Georgia State has raised almost $1 million of the $2 million necessary to construct a new strength-and-conditioning facility for football, athletic director Cheryl Levick said Tuesday, but she said the school can’t break ground until all the money is raised.
“I know how valuable this facility is,” Levick said. “It’s a top priority.”
Levick and coach Trent Miles said the program needs the facility to improve recruiting and help players improve their chances at maximizing their potential.
“We have to have development at this level,” he said. “We aren’t going to get players that are ready-made.”
To work out, the football players must go to the practice facility at 118 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, where their locker room is. After changing clothes and performing running drills, the players will make the 10-minute walk back to the GSU Sports Arena to lift weights. They share a 3,500-square-foot area used by athletes on all 16 varsity sports.
Because the space is so small, the football team can’t lift together and instead must go in shifts. Miles said in the past there are also safety concerns with so many people in such a small space.
Miles said it’s nobody’s fault that all the athletes must use the area in the Sports Arena, but that “what we have now isn’t suitable for (an FBS or FCS) program.”
To alleviate that issue, the proposed facility would be attached to the practice facility, atop the natural-grass half field that runs parallel to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Levick said the school hopes to build a 9,000-square-foot facility that will include 16 power-lift half racks, five dumbbell stations, four running lanes, cardio equipment, selectorized weight machines, nutrition bar and a strength-and-conditioning office. If it can fit within the budget, Levick also hopes that an observation deck and tower can be included for the coaches.
“Think of it like a business: It would save time and increase productivity,” Miles said.
Levick, Miles and the development office have been raising funds for the new building since August. Levick said they are approaching traditional donors, corporations and those interested in corporate sponsorships. She declined to provide names, but said that naming rights are a possibility if the Board of Regents grants approval.
Georgia State has reviewed renderings from architects at Rosser International and is working with them to ensure the building stays within the allotted $2 million budget.
Levick said she would love to break ground “yesterday.”
Having a new facility would also help Georgia State keep up with its competitors. Georgia Southern is constructing a new strength-and-conditioning facility. Troy opened its facility as part of renovations to Veterans Memorial Stadium in 2003 and plans to build a new strength-and-conditioning area in the stadium’s end zone.
“I can’t tell you how important it is to build that over here,” Miles said.
About the Author
