USC Athletics Director Pat Haden announced in February that the University will will pump $15-$18 million into a renovation of the McDonald’s Swim Stadium.
The outdoor venue has become a bit rundown since it was built for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games, but beginning in January of 2013, the facility is going to get a major facelift.
Among the improvements being made are new locker rooms for the award-winning water polo, swimming, and diving teams; brand new covered seating along both sides of the pool; and a new sundeck to overlook the venue. One of the primary goals of the new look will be to make the facility more accessible for the use of the USC student body in general, rather than just athletes, as well as to draw more attention to the Olympic-level aquatic competitions that go on at the facility.
From the preliminary renderings of the new stadium, it will have a whole different feel. The current stadium is sort of cold, very intimidating and almost corporal looking. The sun-deck addon, as well as the stands covering the brick walls that line the outside of the facility, will put it more on par with the awesome facilities at conference rivals like Stanford and Arizona (who had a big upgrade to their swimming facilities as recently as 2007).
As a reference for what you can do with $15 million dollars, Virginia Tech’s Christianburg Aquatics Center ran just under $15 million, and they started from scratch.
Final plans will not be made until a contractor is selected, but the overhaul is expected to run from January of 2013 through April of 2014. It was made possible thanks to a large gift from an un-named donor who earmarked the funds to go towards the renovation. Other donors are being asked to chip in to fill the rest of the bill.
