The Student Athletic Development Center at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center will have 15,000-20,000 square feet of strength and conditioning space. Credit: William Kosileski / Lantern Reporter
A new athletic training center will be built to replace the existing Biggs Facility at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on North Campus.
The construction is projected to take place from December 2016 to July 2018, with a total project budget of $32 million, which will be paid with development funds, according to August Finance Committee meeting notes.
Approved by Ohio State’s Board of Trustees on Aug. 28, the new Student-Athlete Development Center will have new facilities for student-athletes from many of OSU’s sports teams and will provide student-athletes with a new place to train, eat, socialize and learn.
“Right now, the (athletes) work out in a variety of different facilities. This project will allow them to come to one facility to work out and train,” said Mike Penner, senior associate athletic director at the OSU Department of Athletics. “It’s really going to be an opportunity for all sports to come to one location to improve their self-performance.”
The Woody Hayes Athletic Center is currently used by several teams, including the football, soccer, baseball and softball teams. However, Penner said that student-athletes from 32 of the 36 sports programs will use the new space when it is completed.
According to Penner, the new center will have facilities for weight training and cardio conditioning and will allow athletes to receive treatment to help them recover from injuries.
“It’s a state-of-the-art facility with the latest technology in sports performance, rehab and athletic training,” Penner said.
The center will also include a multipurpose space with a dining and kitchen area that will allow athletes to eat together, learn about nutrition and refuel after practices and competitions, Penner said. In addition, there will be locker rooms, classrooms, equipment rooms and offices in the new center.
“It will also provide the opportunity for the coach’s offices to be in the same building as their team’s locker rooms,” Penner said.
Michela Paradiso, a senior midfielder for OSU’s women’s soccer team, provided her opinion of the Student-Athlete Development Center.
“Anytime you can get all the athletes in one spot, it creates a place of excellence,” she said. “I think it’s great that there is one central location for everything. Life is hectic for a student-athlete, and so it’ll be easier to accomplish your goals.”
Bridget Skinner, a junior defender for the women’s soccer team, said she thinks that the development center will allow student-athletes to connect, no matter which sport they play.
“I think it will help because it will allow athletes from different sports to meet each other and form a community within the community that is Ohio State,” she said.
“We’re excited about the project,” Penner said. “We’re excited about the improved experience student-athletes will have.”
