HOME IMPROVEMENT

The Parthenon

Braxton Crisp | The Parthenon

In the 21st century world of major college athletics, teams are playing in more extravagant venues each year. The Carrier Classic was the height of venue madness, with NCAA Men's Basketball games played in the open elements on the deck of an aircraft carrier.

Marshall University did not play in any of the Carrier Classic games, but the Thundering Herd has been working hard to improve the quality of the facilities the Herd calls home.

In the four years since Marshall Athletic Director Mike Hamrick came to Marshall from UNLV, $42,210,112.22 has been spent to improve the facilities of Marshall University, according to figures provided by Hamrick. Of that, $33 million came from donations to the Vision Campaign, and another $1,189,048.43 was funded by the state. A contract renegotiation with IMG College, which is Marshall Athletics media rights holder, meant another $3 million in the Herd's pocket, meaning only $5,021,063.79 was paid directly out of the athletics budget.

Hamrick said the money is being spent to make the Herd's athletic facilities better because the improvements need to be made.

'Our facilities were in desperate need of renovation, modernization and upgrading,' Hamrick said.

Hamrick said the Herd's facilities should provide the best possible quality for student athletes to both practice and compete.

'Our whole goal on these facility improvements is to make sure our student athletes have adequate, safe and quality facilities to practice and compete in,' Hamrick said.

Not only are the upgraded facilities going to benefit the current student athletes, they will help the future athletes of Marshall as well.

Hamrick said having the construction projects going on right now helps the future athletes during the recruiting process, even before they enroll at Marshall.

'Once you get recruits in here and show them the facilities, not pictures, which we have, but now they can see what is coming out of the ground, I think it makes a huge difference in your recruiting,' Hamrick said.

Building and renovating stadiums and arenas is not inexpensive, but Hamrick was able to make the improvements happen without draining the Herd's budget. Part of that was through a renegotiation with IMG College, who holds the media rights for Marshall athletics. In the renegotiation, Hamrick was able to get $3 million to use on installing two new scoreboards at Joan C. Edwards Stadium, as well as add LED ribbon signs and install new lights to the Cam Henderson Center.

'The Henderson Center was a dungeon four years ago,' Hamrick said. 'The lights were bad, the PA system could not be heard in half of the building and it was so hot that you couldn't do anything.'

The lights and signage were part of the $3 million from IMG, while the PA system installed was an additional $405,000 and the air system was part of a state funded project.

Hamrick did not just help the football and basketball teams though. Through the Vision Campaign, Marshall soccer now has a new stadium. The indoor practice facility, sports medicine translational research center and student athlete academic center will be available to all athletic teams of Marshall University.

Hamrick said that while football may be the big name team that will use the indoor practice facility, track and field, baseball, softball and men's and women's golf will have the ability to practice there as well.

'With the new netting system, softball and baseball could practice in there,' Hamrick said. 'With the netting system we're going to put in there, you can hit golf balls where you can see where they go for the first hundred yards.'

Hamrick said that in June 2012, the Henderson Center and Gullickson Hall weight room got a new floor put in it, and last fall work began on repairing and replacing the surface of the Brian David Fox Tennis Center, which cost a combined $188,850.

'You're never done with facilities,' Hamrick said. 'Facilities get old, they get outdated. So you have to continue to keep your eyes down the road for what you need for your student athletes.'

Fans who have made their way to the Henderson Center recently may have noticed the new playing surface that was put in last September. The same will happen to Joan C. Edwards Stadium, as there will be a new turf field installed in the home of Marshall football after the conclusion of the upcoming spring practice period for the Herd's men of the gridiron.

The one venue that Marshall doesn't currently have in Huntington is a baseball stadium. A ballpark may be on its way though, as last week, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams vowed to have a baseball stadium built by the time his term in office ends in January 2017.

Hamrick said he and the Mayor have talked numerous times about the baseball stadium, which Williams said would be built and owned by the City of Huntington, but Marshall and a potential Minor League team would be lease holders.

Other projects the Herd has embarked on to improve facilities include new locker rooms for the tennis, track and field, and swim and dive teams, plus covered batting cages and pitching areas for Marshall softball. The Herd also improved the wiring within Joan C. Edwards Stadium to be more accommodating to television crews who broadcast Marshall football games, and added four new suites and a new elevator to the press box of the stadium.