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The Milan Puskar Center has undergone many changes since it was first constructed in 1980 to house the Mountaineer football offices. In 1985, the facility was connected to Milan Puskar Stadium when a 10,000-seat expansion enclosed the South end zone bowl.
Originally known as the Facilities Building , the original $3 million structure was partially funded by private contributions. The two-story, 39,000-square-foot facility features a spacious locker room now housing the entire football team in one location, sauna and steam rooms, a modern athletic training center, a newly refurbished $2.6 million weight training facility and a team recreation area all on the first floor.
The second floor houses the offensive and defensive wings for the coaching staffs, player position rooms, a full-service video editing suite, a football staff conference room, the Donald J. Brohard Hall of Traditions, The Reynolds Family Academic Performance Center, the Robert and Erma Hartley Club Level and a full-sized dining area for the players and coaches.
A new $5 million team room auditorium is planned for the winter of 2015 that will provide additional space to comfortably seat our 120-member football team. The new structure will also provide adequate sound proofing to prevent outside distractions while the current team auditorium space will be renovated into position-specific meeting rooms for individualized game-day preparation and tape study.
Additionally, the new facility will include a separate student-athlete entrance to provide security and comfort to members of the football team. The Puskar Center renovations will dramatically update the aesthetics of the facility and give it a more appealing and modern impression, allowing the Puskar Center to become a concentration for West Virginia's recruiting efforts.
Downstairs, a series of renovations to the team locker room and team study area totaling more than $6.2 million has helped keep the Milan Puskar Center among the most modern and complete structures of its kind in America.
The Reynolds Family Academic Performance Center - more than five times the size of the previously existing study center - occupies nearly 5,600 square feet on the upper floor of the Puskar Center. The facility features 30 computer stations, four tutoring rooms, eight small-group study stations and a library-style open area for non-structured, individual or small group academic work.
The Reynolds Family Academic Performance Center enhances WVU's commitment to academic excellence and the well-rounded student-athlete, as well as serving as a key recruiting tool for prospective Mountaineers.
The leadership commitment for the facility was made by Robert L. Reynolds, a Clarksburg , W.Va. , native and WVU graduate who is currently President and CEO of Putnam Investments. In addition, Mr. Reynolds serves as a member of the West Virginia University Foundation Board of Directors.
The Robert and Erma Hartley Club Level is a 2,500 square-foot, climate-controlled Club Area. The Club Area offers upscale fan amenities on game days but also provides additional study hall space for student-athletes during peak hours. The leadership commitment for this facility was made by R. Dean Hartley, a Moundsville, W.Va. , native and his wife, Charlene. Mr. Hartley is a WVU Law School graduate who currently serves as partner with the Wheeling-based firm Hartley and O'Brien PLLC, and also as chair of the Mountaineer Athletic Club's Development Council at WVU. The facility is named in honor of Robert Hartley and the late Erma Hartley of Moundsville , W.Va. learning environment for student-athletes.
