By Mark Pinto
After 41 years in Long Island, the Jets said goodbye to their home at Hofstra University and moved into a new training facility in Florham Park, New Jersey.
The new $75 million, 27-acre complex has four practice fields, spacious locker room, and a weight room. There are also offices for coaches, several classrooms to watch films of games and practices, a 161-seat auditorium, and places to eat and relax. The Jets will also move the corporate offices from Manhattan to Florham Park. The state of New Jersey and the Florham Park community welcomed the team with open arms by decking out the streets of the town with banners, flags, and welcome the team to the neighborhood, but they left a part of the franchise behind.
The Jets’ first season at Hofstra was in 1968, the season they went on to win the only Super Bowl in franchise history. Joe Namath, Don Maynard, Mark Gastineau, John Riggins, and Al Toon walked the hallways of Weeb Ewbank Hall. It was where Al Toon and Curtis Martin announced their retirements after injuries kept them from continuing their careers. This was the site where Dennis Byrd’s teammates gathered to hear his voice on a speakerphone. The Bill Belichick news conference, where he took the head coaching position, and then decided a day later to resign to take the same position with the Patriots, also happened here. This was the same place 5’8” non-drafted free agent wide receiver Wayne Chrebet went from playing his college career across the street, to making the 1995 roster and having an 11-year career. In one of his first days in training camp, Chrebet was stopped by security because they thought he was an autograph-seeking fan.
This move has left Hofstra with a vacant spot on the campus property and without the finances from the Jets. The decision to relocate came in March of 2006 so this gave Hofstra enough time to decide how they were going to use the property. They decided on converting the Jets building into the temporary home of the new Hofstra medical school. The building will be renovated with labs, classrooms, and other academic facilities. According to Hofstra professor and expert in Suburban Studies Lawrence Levy, the university will see a short term hit but will see a longer term gain.
“The university had time to prepare, and the benefit of a big brand new medical school on the same site will bring far more benefits and year round,” said Levy.
The benefits of having the medical school will bring another academic program to the variety already offered, and will also increase the credentials a student will bring to the university. Hofstra plans to partner with North Shore-LIJ Health System and will accept the first class in 2011, pending preliminary accreditation with Liaison Committee on Medical Education and approval from the New York state. According to Levy, there are more long term benefits to the new medical school.
“There will be more contributions from alumni and the government that would only go to a medical school, better credentialed students and professors attracted by what it offers for science study and research,” said Levy.
Hofstra and the Jets will hope to continue their relationship. Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz is involved in conversations with Jets ownership to have the team maintain a presence at the university through special annual events, and the Jets have already announced plans to have their annual green and white game at Hofstra Stadium.
