The Development of the Bell Athletic Center

The William H. Bell Athletic Center was a state of the art athletic facility when it was initially finished and it helped numerous programs with athlete performance, recruiting and student well-being. Ironically, it was named after a former trustee of the university who had very little interest in sports at all (Calgaard, 2018). Dr. Calgaard knew he was not a fan of athletics, but Bell was wildly popular with the other trustees (Calgaard, 2018). Therefore, by naming the facility in his honor and getting Bell to back the athletic center, it made the other trustees want to give more to the project and allowed President Calgaard to raise even more money in his capital campaign (Calgaard, 2018).

President Calgaard knew how important facilities were to both the current students and the school’s ability to recruit future students. This is supported by research done by sport management scholars Chard and Potwarka on how different factors influence students’ school choice (Chard, 2017). The university has continued to improve the facility with new renovations allowing for many sports teams to have their own locker room space, more room for athletic trainers to treat student-athletes, and improved strength and conditioning facilities. Without the groundwork laid by President Calgaard, these new renovations would have never occurred. Dr. Calgaard also oversaw the construction of the Jesse H. Jones Recreation Area where there are softball, soccer, baseball, and intramural fields along with a walking track (Dr. Ronald K. Calgaard: 2005 Hall of Fame Class, 2018). These areas have also improved in recent years and hosted several NCAA Division III tournaments, allowing for more exposure to the campus and its high-level facilities.