Surrounded by neon ’90s-themed decorations, dozens of students wait in line for snacks and prizes given out during the Recreational Sports Center’s 35th birthday party on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
For around 60 years, Gregory Gym, Ana Hiss Gym, and later, Bellmont Hall, served as UT’s only indoor recreation facilities. As the university expanded, the gym demand soon eclipsed its abilities. Opened Oct. 11, 1990, the Rec’s 120,000-square-feet holds more than fitness studios, gymnasiums and martial arts spaces — it holds the history of a campus built by students.
Randall Ford, director of Communications and Development for RecSports, said he felt the gym’s demand himself while attending UT in the ‘80s.
“We were so crowded with teams that we were playing, for example, intramural basketball till 1 a.m. during the week,” Ford said. “There was not really a place to recreate if the programs had it booked.”
Sparked by Betty Thompson, director of Recreational Sports in the 1970s, the RecSports staff felt they desperately needed a new indoor recreation center. They then conducted an official needs assessment and later proposed a building plan — a first for the University.
After getting the state legislature’s and campus administration’s approval, and an education campaign led by the student body president in 1985, 68% of students voted in favor of the referendum to add a $20-per-semester fee to fund the facility.
“All those steps along the way were really important,” Ford said. “If it wasn’t for students, (the center) wouldn’t have happened.”
After RecSports achieved record-breaking student participation, students continued using similar referendums to fund campus development. In 14 years, students committed over $50 million of their own funds to building and improving facilities such as Gregory Gym and the William C. Powers Jr. Student Activity Center.
Beyond the Recreational Sports Center’s roughly 40 sponsored student sports clubs, they also host non-sporting events, such as the McCombs Career Expos, which have been held since 2015.
“I don’t know any of the buildings that would honestly be able to (hold so many events),” said Alden Phillips, a business sophomore who works out and attends career expos at the Rec. “That is something that’s unique, … they can do huge sporting events in the RecSports center, and they can also (host expos).”
Ford said the center’s diverse functions were foundational to its design. Lawrence Speck, the associate dean of Architecture when the Rec opened, said he believed its structure is what brings students back, such as the floor-to-ceiling glass walls, U-shaped locker clusters and clear sightlines to activities.
“You’ve got to be out in the world, in all these architectural environments that can then stimulate you and nurture something that you wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to,” Speck said. “That’s what makes a really rich life.”
Despite paying for a gym membership, Speck chooses to exercise at UT for that communal environment. He said he has become workout partners and friends with his students and coworkers, and that he would have never met them without the opportunities these facilities provide.
“I want to be a part of the UT community,” Speck said. “I’ve never found anything like RecSports.”
