   |
|
|
Neyland-Thompson Sports Center
McKENZIE
ATHLETICS CENTER CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
"It's mind-boggling to realize that so many components of a football program could be housed under one roof," said UT head football coach Phillip Fulmer, "it's a great asset for the players and for the coaching staff." Completed in 1989 at a cost of $11 million, the mammoth 120,000-square-foot, two-level structure is named in memory of former Vol head football coach and athletics director General Robert R. Neyland (1926-1962) and Knoxville businessman B. Ray Thompson. The roominess of the building makes the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center adaptable for any changes in football that could develop over the years. Declared Fulmer, "This is a structure that will serve our program in the world of the future as well as in today's world." The main level of the facility features a 70-yard All-Pro football field with a 10-yard end zone. The field, which sits under a 65-foot ceiling, also includes a baseball infield with inlaid bases and a pitcher's mound. The facility was designed so that in the future the indoor field can be extended to 100 yards. Tennessee has a proposal before the UT Trustees to extend the facility to 100 yards in the near future. The practice field is named in honor of Chattanooga businessman and UT alumnus Robert E. White, who donated $1 million to finance the field and support five full athletic scholarships on an annual basis. "I hope my contribution will enable the UT football program to achieve the highest expectations of staff, coaches and fans for years to come," White said. The facility houses the Percy Strength Facility as well as the Tim Kerin Training Room on the ground floor of the facility. The Sports Center also houses spacious dressing facilities that contain 157 A-frame wooden lockers, showers, a steam room and a sauna. The equipment distribution center and a locker storage center are located right outside the players' locker room. At the front entrance of the Sports Center, the Tennessee Football Hall of Fame Exhibit brings UT football to life. Opened in February 1990, the museum stands as a tribute to the many people who have helped shape more than 100 years of Tennessee football. Its various displays chronicle the storied history of the Volunteers. The upper level of the Neyland-Thompson Sports Center overlooks the practice field and has four observation decks. A large observation balcony, next to the recruiting office, looks down into the Hall of Fame Exhibit. The upper level also houses coaches' offices, conference rooms, a team auditorium, individual position meeting rooms and a recruiting lounge. Each assistant coach has his own office, and there are conference rooms for the offensive and defensive staffs along with a large meeting room for the entire coaching staff. Each position has a separate meeting room, and the team auditorium, with more than 100 oversized seats, includes a projection room.
|
|
The Neyland-Thompson Sports Center provides the University of Tennessee athletes
with the finest 
FB Live Game Audio - 11/21 @ 5:30 p.m. ET
