Here's how UC Irvine transformed into Los Angeles Rams training ground

Here's how UC Irvine transformed into Los Angeles Rams training ground

July 27, 2016


IRVINE – The Anteaters may not have a football team of their own, but it sure feels like they do when you walk on campus now.

UC Irvine is gearing up to host the Los Angeles Rams’ first training camp after the NFL team’s return to Southern California.

With no dedicated football stadium, the school has converted its soccer fields into gridirons. The dining staff is tasked with feeding massive athletes who eat three to four times as much food as an average man.

The Rams held training camp at UCI from 1990 to 1992 and in 1994 when they played at Anaheim Stadium. But things are different this time around, said Ron Fleming, the university’s director of transportation and distribution services.

The campus used to be smaller, and only die-hard fans showed up at practices, Fleming said. This year, the Rams are opening their practices to the public for free throughout their stay in August (though parking costs $10).

Anticipation of Southern California residents is skyrocketing for a return of live NFL action.

“Everyone’s excited,” said Edgar Dormitorio, UCI’s chief of staff of student affairs. “I think we are pretty unanimous on that, though we know it’s going to be a lot of work.”

The training camp agreement runs for three years, with a renewal option. The Rams will pay for the expenses of the training camp, and no university or taxpayer funds will be used, UCI spokeswoman Cathy Lawhon said.

The university has been working closely with the Rams since February to make the camp happen, Dormitorio said.

Rams rookies reported to UCI on Tuesday, and the remainder of the team will arrive Friday.

Here’s a look at what UCI has done to prepare for the arrival of 225 players, staff and coaches, most of whom will be living on campus.


ATHLETIC FACILITIES

The fact that UCI doesn’t have a football team hasn’t deterred university officials or the Rams from hosting the camp.

The university leveled the ground and installed 250,000 square feet of new Bermuda turf on Crawford Field, which is normally used by the men’s and women’s soccer teams and youth tournaments.

New bleachers that hold up to about 6,000 fans were also installed around the field, as well as tents for elected officials and the media, Lawhon said.

The university remodeled the men’s locker room at Crawford Hall and turned the women’s locker room into space for sport medicine, said Bob Olson, UCI’s associate athletic director of media relations.

During the Rams’ stay, some UCI sports teams will train at other venues, such as the Bren Events Center and the Anteater Recreation Center.

“Our programs will still have access to most of our athletic sites during the Rams training camp activities,” Olson said.


HOUSING

Players and coaches will once again get to experience campus life – sort of.

They will stay at one of the on-campus apartment communities that usually house a mixture of undergraduate and graduate students. (The Rams requested the complex not be identified by name.)

None of the 8,000 students who are enrolled in summer courses will be living in the same complex, said Kim Burdett, who oversees the property. The fall quarter at UCI begins in mid-September.

The university didn’t have to make major upgrades to the housing facilities, Burdett said.

All the apartments are 738 square feet and consist of two bedrooms and one bathroom. Two players will share each apartment.

Staff put together two twin beds in each room to accommodate the king-size mattresses the Rams had shipped them, Burdett said. Each apartment is also equipped with a microwave, a refrigerator and WiFi connection.

Third-party cleaners will clean the apartments twice a week.

The complex also features a community center with a game room and snacks.

“Our job is to take care of living arrangements in the best way possible for them so that they can focus on what they need to do here,” Burdett said.


DINING

The Rams will eat their breakfast, lunch and dinner at BC’s Cavern Food Court, which some refer to as “Cavern on the Green,” at Aldrich Park at the center of campus.

The food court, as well as the adjacent Subway restaurant, will be closed to the public during the training camp.

The university’s dining staff worked closely with Rams trainers and nutritionists to remodel the facility and come up with menus that will change every day, said Sean Tedder, the general manager for hospitality and dining at UCI.

NFL players need 8,000 to 10,000 calories per day, compared with 2,500 for an average adult male, Tedder said.

Most days, the food court will serve anything from spaghetti, tacos and burgers to grilled pork chops, oatmeal and sauteed kale.

“We’ll try to mix it up, a lot of variety,” Tedder said.

There will be a waffle station and an action station, where chefs prepare fresh sushi, pizza, pasta or omelets, depending on the day. The salad bar has 27 toppings and six types of dressing.

But what amazed Tedder was the amount of food he has to order. For instance, the food court may prepare about 900 pounds of food for one dinner and serve 125 pounds of whole fruit per day.

“It’s a lot of food for the amount of people,” he said.

The Rams asked the university to replace small tables with round tables that can hold eight people. Each table will have 17 condiments, such as Dijon mustard, sweet relish and Tabasco and sriracha sauces. Newly installed chairs support up to 400 pounds.

In addition to regular meals, food trucks or snacks will be available at the team’s housing complex every night.

Tedder’s staff will also cater to VIP tents at the practice field and run a concession stand for fans.

The training camp has allowed the university to keep more employees during the summer, Tedder said.


PARKING

The university estimates that about 10,000 fans will show up each practice day, Dormitorio said.

But there should be enough parking for everyone as the campus has 12,500 parking spots, said Fleming, who oversees parking at UCI.

“We are lucky in one aspect that it’s summer,” he said.

He recommends fans arrive 90 minutes before the start of a practice, pay for parking online in advance and, if possible, carpool. At least 64 people will be working each day to direct fans to available parking spots.

Fleming said he’s worried about the increase in traffic around the campus. The university is working with the city to synchronize traffic signals to ease any problems, he said.

“For me, the challenge is making customers feel we are invisible so they don’t remember us so much,” he said.


TECHNOLOGY

One of the biggest differences between the Rams’ camp in the 1990s and today is technology, Dormitorio said.

Players and coaches are relying on laptops and tablets more than ever to learn and discuss strategies. In fact, the Rams expressed concerns about whether UCI has the internet capacity to withstand their heavy use, Dormitorio said.

The university assured them the existing infrastructure can accommodate the Rams’ needs because the university has 30,000 students during the regular school year. The Rams will be using classrooms for meetings, Dormitorio said.

With so much hype also comes a swarm of media.

About 35 media organizations will be stationed in Irvine during the training camp, Lawhon said. They include a crew for “Hard Knocks,” HBO’s documentary series that follows an NFL team’s preparation for the upcoming season. The new season, featuring the Rams, premieres Aug. 9.

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