Northern Colorado's new football lockerroom, part of the new Butler-Hancock Athletic Center.
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GREELEY -- A project that took nearly 15 months to complete and brings Northern Colorado Athletics to the forefront of the Big Sky Conference, made its long-awaited debut Wednesday night, Aug. 25.
The Bears' state-of-the-art New Butler-Hancock Athletic Center, fresh off a $15 million-plus renovation, hosted on its picturesque north greenscape and pavilion more than 500 community members, University of Northern Colorado campus representatives and UNC athletics support staff during the Bears' annual Fall Sports Kickoff.
The event traditionally serves as a way to celebrate the beginning of another exciting season of Northern Colorado athletics, but this year's party, sponsored by First National Bank, also provided the perfect backdrop to showcase the newest addition to the University of Northern Colorado campus.
Those in attendance dined and drank on BBQ from Kenny's Steakhouse and beverages from High Country Beverage and received student-athlete-led insider tours of the Bears' new home. Fall-sport coaches Tim Barrera, Lyndsey Benson and Scott Downing also spoke.
Butler-Hancock, first opened in 1974, has now undergone two major-renovations in the last decade that has refurbished a proud UNC landmark into one of the very-finest student-athlete resources in the country.
"The entire Northern Colorado campus community is very excited to open this new academic and athletic facility," said Northern Colorado director of athletics Jay Hinrichs. "This now-complete project clearly moves us to the front of the Big Sky, in terms of facilities, and we greatly appreciate all the support from univeristy administration, our campus partners, and Hensel Phelps Construction and Sink Combs Dethlefs Architects.
"Our student-athletes and coaches are very excited to be here and moving in, and we look forward to a great season."
Included in the renovation are new multifunction classroom spaces, large flexible meeting spaces, a video center and the new home of the Northern Colorado Athletic Medicine Teaching Center, which includes the Dan Libera Athletic Training Room and a state-of-the-art walk-in hydrotherapy pool.
A new strength-and-conditioning center is also included, along with spacious new team rooms for the Bears’ softball and wrestling programs, renovations to the swimming and diving locker facilities, lockers and changing spaces for all athletic teams not housed at Jackson Field or Jackson Stadium and a renovated football team room that includes custom-designed lockers and two coaches locker rooms.
The signature piece of the renovation is the Northern Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame and Sports Museum, which is housed on the north side of the New Butler-Hancock Athletic Center, and will be officially unveiled at Northern Colorado’s Oct. 2 Homecoming football game.
This space will proudly display the names of Northern Colorado student-athletes, coaches and honored contributors who have previously been enshrined in the Hall of Fame, and those to come in the future, and feature a video-display system that will enable visitors to call up any Northern Colorado Hall of Famer on-demand and view the accomplishments of that particular member.
The renovation project also includes new office and conference spaces for Northern Colorado’s athletic-department staff and a welcoming center that figures to be an integral part in the recruiting process.
"When Northern Colorado joined the Big Sky Conference, there was a promise made of commitment to facilities by the university and the athletic department," said Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton, who was at the Kickoff on Wednesday night. "There's no question now that promise has been carried through.
"The trajectory of Northern Colorado is now at an all-time high, and we're very proud to have the Bears as a member of our league."