Renovations starts with a shovel of dirt

There’s one game left in the 2015 season season, but prior to the game versus Washington, OSU took an hour to turn attention to the future of their program with the groundbreaking ceremony of the Valley Football Center project.

Head coach Gary Andersen, President Ed Ray and Athletic Director Todd Stansbury were among the headliners at the event,  each of them giving a short speach on why this building is a game changer for the Beavers.

Stansbury, who returned to OSU with this project in the final stages, sees this building as symbol of just how invested the athletic department is in the football program.

“This is a very big day for Beaver Nation and Beaver football,” Stansbury said. “With this building we give our student athletes the tools they need to compete for championships.”

It wasn’t just Ray, Stansbury, and Andersen witnessing the shovels being dug into a patch of dirt in the south end zone. The audience included many big name boosters, recruits and several football players.

The expansion, which was announced the same day that news broke of Andersen’s hiring last December, is a complete overhaul of the VFC, including coaches offices, locker rooms and the players lounge. 

The massive project will add 38,000 square feet of additional space, including a 53-foot wide, ground-level locker room. It will also include expanded facilities such as training and recovery rooms, a new team auditorium, while also adding a new players’ lounge. 

Andersen said that this project is going to help the Beavers be the very best in the Pac-12.

“This project allows us to take a very important step into the future,” Andersen said. “This building will allow us to compete and recruit at a very high level. In the Pac-12 you play against the best of the best, you should have the best of the best (facilities).”

The expansion begins today and will be completed in time for OSU’s home opener next year against Idaho State on Sept. 17.

Ray said that this building is a sign that the Beavers are taking no shortcuts in their football program and are going to be winning games very soon.

“We aspire to something special at Oregon State,” Ray said. “Make no mistake we are going to the top.”

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