Syracuse building indoor practice facility

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Syracuse University will begin construction on an indoor practice center later this year aimed mainly at benefiting the resurgent football program as the school transitions to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The $17 million, 87,000-square-foot facility will provide the football program with a modern practice environment and help enhance recruiting efforts.

That's paramount going forward, and athletic director Daryl Gross called the new center "absolutely essential" as the school strives to become an attractive option for student-athletes up and down the eastern seaboard.

Syracuse joins the ACC in July.

While football will be the main tenant of the new center, all athletic programs will have access.