Rutgers’ athletic facility upgrades approved by board

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) -- Rutgers University's football team would get exclusive use of a refurbished Hale Center and a multi-use facility for men's and women's basketball would be built next to the Rutgers Athletic Center as part of a master plan approved by the university's board of governors Thursday.

The board did not immediately list a cost for the changes that will span the next 15 years but said the money needed for the upgrades will be raised solely through donations.

The multi-use facility also will house wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball. Men's and women's soccer, women's tennis and women's lacrosse will be housed in new facilities to be built under the bleachers at the south end zone of High Point Solutions Stadium.

With Rutgers entering its second year in the Big Ten, upgrades to the facilities have become a priority to compete in a major conference. The front-burner projects for athletics will be the Hale Center upgrade and the building of a multi-use facility for the men's and women's basketball programs.

The basketball facility will be connected by a walkway to the 40-year-old Rutgers Athletic Center, the home court for the basketball teams.

"The physical master plan is a framework for future development that we will review and update to make appropriate revisions as priorities and funding warrant," Rutgers president Robert Barchi said in a statement. "Rutgers 2030 provides vision and guidance as Rutgers moves forward to create an environment equal to our prominence in teaching, research and service to New Jersey and the nation."

The plan includes updates at Rutgers' campuses in New Brunswick, Newark and Camden.

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