramural fields as parking for this year’s MWC Tournament was only brought up last week. 

“Essentially, they granted them [use of the fields] and have pushed the reseeding schedule back, thus displacing other student groups as well as intramural and club sports,” he said.

According to Steven Thiele, program coordinator for intramural team sports and sports clubs, university administration has some discretion to use the fields for alternate purposes. In the past, the fields have hosted events such as the Rebelpalooza music festival in addition to sports.

“That’s where the challenge is. At what point in time is that discretion going to actually include student interests?” Thiele said.

Student Body President Adam Cronis said he had initially thought the free parking lot across from the intramural fields could serve as overflow for the MWC tournament, but the fields can accommodate approximately 800 cars, more than any other prospective area.

“It really comes down to the choice of whether we’re going to displace students [with paid parking permits] who are coming here for classes for that day with all the patrons at the [MWC] taking their parking in the [Thomas & Mack lots],” Cronis said. “Or are we going to displace intramurals in that particular location? If it comes down to it, I think we have to go with supporting students and the academics.”

According to Cronis, there are options for the intramural fields. He said the athletics department could possibly open up one of their practice fields for parking during the first week of the tournament.

However, using the fields for parking would have long-term effects on their physical condition. The existing deterioration is a result of the National Finals Rodeo each, and use as overflow parking continues only worsens the issue.

“No matter how many or how few cars drive on it it’s going to create a dangerous environment for any athlete that wants to play on it,” said CSUN Senate President Matt Cutler, who has conducted extensive research on treatment of the intramural fields as part of an engineering economics project.

In addition to creating hazards on the field surface, its frequent renewal after events proves to be a source of wasteful spending for the university 

“Why put thousands of dollars into something if you’re going to destroy it every year?” Thiele said, “Even if NFR does apply resources for its recovery, the funds applied are not enough to recover. The end result after NFR is generally always less than what it was before NFR showed up. That’s true every year.”

Simpfenderfer and Thiele are, for the time being, looking at options for the fields. 

Softball intramurals begin April 13 and Simpfenderfer said, “It has been presented that we could use the softball field by Paradise Campus, however there are no lights there and that facility only has one field, thereby limiting the number of participants.”

Use of the Rebel Park practice field has also been suggested, but it is not a safe size for two softball games and the field’s schedule is taken up by pre-scheduled practices.

Other sports and activities will be similarly affected by the reseeding delay.

According to Simpfenderfer and Thiele, this leaves students without an important element of student life.

“We recognize we’re not the only program on campus. We’re all part of same university community, but regarding the current state of affairs – either economical or employment, the students have their needs as well,” Simpfenderfer said. 

“We as student programming professionals would like to offer positive activities on campus where they can participate have that feel good moment in a situation where there aren’t many feel-good moments going around.”

 

National Finals Rodeo

The MWC may be in town, but it isn’t the only big event visiting the intramural fieldsThe National Finals Rodeo takes place toward the end of the fall semester, with tents, stables, pens, trucks and animals tear up the field, which prompts additional upkeep.