University of Minnesota to build $15.5M gymnastics center
MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota announced Friday that the Board of Regents approved the construction of a $15.5 million practice facility for the women's gymnastics team.
Construction will begin in March 2024 and the new building will be placed in the footprint of Athletes Village.
Currently, the team practices and trains at Peik Gymnasium. Campus leadership has proposed that Peik will be demolished in the future. Maturi Pavilion will continue to be used for meets during the season.
"A state-of-the-art practice facility has been a goal of our program for the past 20 years and to see it come to fruition is truly an amazing milestone," said Head Coach Jenny Hansen.
The Gophers' gymnastics program has experienced tremendous success over the last few years, including a Big Ten championship title in 2021 and placing sixth in the 2022 NCAA Championship.
Athletic Director Mark Coyle feels like the new addition is incredibly deserved.
"This is an exciting day for our gymnastics program, it will be ideal for our student-athletes to have everything they need – academics, athletics, nutrition and athletic medicine – all in one spot at the world-class Athletes Village," he said. "I know Coach Hansen and her staff are excited to share this news with the team and with recruits and we look forward to supporting them during the process."
The university expects construction to be completed in January of 2025.