I had a dream. I dreamt that Husker athletics would add a men's soccer program; the men and women would both leave their current field behind; both would move into a classy facility in the Haymarket even better than Creighton's Morrison Stadium; and the stadium would be shared with a PDL, USL, or other "minor league" team. That was my dream. I dreamt it not as a Husker fan, but as somebody with a vested interest in the local soccer scene.
Reality is a big disappointment.
The Husker soccer team
is going to leave its current awful field inside the track on campus. That part of the story is fantastic. Their current field is an embarrassment to Division I soccer. It's small, it's dangerous, and it's about as fan-friendly as sandpaper bleachers. The rest of the story isn't so great.
The mockup of the complex is extremely uninspiring. In fact, the field very closely resembles the Abbott Championship Field, where the Huskers used to play. That is, the team is going back in time rather than forwards. (Although in fairness, the field at Abbott was much better for teams and fans than the present field.) There is nothing particularly unique to see here. There's still plenty of time for the mockups to evolve into something exciting, of course. But if the Athletic Department planned something excitement I'm sure they would have told us about it.
The location is a bummer, too. The Haymarket is booming. The leftover floodplain land north of Salt Creek? Yeah, not so much. Technically the location is on campus, but only just.
And so much for a men's team. If the Huskers were going to get one, the construction of a new facility would have been the perfect time to announce it. No such luck. Without a men's team there's no way Lincoln will see a PDL-type team. I suppose there is still the possibility of a comparable women's team, but I don't see Lincoln supporting that until they've shown a strong interest in UNL's team first.
Overall this announcement is a loss for the Lincoln soccer community. There was hope for some big news and this isn't it. The new field is certainly better for the Husker women, but it falls far short of its potential.