VFC Renderings Unveiled
Today the unprecedented growth in athletic facilities that began 15 years ago and has resulted in $150M in creations, expansions and upgrades takes another major step forward with the unveiling of conceptual renderings and floor plans of the expanded Valley Football Center.
The transformational $42-million Victory through Valley (timeline/images) fundraising campaign will expand the VFC, the home of the OSU football program since 1990, by 55,000 square feet to nearly 100,000 square feet. The upcoming undertaking will be the third major overhaul to the original building and focus on recruiting, competitiveness and functionality.
This latest venture will completely reconfigure Reser Stadium’s north end zone and become the latest in a series of ongoing enhancements to OSU’s athletic physical plant. It further stokes the momentum sweeping Beaver Nation with the hiring of new football coach Gary Andersen and his staff; the construction of the Beth Ray Academic Center, the OSU Basketball Center and the Jacoby Ellsbury Locker Room, and nationally-recognized successes by the women’s basketball, men’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, wrestling, men’s soccer and gymnastics programs.
“The expansion of the Valley Football Center will enable us to better take care of the young men in our program on a daily basis and also recruit at the highest level,” said Andersen, hired by OSU on Dec. 12, 2014, after two outstanding seasons at the University of Wisconsin and four successful seasons at Utah State.
“It will enable our student-athletes to move throughout their day efficiently in order to succeed both on and off the field.”
Funded entirely by private donations, the larger, upgraded VFC will double the size of the current locker room; add approximately 9,000 square feet to the equipment room and about 4,000 square feet to the athletic training facility, areas that directly affect student-athletes and coaches on a daily basis.
“Providing our student-athletes with the tools to be successful is paramount to our success. We have continued to make those strides beginning with the construction of the Merritt Truax Indoor Center in 2001 through creation of the sports medicine facility in partnership with Samaritan Health Services,” OSU Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis said. “The hiring of Coach Andersen was a game-changer and the expansion of the Valley Football Center will be as well.
“This project will bring us close to $200M of growth toward our athletic facilities in the past 15 years. It shows our determination and commitment to become and remain a competitive program year in and year out. Once again, that commitment is being met by Beaver Nation through the initial fundraising for a facility that may house one program but positively impacts all of our student-athletes. Success will allow us to turn the corner toward completing the ultimate vision for Reser Stadium.”
Anchored by two major, anonymous gifts totaling a combined $25 million, fundraising for the project has now reached more than $33 million less than four months after the Victory through Valley campaign was announced by OSU President Dr. Edward J. Ray, De Carolis and OSU Foundation President & CEO Mike Goodwin in conjunction with Andersen’s hiring.
Approximately 80 percent of the total cost has been raised and the campaign is trending well ahead of pace. The goal is to complete fundraising by the end of the 2015 season so construction can start as soon as possible, giving student-athletes in the 2016 recruiting class concrete evidence that OSU’s commitment to winning football is second to none.
“The momentum we have during the initial months of Victory through Valley fundraising has been inspiring. The people we have engaged are excited not only about the direction of the program on the field but the commitment to excellence in our facilities and programs that support our student-athletes,” commented Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development Jim Patterson.
“We are grateful for the response we have received from leadership donors. We know there are many more individuals who love this program and this university, and success of this expansion project will occur because all of Beaver Nation is involved. My staff and I look forward to having those conversations as we move forward.”
The Valley Football Center first opened in 1990. A $6.2-million overhaul in 1996-97 tripled the size of the original building and reflected OSU’s commitment to building a winning football program.
Less than three years after the June 14, 1997 dedication, the Beavers had their first winning season since 1970 and played in their first bowl game since 1965. The following season they trounced Notre Dame 41-9 in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl and finished No. 4 in the final Associated Press football poll. Those back-to-back bowl games were the first of 11 postseason appearances in the past 16 seasons.
A 2010 renovation featured an expanded lobby with interactive displays, a trophy area and a second-floor players’ lounge that doubles as premium seating on game days.
Facilities are not the only area where growth has occurred within Oregon State Athletics. On the strength of the UN1TE annual fund campaign, Our Beaver Nation is trending $1M ahead of 2014.
To support the Valley Football Center Expansion project, please contact Our Beaver Nation office at 541-737-2370.
