New SPC is an Oregon State, recruiting gem

ONE OF THE MORE consistent themes that runs through phone conversations with recruiting prospects is this: facilities matter. A lot. On Monday, Oregon State opened their new Sports Performance Center - the final piece of the $115 million second phase of the stadium renovation project, Raising Reser. And the 20,000-square foot facility is playing to rave reviews.

One can reasonably debate whether they should hold as high a level of influence as they do -- but make no mistake, a college's facilities factor heavily into a recruit's decision.

Oklahoma State offers perspective. The Cowboys have recently gone wild with facilities development. And the recruiting windfall is being realized. They're going toe-to-toe for recruits with Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M.

And they're winning. On a bunch of them.

Oregon State's Pernell Booth and Darrell Catchings are quoted in an article on osubeavers.com as saying the new facility is an eye opener and then some.

"When the coaching staff brings recruits on campus they are going to be shocked at that weight room," Booth says. "That facility is a big selling point for Oregon State."

"It's tight," says Catchings. "I can't wait to really start working in it. I was amazed when I walked in for the first time."

Approximately 40,000 pounds of new equipment was installed in the SPC.

The 20,000-square foot facility also includes an indoor track for speed and agility drills, state-of-the-art sound and video systems, 22 Olympic platforms, 22 power racks and adjustable benches, six sets of dumbbells, 45 pieces of cardiovascular equipment and free weights and a wrestling practice facility.

Jeff Macy, who heads the heads the Beaver Strength and Conditioning program, has worked with USA Weightlifting and in the NBA over his career. He says the OSU facility compares favorably on a national scale.

"Without question the Sports Performance Center is among the best in the country," Macy said. "We did exhaustive research when we were in the design phase and the finished project is better than we could have imagined."

Oregon State isn't done yet.

Another $40 million in facilities improvements are on the schedule, including exterior improvements to Gill Coliseum, a new sports medicine facility, a boathouse for the rowing teams, construction of a track and the Student Success Center, which is a shared facility for all Oregon State students.