THE UNIVERSITY HALL GANSAN
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2008
NEWS
5A
FITNESS
Students in the Big 12 play hard at rec centers
Kansas ranks 9th when it comes to fees for facilities; Missouri and Nebraska lead the conference in costs
BY HALEY JONES
hjones@kansan.com
College campuses in the Big 12 conference are booming with construction and improvement of their recreational facilities. Despite a lagging economy in recent years, students at the University of Kansas, the university of Colorado, Kansas State University and others have voted to increase student fees to renovate their recreation centers. According to the Kerr & Downs Research Report, an estimated 400
indoor and 318 outdoor recreational facilities will be built for an estimated $4.9 billion.
The cost of building a recreation complex has gone from $2 million to $49 million in the past 20 years, with the majority of the facilities costing an average of $4.9 million, according to the report. Student recreation centers provide students with a retreat from the stress of school and provide universities with a marketable asset to prospective students.
national facilities
1. Missouri $256
2. Nebraska $217
3. Texas A&M $196
4. Colorado $194
5. Texas $185
6. OSU $159
7. Baylor $150
8. OU $142
9. Kansas $126
10. Texas Tech $120
11. Iowa State $90
12. K-State $75
Edited by Kelsey Hayes
Yearly student fees for recreational facilities
University of Texas: RecSports Facilities
Enrollment: 50,006 students
· 10 fitness and sports facilities on and off campus totalling more than 500,000 square feet
Anna Hiss Gym
- Opened in 1931: $400,000,
renovation in 1994
- Archery range
- Exercise rooms
- 1/2-court basketball
- 1/2-court basketball
- Dance studio
- Bellmont Hall Opened in 197
- Opened in 1972
- Martial arts
- Three squash courts
- Martial arts room
- Multipurpose rooms
- Exercise area with weight/
- Exercise area with weight conditioning equipment
- Steam Rooms
Gregory Gymnasium
- Renovated in 1962
- Seven multipurpose courts
- 1/27th mile trail
- Built in 1930: $500,000
- Renovated in 1962
- 1/7th-mile track
- Renovated in 1997: $26.3 million
Gregory Gym - Main Concourse, Courtesy of Jennifer Soerel. UT Recourse
- 10 racquetball courts
- training/conditioning room
- Climbing wall
- Two international size squash courts
training/conditioning room
Climbing well
ing room
· Separate faculty/staff weight
- Multipurpose rooms
- Weight training/conditioning room
- Billiards/game room with big screen TV
- Badminton
• Table tennis
• Sports Café
• Cardio theater
• Outdoor and wellness resource centers
• Retail store
• Steam and sauna rooms
• Separate faculty/staff locker rooms
• Aquatic complex: 1000 sq. ft.
• Opened 2005
• Heated outdoor lap pool
• Heated outdoor leisure pool
• Heated outdoor event pool
• Heated spa
- Poolside café
Recreational Sports Center:
120,000 square feet
• Opened in 1990
• Three multipurpose courts
• Eight racquetball courts
• Two international size squash courts
• Weight/conditioning rooms
• Exercise lounge
• Multipurpose rooms
• Aerobic/dance rooms
• Table tennis
• Lounge areas
• Screen TV
Texas Tech University: Robert H. Ewalt Student Recreation Center
Enrollment: 28,422 students
- $10 million
- 242,000 square feet
- Opened about 1977
- Eight multipurpose courts
- Weights/fitness area: 6,530
- Speed bag room
- 12 racquetball/handball courts
- Aerobics/dance studios
- One squash course
- 1/8 mile track
- Large mat room
- Locker rooms with classrooms
Baylor University: McLane Student Life Center
Enrollment: 14,000
- Weight/fitness area: 10,000 square feet
- Opened in 1999
- $21 million
- 156.000 square feet
- Four multipurpose indoor courts
- 156,000 square feet
- Climbing rock: 52 feet high
- Martial arts training room
- Aerobics room: 2,400 square feet
Oklahoma State University Colvin Recreation Center
- One squash court
- Three conference rooms
- Massage therapy
University of Oklahoma:
Huston
Huffman Center
Aquatic center 1/0 mile trail
- One outdoor basketball court
- Seven racquetball courts
- Two outdoor sand volleyball courts
- Opened in 1969, remodeled 2004
- One squash court
- Three conference roo
Enrollment: 32,402
- Eight multipurpose courts
- $23 million
- Track
- 240,000 square feet
- 12 racquetball courts
Enrollment: 30,447 students
- Weights/fitness area: 9,500 square feet
- Weights/fitness area
. 111,000 square feet
- Cardio theater: 3,000 square feet
- Swimming pool
- Dance studios: 5,500 square feet
- Cardio room
- 1/6-mile track
- tion: $9.2 million
111,000
- Eight multipurpose courts
- Opened in 1992, 2003 addition $ 9.2 million
10. multipurpose.co.uk
- Multipurpose rooms: 4,500
- Swimming pool
- Climbing wall: 35 feet high and
- 150 square feet
- Three practice golf nets
- Four-hole putting green
- Four-hole putting green
- Two golf simulators
- Two golf simulators
- Four outdoor sand volleyball courts
- Locker rooms
University of Kansas
Enrollment: 30,102 students
- Opened in 2003: $23 million
- Expansion in 2008: $6.3 million
- 145,000 square feet
- Climbing wall: 42 feet high
- Weights/fitness area: 15,000 square feet
- 1/4-mile track
- Six multipurpose courts
- Five racquetball courts
- Two courts for indoor soccer/hockey, dodgeball and cricket
- Virtual golf simulator
- Martial arts studio
- Table tennis
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Texas A&M University: Student Recreation Center
- Opened in October 1995
- Enrollment:47,925 students $36.4 million
- Weight/fitness rooms: 14,000 square feet
- 286,000 square feet
- Indoor climbing facility, 44 feet high and 3,500 square feet
* 1/4-mile track
- 14 handball/racquetball/squash courts
- Four dance/activity rooms
- Four multipurpose courts
- Two indoor soccer courts
- Swimming pool, two spas
- Outdoor activity area (volleyball and basketball courts)
Courtesy Connor C. Helm, Department of Recreational Sports, Texas A&M
- Outdoor resort-style outdoor pool and spa
- Archery room
University of Colorado at Boulder
- Opened in 1973
- Enrollment: 53,755 students
- 215,000 square feet
- 1990 expansion: $8 million
- Three basketball courts
- Weights/fitness area
- Climbing wall: 2,000
- Ice arena
- Three basketball courts
satellite pools
square feet
Weights/itness area
Seven racquetball courts
- Seven racquetball courts
- 1/10-mile track
- Swimming pool with two
- Dance/Aerobics studio
- Eight outdoor tennis
- Children's center
- Locker rooms with saunas
- Climbing wall
- Opened in 1987
- $14.9 million
University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Sapp Campus Recreation center
Enrollment: 22,973 students
- 11 lacquetball co.
- Swimming pool.
- Swimming pool
- Opened in 19
- Eight multipurpose courts
- square feet
- Weights/fitness area:8,300 square feet
- Combative arts room
- Massage therapy
- Locker rooms
- "Outstanding Sports Facil-
tional Intramural-Recreational Sports Association
Courtesy of University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Kansas State University: Chester E. Peters Recreation Complex
Enrollment: 23,520 students
- Opened in 1976
- 1991 expansion: $6.3 million
- 1991 expansion $6.3 million
- 240,000 square feet
- 240,000 square feet
- 14 handball/racquetball courts
- Two wailyball courts
- Weight/fitness area: 10,000
- Three gyms that include 10
basketball courts
square feet
- Two running tracks, 1/8-mile and 1/14-mile
- Locker rooms with saunas
- Aerobic/multipurpose room
University of Missouri-Columbia: MizzouRec Student Recreation Complex
Enrollment: 29,761 students
- Original buildings built up to 100 years ago
- 2005 expansion: $50 million
- 300,000 square feet, multiple
- connected buildings
• Scroggs Peak: 42-foot high
- Scroggs Peak: 42-foot high climbing tower
- climbing tower
- 1/6-mile track
- Weights/fitness area
- Four racquetball courts
- One squash court
- Aquatic Center
- Red Hall Beverage Co.
- Locker rooms
• Snack bar
Courtesy of Laura Salarney, MizuofuRc Services & Facialities
Courtesy of Laura Salarney, MizuofuRc Services & Facialities
- Boutique-style student services