Colgate University recently announced plans to build the new Carey Center for athletics, which will house new basketball and volleyball courts. The project will also update athletic facilities and bring multiple teams under one roof. The Carey Center will replace the William A. Reid Athletic Center and become one of the buildings adjacent to the planned athletics quad. Colgate announced final construction details in July.
Yariv Amir, Colgate’s vice president and director of athletics, explained that the decision to build the Carey Center was made out of necessity for the athletes on campus.
“Reid was built at a time when Colgate enrollment was 1,500 students, and there were no women students. Colgate has been able to update the building over time and make it functional, but it fails to meet the needs of the current collegiate athletics department,” Amir said.
Student-athletes echoed the need for an update to the current facilities on campus. Rebecca Hess, a sophomore on the women’s tennis team, voiced her thoughts on the upcoming Carey Center.
“I think the decision to build the Carey Center was a necessary one, as — although still good — some of the facilities in Reid are a little outdated,” Hess said.
Although the Center will be most tailored to the volleyball and basketball teams, Amir says all athletes on campus will benefit from the Center’s construction.
“There are four main priorities for the Carey Center, all of which will be achieved by the project. First is a new performance venue for our basketball and volleyball programs, accompanied by locker rooms, coaches’ offices and additional facilities for those programs. Secondly, the Carey Center will bring our sports performance unit together into one building,” Amir said. “Additionally, we are significantly increasing the size of the strength and conditioning spaces to allow multiple teams to use the facility at once and allow for better scheduling for our student-athletes. The third priority was to bring our football program together in one building … The fourth priority was to provide new spaces for all of the programming that currently exists in Reid.”
Colgate’s current student athletes feel the potential impact of the Center. Annie Reilly, a sophomore member of the Colgate women’s cross country team, predicted that the Carey Center will allow for smoother and more accessible use of athletic facilities for student athletes.
“The Carey Center is going to be a lot bigger, which I think is good because, as of right now, with Reid, we have some sports teams in one training room, and the other teams have to go to the hockey arena, but in the new Center, we will all be together, so it will unify the athletes,” Reilly said. “I also think upgraded facilities in general will help because we will have access to new technology and equipment, which is always a positive thing.”
For some student-athletes, the construction also serves as an affirmation on campus that Colgate values their presence and is committed to serving their needs.
“Colgate is investing a lot into making sure the needs of student-athletes are met, and by doing so, it makes me feel valued as a student-athlete, motivating me to compete even harder,” Hess said.
According to Amir, the Carey Center is not only an investment in student-athletes who may still be on campus once construction finishes, but it will also appeal to prospective student-athletes and increase Colgate’s recruiting power.
“Colgate is making a significant investment in athletics [which] is a sign for prospective recruits of the value Colgate places on our athletics programs,” Amir said. “College athletics is in a tumultuous time right now, where a lot of places are cutting, but we are making a significant commitment.”
