The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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86 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY TIM PEELER I n March 2015, when the NC State women's basketball home season is over, Reynolds Coliseum will be cordoned off and closed for about 15 months. During that time, the grand old barn of NC State athletics — perhaps the most impor- tant structure ever built in the state of North Carolina — will be transformed from the elongated shoebox that we know now into the unparalleled home of history and nostalgia for anyone who ever saw a game, attended a concert or stood in line for hours on change day to switch classes. "The House That Case Built" has been open since 1949, when head coach Everett Case's success forced the men's basketball team out of Thompson Gym and into a new arena that Case envisioned when he first saw a steel skeleton that had sat dormant through World War II. For 50 years, it was the home of the Wolfpack men, the home of six South- ern Conference champion teams, 10 ACC champions and two national champions. It remains the home of the Wolfpack women, as well as volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling. Now, however, it is time for the first major overhaul of the building that has also served as a gathering place for the NC State com- munity, as well as speakers and performers from all over the world. This has been the mission of NC State ath- letics director Debbie Yow since she arrived on campus in 2010 and discovered there was no athletic hall of fame and little more than general upkeep on the building whose floor is named in memory of her older sister, Hall of Fame women's basketball coach Kay Yow. "Reynolds is an iconic building on our campus," Yow said. "It absolutely needs to be renovated so that we can use it well into the next generation of campus life." Plans for the anticipated $35 million proj- ect are well underway. It will be paid for with a $15 million commitment from the univer- sity and a $20 million fundraising effort by the athletics department. The changes will be dramatic. The court, which has always been in the center of the building, will be moved to the south end and ringed by about 5,000 seats for basketball. The current seating capacity is 8,200. The teams that compete there will be dis- placed for about one competitive season each, and Yow and her staff are considering loca- tions for where each will compete. The front third of the building will be opened up, the second-floor concourses will be revamped and the side lobbies will be en- larged to become the permanent home of the NC State Athletic Hall of Fame, which Yow created in 2012. Two 10-member classes have already been enshrined and the selec- tion committee will meet in April to select a third class of up to 10 members. All classes after that will be limited to no more than six. The Walk of Fame will honor all 23 cur- rent varsity sports, former varsity sports, the non-athletic events hosted in Reynolds and a wide array of accomplished individuals and teams who are the foundation of NC State's athletic heritage. The hall will include many of the pieces of memorabilia that have been stowed for decades in the closets and basement of Reyn- olds, as well as the myriad of items saved over the years by the late Frank Weedon. Yow's vision will complete the work started a few years back to display and show off what has been saved over the years. "It gives us the opportunity finally to have one place to display publicly all of our mem- orabilia, to talk about all of our successes," Yow said. "There won't be anything like this walk of fame and history in the country. I say that with assurance because of the shape of Reynolds and our ability to use our first third of the building and the concourse. It is going to be special in that regard and people are go- ing to be wowed by the presentation and they are going to feel an incredible sense of pride. "The notion that somehow Reynolds is going to be diminished is unfortunate. Ev- erything of merit that has ever happened in Reynolds will be honored." And, for the first time since the doors opened, the building will be permanently air conditioned. The renovation will not only benefit athlet- ics, but it will also provide an improved home for NC State's ROTC program and the larger campus community. "This facility is not only an asset for athlet- ics, but also for the greater campus commu- nity," university architect Lisa Johnson said. "It's our largest seat-capacity venue near the academic core, and once the building is mod- ernized and air conditioned, it will be in even greater demand for athletic and non-athletic events." By then, the project to rebuild the Talley Student Union will be complete and the re- vamped Reynolds again will be at the epicen- ter of student life on campus, as it has been since its doors opened in 1949. "Reynolds will be a great location to show- case the Athletic Hall of Fame," Johnson said. "It's already designated as one of the campus' seven Hallowed Places. The campus has not been able to use the building to its full poten- tial due to the lack of air conditioning and a very noisy ventilation system." Much has been saved through the years, but the athletics department is encouraging alumni and fans to contribute significant memorabilia to the project. Those items are being gathered and stored now by project manager Doug Strom, the assistant athletics director for administration who oversees the day-to-day operations of Reynolds. All items will become property of NC State athletics and will be considered for permanent or temporary display. All donors will be credited for their contribution. For more information, contact Strom at (919) 515-2122. The project is a massive undertaking. But it's a necessary part of ensuring that Reyn- olds will always be the heart of NC State athletics and the university's most important landmark. ■ ■ PACK PERSPECTIVE Reynolds Coliseum Will Undergo A Major Renovation You may contact Tim Peeler at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. The $35 million project to upgrade the home of the women's basketball, volleyball, gym- nastics and wrestling teams is expected to take about 15 months. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN The Wolfpacker is a publication of: Coman Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 2331, Durham, N.C. 27702. Offices are located at 324 Blackwell St., Ste. 1020, Durham, N.C. 27701. (919) 688-0218. The Wolfpacker (ISSN 0273-8945) is published bimonthly. A subscription is $39.95 for six issues. For advertising or subscription information, call (800) 421-7751 or write The Wolfpacker. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Wolfpacker, P.O. Box 2331, Durham, N.C. 27702. Periodical mail postage paid at Durham, N.C. 27702 and additional offices. First-class postage is $14 extra per year. E-mail: thewolfpacker@comanpub.com • Web site: www.thewolfpacker.com 86.Pack Perspective.indd 86 2/25/14 3:05 PM