LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Talk about bush league -- at Kansas,
practice is a road trip.
Players don their uniforms in one place and then ride a bus to
Memorial Stadium, sometimes taking more than 20 minutes.
That's no small thing in the hectic life of a college football
player juggling the demands of practice, conditioning, classes,
team meetings, study hall and maybe even an occasional date.
"People don't understand," said running back Jake Sharp.
"During the school year, half an hour of your day can make a big
difference."
But if the Jayhawks can just hold tight, relief from such
peonage is on the way. Arising day-by-day on the southwest side of
Memorial Stadium is the Anderson Family Football Complex. Barring
delays, the $31 million project will be ready by 2008 for the
Jayhawks' grateful players and coaches.
It's unlikely to cause jealousy among Big 12 rivals Texas,
Nebraska or Oklahoma, whose facilities bring comparisons with the
NFL.
But Kansas' new complex will be an enormous, much-needed upgrade
and possibly go a long way toward erasing decades of mediocrity.
It'll include coaching offices, academic areas, locker rooms,
meeting rooms, a cardio room and just about everything else a
college program needs for entry into the big time.
It might even entice a few more blue-chip prospects -- which is
what Kansas really needs if it's ever going to compete for a Big 12
title.
"This place is going to be awesome," said linebacker Mike
Rivera. "It's just another sign that football at Kansas is on the
rise."
The improved facilities are something Mark Mangino began
lobbying for almost immediately when he became head coach six years
ago. But pleased as he is to see his dream coming true, he's smart
enough not to gush.
"As college football evolves, there will always be something,"
he said. "Everybody comes up with different ideas to keep their
competitive edge. It will be a great place to train our players,
and it will be a great recruiting tool.
"It's not going to bring instant championships or anything like
that. We've got to earn those."
A quarterback breakthrough, a few lucky bounces and a favorable
schedule, however, could send the Jayhawks sailing into their new
digs next year on the heels of a winning season, and maybe even a
rare bowl appearance.
There are some big holes to fill.
Gone is Big 12 rushing leader Jon Cornish, who was mainly
responsible for Kansas ranking fourth in the conference and 19th in
the nation with a rushing average of almost 177 yards. But Mangino
returns 16 starters and 33 lettermen from last year's 6-6 squad and
may have the league's finest cornerback in junior Aqib Talib.
Fast and physical, Talib led the Big 12 with six interceptions
in 2006 and was first in the nation with 2.80 passes defended. His
22 pass breakups also topped the Big 12 and helped make him
universally acknowledged as one of the nation's leading defensive
backs.
"He just shuts down that quarter of the field," said Kerry
Meier, who's battling Todd Reesing to hold onto his job as starting
quarterback.
Meier started eight games last year before injury forced him to
the sideline and persuaded coaches to remove the redshirt from
Reesing. Now Reesing, who has slimmed down his sturdy 5-foot-10
frame, is threatening to unseat the taller, more experienced Meier.
"Reesing has made some strides," Mangino said. "A lot of it
has to do with the fact that he's probably dropped 20 pounds, and
he's gained a lot of strength, and he's zipping the ball with more
spin than he ever has."
Whoever wins the job will face one of the league's friendliest
schedules. Kansas' first four games are at home. The Jayhawks won't
even leave the state until they go to Colorado on Oct. 20.
They miss Texas and Oklahoma. They've got Nebraska at home and
play rival Missouri in Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium, the first
game in a two-year experiment that may become permanent.
"We are a very good team, but good is the enemy of great,"
said sophomore safety Darrell Stuckey. "For us to be a great team,
we have to consistently go into each game with a goal and be on the
same page. We cannot afford to have the links on our team who do
not want to perform to the best of their ability and have
excuses."