By: Lily Dalton
Contributor
For student-athletes who consider the Moore Field House a second home, the changes are hard to miss.
The changes are part of an approximately $765,000 renovation of the weight room, indoor track and athletic training room floor. These areas had not received a major update in over a decade.
“We hadn’t touched the weight room in probably 12 years,” said Joe Hines, SCSU associate director of athletics and coordinator of athletic facilities. “The floor has been original since 1996, same as the track; it was definitely overdue.”
The old platforms, logos and track that once filled Moore Field House are gone. In their place are a fresh track, new flooring, a paint job and spacious lifting platforms.
NCAA athletes, club athletes and recreational athletes filter through the Field House daily.
“For the past few years, as our athletic department has grown, I noticed that although it was always a safe environment to train in, it felt a little bit crammed in here,” Strength and Conditioning Coach David Hashemi, said.
The previous weight room had raised lifting platforms, old branding and unnecessary equipment; the layout made the space less functional.
With the renovations, athletes now train on breathable rubber flooring and inlaid Olympic-style platforms. The room’s equipment has also been rearranged, with dumbbells and other equipment moved, creating a more functional floor plan.
“I flipped the room and did a mock-up, and it fit perfectly, based on the drawing,” Hashemi said. “Once the contractors came, chalk-lined the space, and verified it to scale, they put the room together, and we showed up, and we were like, ‘Wow, it actually really works.’”
The track also received a refurbishment after more than 30 years of continuous use began to take a toll on its surface.
“The track floor itself was wearing down; it was past its time, and it got to the point where it was almost dangerous,” Hines said.
What began as an idea discussed for nearly a year and a half became a reality as renovations began the second week of June.
Although several delays pushed back the original timeline, the weight room is now open, while work on the track is nearing completion and is expected to reopen soon.
The renovations were funded in part by a football alumnus, with the remaining costs covered by the athletic department.
“Most of the money spent in here was a generous gift from an alumnus, Mike Katz, ‘66. He played football here and then played for the New York Jets and was a very successful entrepreneur,” Hashemi said. “Mike would always say to me that he wanted to leave a gift to the school, so the flooring is what we decided on.”
Hashemi shared how the renovations not only provide current student-athletes with improved facilities but also send a stronger message to prospective athletes about the university’s commitment to its athletic programs.
“It makes me feel proud to be a part of this community, and proud that Southern can make these upgrades that the athletes are happy with,” business marketing major Gianna Denis, a sophomore, said.
For Denis and many others, the importance of the renovation goes beyond the new flooring and equipment layout, as it reflects the university’s dedication and pride in its athletic teams.
