When Northwestern started construction on the Walter Athletics Center, the hope was that the new state of the art facility would be among one of the best in the B1G. But the project has exceeded expectations.

The lakefront building — which is now home to Northwestern’s football practice facility — has drawn rave reviews from NFL scouts this week, which were in Evanston for the team’s pro day recently.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, scouts from all 32 NFL teams were in attendance for Northwestern’s pro day. And most — if not all — were incredibly impressed with the new complex.

Northwestern was somewhat caught in the Stone Age when it comes to facilities prior to constructing the Walter Athletics Center, and was considered to have some of the worst facilities in the country. Now, all of that has changed.

And it really couldn’t come at a better time for the Wildcats, who appear to be on the move on the college football front. Not only does Northwestern now have an appealing new athletics complex, it is fresh off a B1G West title, a Holiday Bowl victory and has reached the 10-win mark twice in the last four years.

There’s a lot going right for Pat Fitzgerald and Co. in Evanston right now.

Obviously, a state of the art facility doesn’t automatically translate to recruiting success or B1G titles, but it is an essential factor in both of those areas. If professional scouts — who visit hundreds of campuses every year — are impressed, more elite players might starting taking a look at Northwestern as a potential destination.