Teams were struggling with recovering from injuries. There were no meeting facilities specifically for athletes. But now with the Sebo Athletic Center, things are different.
There are meeting rooms, a new weight room, viewing rooms and offices, along with the football locker room in the new facility.
It also brought something other than new equipment and rooms and faster recovery times. It brought a new attitude to BGSU’s athletes.
‘It gives everybody a new attitude and a new will to play,’ said Curtis Van Demark, a senior running back.
‘It’s like we set the bar higher,’ said Chris Bullock, a red shirt sophomore running back, explaining that the better facility means more is expected from the athletes.
Greg Christopher, the director of athletics at BGSU, said returning to campus in August with this new facility and home for Falcon athletics, raised the teams’ morale.
Having a great facility is what the athletes wanted.
‘It’s magnificent. It’s tip-top. We couldn’t ask for more,’ said sophomore soccer player Jacob Lawrence.
The FieldTurf, even though it is not part of the Sebo Athletic Center construction, is part of the new addition to Doyt Perry Stadium.
‘The new turf is awesome because we can probably make a field goal,’ said football coach Gregg Brandon.
Brandon explained he struggled with meeting space and managing his team because of the lack of facilities.
‘We can do that now,’ he said. ‘It’s first class and that’s the way a Division I program [should be],’ Brandon said.
The weight room is the showcase of the facility, he said, adding the first floor is perhaps the best he’s ever seen.
Rick Court, an assistant strength and conditioning coach, said nearly ‘every tool in the box’ is available in the weight room, which will get the athletes in better shape.
Wade Diefenthaler, a former BGSU baseball player who was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Friday, said the facility is wonderful and is thrilled to have such a building on campus.
