The opening of the $15 million Clive M. Beck Athletic and Recreation Center ushered in a new era in Transylvania athletics.
The Beck Center gives the entire campus community a home for recreation, fitness activities, intramurals, varsity competition, and the physical education and exercise science program. Its opening came at a significant time in the history of Transylvania athletics as the school transitions from the NAIA to the NCAA's Division III and joins the Division III Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The HCAC includes ten schools from Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky.
“As a multiple-use facility, the Beck Center offers something for every student, from casual recreation and fitness to fast-paced varsity sports,” said President R. Owen Williams. “It is a focal point of campus life, and it’s a very beautiful work of architecture.”
The 97,000-square foot Georgian-style building is located at Fourth and Broadway. Visitors enter on the concourse level within an atrium that extends to the roofline. From this level, the view is down into the competition arena that provides seating for 1,200 fans in fully automatic retractable seating.
When the seats are rolled back, the gymnasium floor can accommodate two basketball courts or a combination of basketball, volleyball, badminton, or other activities. A partition that lowers from the ceiling divides the floor in half. Eight locker rooms and a training room complete with hydrotherapy facilities are also on this level.
The concourse level includes:
The upper levels of Beck feature:
“The building’s innovative design allows for many activities to occur in different locations, all at the same time,” said Williams. “For example, even when the lower arena is filled with fans for a varsity game, we can have students in the upper gym taking part in intramurals, fitness workouts, aerobics, or running on the track.”
The Beck Center is named in honor of the late son of Transylvania Board of Trustees member Graham J. Beck and his wife, Rhona, whose generous lead gift helped to make the project a reality. They were joined in support by many other board members, along with alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the University.
Transylvania University admits students regardless of age, race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, national origin, or any other classification protected by federal or state law or local ordinance.
300 North Broadway
