Video Tour of Facility

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A new era has begun in Aggie athletics.

After a $12.5 million investment and just under two years of construction, the new north end zone facility, the Jim and Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex, stands as a monument to progress for Utah State University and its emergence as a contender in the Western Athletic Conference, said USU Athletics Director Scott Barnes.

“The Jim and Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex is a BCS type of facility,” Barnes said. “It is a facility you would find in many of the PAC-10 and Big 10 institutions, in terms of what it does for us in a recruiting and retention aspect.”

While USU may not be a BCS contender any time soon, the Complex marks a new era for the athletics program and the university itself, said Kevin Dustin, director of athletic development. In particular, Dustin said the facility will aid coaches in recruiting talented athletes. Dustin said athletes look for certain opportunities and advantages that will benefit them in their athletic and academic pursuits, and one of the top things they look for is facilities. Coaches of all sports can use the Jim and Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex to show prospects that USU has some of the best facilities available in the West, he said.

“(Athletes) need to know a couple things – that we’ll take care of them athletically and academically when they get here,” Dustin said. “Also, that the university and its fan base have made an investment, and that’s what facilities show.”

When Utah State joined the WAC four years ago, it was the little school among programs that had invested considerable time and money into their athletics, most notably Boise State and Hawaii. Barnes said there was a “significant gap” between USU’s resources and the rest of the WAC. The end zone facility at the time was little more than a squat, one-level structure that provided minimal support for the football program, Dustin said.

Today, USU has narrowed that gap, boasting one of the best athletics facilities in the WAC and in the Western United States.

“We literally went from one of the worst facilities in Western Athletic Conference to arguably the best,” Dustin said. The 69,000 square-foot structure resting at the north end zone of Romney Stadium is a state of the art facility that provides student athletes with everything they need to succeed at USU, both athletically and academically, said Dustin.

The first floor of the Jim and Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex is dominated by the Dr. John Worley Sports Medicine Research Center and the Dale Mildenberger Sports Medicine Complex. Named after 33-year athletic trainer Dale Mildenberger, the 11,000 square-foot facility boasts high-tech tools to cut down the rehabilitation time for injured athletes.

Besides traditional rehab equipment, the Complex features three hydrotherapy pools, one of which has an adjustable treadmill to fit the needs of athletes tall and small. The hydrotherapy pools are valuable in helping athletes recuperate on location after surgery because it removes the weight barrier and provides water jets for added resistance as the athlete returns to peak physical condition.

The first floor is also home to a 7,000 square-foot equipment room and locker rooms for football, softball, women’s soccer and women’s track and field. During home football games, the women’s track and field, softball and women’s soccer locker room will become the locker room for the visiting team, Dustin said.

When visitors enter the Complex, they will find an open reception area that will be home to the USU Hall of Fame, highlighting the best players and teams in Aggie history.

While the first floor is for any athlete, the second floor is strictly football.

Training and instruction rooms for each position provide individualized attention, including screens to view game film. An auditorium large enough to accommodate the football or track and field teams is named after former athletic director Randy Spetman, who was instrumental in the realization of the Complex.

The coaches’ offices are located on the perimeter of the building, with the wood-paneled head coach’s office in the southeast corner. While the football team is in a rebuilding process, there is still a great need for investing in the program, Dustin said, and this facility will be an aid in improving the quality of the program.

“The value of a football program in general cannot always be simply measured by wins and losses,” Dustin said. “There are so many other things that intercollegiate athletics bring to a university, whether that be status or recognition or diversity. You’re not just investing in a football team, you’re investing in university image and commitment to excellence.”

Three windowed meeting rooms on the south end of the Complex are used by the football team during the week, but on game day, these are transformed into premier suites that can be leased by individuals or corporations, Dustin said. Two more suites are available on the third floor. Guests will enjoy the game from the air conditioned confines of the Complex. A small catering package also comes with the suite with upgradeable menu options.

The third floor of the Complex is home to the track and field coaches’ offices – the only USU athletics program to claim a WAC title – and an academic center that can accommodate all 300-plus athletes to meet all their advising and study needs. Study halls, tutoring rooms and computer labs are available to assist athletes in enhancing the quality of their education, one of the main goals of the athletics program, Dustin said.

“We’re about the business of providing quality education experiences to student athletes,” Barnes said. “It comes in the classroom, in competition and preparing them for life. I think this building not only serves as a wonderful opportunity to deliver the services we need to deliver, but to help facilitate athlete success.”

The large open area facing the south windows on the third floor is converted into the president’s suite on game day.

“It gives you the opportunity for the president to talk to people in a relaxed and comfortable environment and really let him do what he does best, and that’s share the vision of USU,” said Kent Clark of the USU Development Office.

The Jim and Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex is “another piece of the puzzle” in fulfilling USU President Stan Albrecht’s vision of improving the quality of Utah State University, Barnes said.

“Athletics is to Utah State what the front porch is to the home,” Barnes said. “It’s not the most important room in the house but the most visible. We’ve just spiffied up our front porch in a very powerful way.”

Barnes said the Complex is truly a tribute to the dedication of the Aggie community, with more than 32 percent of the project achieved through volunteer labor on top of cash donations.

“It’s a very resounding statement relative to how the community feels about our student athletes – absolutely the best,” Barnes said. Opportunities to donate to the project are still available, Barnes said. To participate in the project, contact Kevin Dustin at (435) 797-1860.

– Seth R. Hawkins