The gigantic eyesore that dominated the area between Drake
Stadium and the Wooden Recreation Center and plagued the UCLA
campus for the past two years is, once again, an intramural sports
field.
In order to alleviate UCLA’s massive parking crunch,
construction began on a two-level underground parking structure in
September 2001, at a cost of $39 million, according to UCLA Capital
Programs.
The project will be officially completed in August.
The prospect of 1,200 new parking spaces may have thrilled
commuters when construction began, but students were forced to
endure many inconveniences associated with the intramural field
being out of commission.
To deal with not having an intramural field, various sports had
to be modified.
Outdoor soccer teams were reduced from 11 players to six;
softball implemented soft-core, restricted-flight softballs, and
flag football limited the number of teams that could
participate.
One change was received so favorably that it will now be offered
as part of the recreation department’s normal program.
“We plan to keep indoor soccer,” Mick Deluca, the
director of Cultural and Recreational Affairs, said previously.
Now that the intramural field is back and better than before
““ the surface will be completely level and have better
drainage and irrigation than the original, Deluca said ““
intramural sports will return to normal.
After reaping the benefits of a return to normalcy,
non-intramural students can also take advantage of increased access
to grassy areas on campus.
“People can play pick-up games and won’t be forced
to play off campus,” said Sharat Batra, a third-year
mechanical engineering student and athletics director for the
Intrafraternity Council, in a previous interview.
With reports from David Regan, Bruin Sports Senior Staff.