At last weekend’s dual meet between Liberty University and Campbell, the teams got to test out the home-team Flames’ brand new pool for the first time.
The new 75,000-square-foot facility is in many ways unique for a college campus.
The pool itself is 50 meters by 25 yards, fitting nine Olympic-sized lanes or 20 short course lanes. It also has a moveable bulkhead. In addition to the main pool, there is also a 17-foot deep diving well that can fit and additional eight short course lanes and has 1- and 3-meter springboards, and a three-column tower with 1, 3, 5, 7.5 and 10-meter platforms.
Perhaps most impressive is the 1,414-person capacity, wraparound, three-sided bowl seating located along the 25-yard side of the pool. The facility also includes a 260-square-foot ready room, a 13.6′ x 43′ swimming video board, a 6′ x 10′ diving scoreboard, a 720-square-foot athletic training room, varsity locker rooms, a 1,600-square-foot team lounge, a 1,400-square-foot wet classroom and an endless pool.
In addition, it has a nutritional area with a juice bar/smoothie station.
Here’s a look:
Special thanks to everyone who helped make tonight a moment for all-time. This was a decade in the making, and many here at LU and beyond played a major role! The evening went off without a hitch – thank you to all – you know who you are! #GoFlames pic.twitter.com/EEZ3aseK7p
— Liberty Swimming & Diving (@LibertyDiveSwim) December 2, 2017
The natatorium is connected to another new facility — an indoor track, which opened in January. The combined complex shares a 6,554-square-foot weight room and 2,400-square-foot training room, including a 1,000-square-foot hydro room with an underwater treadmill.
At both the track and pool facilities, the school plans to host regional, state and national meets for high school, collegiate, YMCA and USA Swimming programs, and potentially offer training privileges for professional athletes.
So they built this brand new beautiful natatorium and only support a women’s team? that sucks for guys. Title IX needs amending as it has now lead to discrimination against males.
meeeeee – Liberty has a men’s club team that is taken as seriously, if not more seriously, than most. They’re even planning on offering scholarships for men’s swimming, last I heard.
They’ve also added a lot of new varsity sports in the last decade and I wouldn’t be surprised if men’s swimming moves to varsity some time in the near future.
You should change your name from MEEEEE to REEEEEEEEEEE
It’s not discriminating against males. There are equal number of male and female athletes at most schools (or a ratio equivalent to the student population). How is that discrimination? The huge rosters on football teams are preventing more men’s swim teams from developing. It’s not Title IX.
Just a matter of time before they win the conference meet. Very impressive facility !
They’ve won before.
The dual meet was against Campbell, not Central Virginia.