Oregon State University A.D. Report

Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis Photo courtesy: OSU Athletics

CORVALLIS - With practices beginning for our men’s and women’s basketball teams, the timing is right to lay out our long-term plans for Gill Coliseum.

As I discussed in last month’s report, facilities are a key factor in major college athletics. I’m pleased to report that last month’s visit to lawmakers was successful. The state Legislature approved our facilities master plan conditionally, pending the outcome of Measure 48 on Nov. 7th.

The projected state bonds will complete the second phase of the Reser Stadium improvements and begin the long-awaited Gill Coliseum Annex, which total $30 million.

Last month, I dove into the details of the next Reser project. With this report, I’d like to share the various projects that center around Gill Coliseum. Nearing its 60th anniversary, Gill plays a central role in Beaver athletics. It’s the hub of our department operations and houses locker and equipment rooms for the majority of our student-athletes. Five teams --men’s and women’s basketball, gymnastics, wrestling and volleyball -- all compete and practice here. Modernizing and bringing new amenities and capabilities to Gill will strengthen services for our 500+ student-athletes and breathe new life into this iconic symbol of OSU athletics.

Improvements to Gill Coliseum fall into four major areas: exterior and interior renovations, a sports medicine center, an academic center, and the Gill Annex. At this point, we have secured money for the first phase of the Annex but still need to raise funds to complete the Annex and the other projects described below. The timeline for all of these projects -- except the Annex’s first phase -- is two to five years depending on funding. The university is preparing for its first comprehensive capital campaign, and athletics will be part of that major effort. Our focus in the campaign will be Gill Coliseum.

Visitors who come to events at Gill have no doubt already noticed the remodeled hallways, which lighten and brighten the venue. These renovation plans also include new facades on the east and south sides; an elevator to increase access for students and fans with disabilities; sandblasting, sealing and painting the exterior shell; and exterior window and door replacements. Overall, these improvements alone will make a vast difference to Gill.

A state-of-the-art sports medicine center, located on the lower level of Gill and replacing football’s visiting team locker area, will help our recruiting efforts and provide leading-edge injury prevention and rehabilitation services. This center will include cardiovascular equipment and improved training facilities. The project also upgrades Gill’s locker rooms, which already has been completed for men’s basketball.

A new academic center will house a unique collaborative program between the university and athletics. The center will sit in and around the footprint of the first floor of the new parking structure east of Gill. This joint project will bolster the classroom success of at-risk students in the general student population as well as student-athletes. Counseling offices, tutoring and study space, and math, writing and computer labs will be included in the center. Proactive outreach services for at-risk students and student-athletes will help bridge the gap between high school and more rigorous college academics.

Finally, a new Gill Annex will open up more competitive opportunities and practice options for several teams. This will ease the chronic overbooking issues for the main facility and help student-athletes better manage their schedules. These plans include a new venue for volleyball games and wrestling meets, two practice courts for volleyball, a wrestling practice room to bring the program from Langton Hall to the hub of Beaver sports, and a 20,000-square-foot weight room that will be used by all of our 500+ student-athletes. The much-anticipated Annex project will be located west of Gill Coliseum in the parking lot that now divides Gill and the football practice field. In April, we’re planning to break ground on the first phase of this project -- the weight and wrestling rooms -- and have it completed in December 2007.

As you can tell, we have a lot of major improvements on the horizon. I’m excited about the opportunities for our student-athletes and coaches as we upgrade our facilities to meet athletic and academic needs and add to our offerings for new recruits.

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