Yuba College's athletic complex nears completion

No more "Legoland field."

It's the name Yuba College football defensive coordinator Tomas Rodriguez gave the patch of grass behind the school's gym where the team played for more than a decade. Everything needed to be assembled for games. The bleachers were temporary. There was no permanent elevated structure for coaches to get a bird's-eye view of the game. If they wanted an elevated observation point, they had to stand in scissor lifts with nothing shielding them from the blazing heat. Even the play clocks had to be brought out, a menial task Rodriguez did himself.

The players themselves would rip the place. It would make recruiting difficult, because it was visually a step down from almost every high school stadium in the north state.

"Before you had to make (recruits) understand it's not about your surroundings," he said.

That's no longer the case. Starting with the team's season opener against San Jose City College on Sept. 11, the 49ers will take to a brand new field surrounded by a brand new stadium. The athletic facility, which was funded with monies from the 2006 Measure J bond, is nearing completion as crews are vigilantly working on installing the all-weather track and landscaping.

The artificial turf field has already been installed, complete with a "49ers" logo in the center and "Yuba" in the end zones.

It's not 100 percent complete, but the coaching staff can't help but smile when thinking that this stadium is actually theirs.

"You come out here and think 'this is not Yuba College football,'" Rodriguez said. "You should see (head coach Ted Hoal's) face. Sometimes he can't even believe it."

Neither can some of the players. The first day the field was installed, a number of them snuck onto the surface and began practicing. It drew the ire of athletic director Rod Beilby, who had to remind them it's still an active construction site, Rodriguez said.

The stadium is part of a complete overhaul of the school's athletic facilities. The athletic offices themselves have been relocated to portable buildings so renovations can begin shortly. After the conclusion of basketball season, crews will begin to update the gym, which has no air conditioning and '70s era fluorescent lighting that draws jeers from opposing teams.

With the project coming in under budget, lights were added to the stadium to allow the possibility of night games. The addition of the lights also caused issues with the installation of the seating, Rodriguez said. It means the team may open with portable seating.

Not that it bothers anyone wearing blue and gold.

"I can't wait until the first game," he said.