New locker room is home away from home
“Start Fast – Finish Strong.”
These are the words that the CU football players see before leaving their newly renovated locker room and heading out onto the field.
The locker room underwent construction immediately after graduation in May. Although there are still a few minor details that are yet to be perfected, the locker room was finished for the start of training camp at the end of July.
“The original locker room was from 1992,” said Thomas McGann, director for Game Day Management and Operations. “We put in new carpet, maple wood lockers, put in a lounge and all new paint. We finally got into the year 2000,” McGann said.
The thing that probably excited the players most was the advanced technology that was added to the locker room, they said. The player’s lounge includes three flat-screen televisions, each equipped with an Xbox 360, a Nintendo Wii, or a PlayStation 3. Additionally, there are about eight of those same TVs scattered among the lockers, making every seat in the locker room in the line of sight of one of the screens.
Michael Smaila, a sophomore political science major, describes himself as “a huge Buffs fan.” He gave what seems to be a common answer among all students when told about the new renovations.
“I think it’s great. If I played football, something like that might really sway my decision in coming here,” Smaila said. “It’s little things like TVs and video games that student-athletes are interested in.”
With the CU football program on the rise, it was important for the athletic department to revamp its facilities in order to keep up with fellow Big 12 schools.
“When the Dal Ward [Athletic Center] was built in 1991, it set a precedent for student athletes,” McGann said. “Since then, our competition has done major improvements, so now we have to catch up. Treating your student-athletes well helps a ton with recruiting.”
But the improvements are not only for future players. Erich Schubert, who works as an information director for the football team, said that the locker room helps the current players as well.
“It’s not just for future recruits. It’s for the guys who are on the team now, the guys who pour their blood, sweat and tears for the program,” Schubert said. “They are very appreciative of the fact that CU is committed to improving athletic facilities.”
McGann said that one of the hopes of renovating was that the players would spend their off time in the locker room.
“We wanted to make a place where if they have an hour of dead time, they can come hang out in the locker room,” McGann said. “It really can be considered home for them.”
The construction, which had a contract signed at $325,000 and ended up with a total bill around $500,000, also created a new entrance way for the players traveling from the locker room to the field. Rather than having to move through a maze of hallways, the players now have a clear path to move from their lockers to the field.
The only thing separating the two is a small room that was once used as storage. After the construction, the closet was turned into something of a pump-up room.
Before each home game, the entire team crams into the small room, which is now equipped with a huge flat-screen television, a sound system and a variety of lights. Coach Dan Hawkins creates a video to put on the screen as music blares and lights shine brightly. When the coach feels the team is fired up, he opens the door, Ralphie starts running and the players follow their mascot out onto the field.
The new locker room truly shows its Colorado pride, with some walls covered with the same sandstone that lies on all the academic buildings. The athletic department wanted the players to come in and feel at home, as if it were a true part of Boulder.
“When you’re in there, you know it’s Colorado,” McGann said. “This isn’t Kansas. There’s no cinderblock.”
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Derek Schimmel at derek.schimmel@colorado.edu.
