::Read the full story on ASU's clean-up effort::
Replacing the roof of the new football practice facility will cost the University about $900,000, Associate Athletic Director Mark Brand said.
The $8.4 million practice bubble, also referred to as the “Devil Dome,” was damaged in a Thursday-night rainstorm that also toppled trees, broke windows and caused flooding across the Tempe campus. The football facility is near Rural Road and University Drive.
Brand said there is no timetable to begin repairs, and he said it remains unclear what type of roof will replace the damaged one.
“Once [officials and contractors] determine the cause, they’ll move forward,” he said.
Brand said officials were looking into the specific cause of the damage, and assistant director Randy Policar said plans for reconstructing the practice facility would be crafted over the next few days.
Brand said the loss of the practice facility would not affect the football team, which continue to practice at the nearby Bill Kajikawa practice fields.
“We have had 86 years of football here, and in all those years, we got by without a facility,” Brand said.
The Sun Devil Marching Band, which also used the facility, will practice on a nearby outdoor field as well.
Brand said the University was still learning how and when to use the bubble, which he said was built to allow the football team to avoid the summer heat or even practice during rainstorms.
Brand said the facility would also be useful for summer football camps in June and July, when temperatures typically exceed 100 degrees.
The ASU football team begins its season Saturday at Sun Devil Stadium, pitted against NAU.
