CSU Unveils "Campaign for Excellence" With Addition of New Facilities

2009 is an epic year for Colorado State University, and in turn, the athletic department as well. The past 12 months have seen many improvements to campus including; the Computer Science Building, the Academic Instruction Building, and an 834-space parking garage.

The last year has also seen the construction of some sparkling new athletics facilities as well. These beautiful new buildings effectively bring the CSU athletics program into the 21^st century, as the school hopes to attract high-profile athletes for years to come.

Indoor Practice Facility

A statement released by CSU stated emphatically, “As the only member of the Mountain West Conference without an indoor practice facility, Colorado State University must overcome this critical facility shortfall to position itself for long term success.”

With the addition of the brand new indoor facility, CSU has done just that.

The vast size of the facility catches any passerby’s eye, as the clean lines stand out as modern, and signature cobble stone façade ties the facility into the theme of the University as a whole.

The 66,267 square-foot indoor practice facility, which is located just north of the Student Recreation Center, includes a 70-yard synthetic turf field, a four-lane training track, a regulation size basketball court with two half courts, and two full-size, side-by-side volleyball courts, boasts csurams.com.

This addition was not only needed, but necessary for CSU to “keep up with the Jones’” in their mid-major conference. As 9News’ Susie Wargin explained in her piece on the new facility in February, “Despite its not being finished, it’s already being used as a major recruiting tool.”

Academic and Training Center

The Academic and Training Center has just been completed in the last month, and is a great new addition to the North side of campus, just a block away from the indoor practice facility.

In 1998, CSU finished construction on the McGraw Center, located just West of Moby arena, which has a weight room and academic center, but according to the school, McGraw no longer meets the needs for the ever-expanding student-athlete base.

Located just south of the McGraw Center, the Academic and Training Center includes a state-of-the-art weight room and two-story academic center; with four private tutoring rooms, a computer lab with 30 workstations, and offices for CSU’s academic staff.

The university believes that this new facility can serve as the centerpiece to the athletics program as CSU, as it will be used to recruit, educate, develop, and graduate student-athletes.

Also in Wargin’s piece, CSU Athletic Director Paul Kowalczyk confessed, “When I first got here, it (indoor practice facility) certainly was one of the obvious needs that I saw. Thankfully the central administration bought in that we needed it, and needed it now.”

And in a statement on csurams.com Kowalczyk declared, “These buildings show that Colorado State is unmistakably serious about achieving its stretch goals.”

In all, the additions of these much essential facilities cost $20 million, money that was bonded by the school. Both buildings’ naming rights are up for sale by CSU, as are many of the individual rooms.

Not all feedback on these new buildings is positive though, as some current students and alumni have expressed the fact that they will not be able to use the building, so it has little impact on them.

The contrary is true though for those that enjoy taking in a CSU contest, whether it be football, basketball, volleyball or others.

These new facilities have already been used as recruiting devices, and will continue to be used in that way in the future. The buildings will allow the athletes that are brought into Fort Collins to realize their full potential as well.

Let’s face it, not too many big-name athletes outside of volleyball look at CSU as a place they want to spend their college careers.

The beautiful new Academic and Training center, and the magnificent indoor practice facility are not only eye candy, but also play into a recruit’s and their parents’ decision to attend CSU. While sports are the main concern of many athletes, others use their athletic abilities to attain higher learning and a college degree they would otherwise be unable to acquire.

The Academic and Training Center shows athletes they will have a chance to work-out and walk upstairs, to work on a paper, then down the hall to receive help from on-site tutors.

“Campaign for Excellence” is the slogan of the CSU Athletics Department, and these new buildings and attitude show CSU’s desire to accomplish excellence both on, and off the field, court, or diamond.