students per year will benefit
Teams had a fall and J-term cumulative GPA above a 3.0
Hours of community service
Vision
of the project
Athletic experiences increasingly play a critical role in recruiting and retaining the best students. Every day, our coaches identify, recruit and develop the next generation of Lutes. In the highly competitive world of collegiate recruiting, every touchpoint matters.
Athletic facilities are critical spaces for delivering a high-quality athletics experience.
Now is the time in our University’s history to envision a strategic investment in our students and student-athletes that will transform our commitment to wellness and athletics.
Thanks to the funds dedicated by the university and over 200 alumni, family and friends who have already made their gift to the reimagined locker room — the old lockers are out, the demolition is done, and the re-construction is well underway.
We still need your help. Student-athletes will be moving into the new locker room on August 15 – but we need you! You still have the chance to be a part of this exciting project. Help us modernize the PLU locker rooms today.
Brant McAdams
Head Football CoachA new locker room immediately helps our program attract the best student-athletes who are deciding between a host of other universities. A re-imagined locker room creates an inviting atmosphere that our players have access to year-round and are proud to call their own. The ability to attract and develop high-achieving student-athletes is one mark of a championship program.
- Brant McAdams, Head Football Coach
Adam Frye
Head Track & Field and Cross Country CoachUpgrading the locker room would not only enhance the experience of our current student-athletes, but help us attract new Lutes. This project would provide a huge boost to our “curb appeal” and meet the expectations of today’s prospective students.
- Adam Frye, Head Track & Field and Cross Country Coach
Updates
X-Country, Track and Field
The 2019 PLU XC Invitational is set for September 21. Come support the current Lutes or toe the line as part of the alumni team. We’ll host a lunch for alumni, family and team after the meet.
Lutes in your Locale
Fellowship with fellow Lutes and get an update on PLU Football!
Tacoma: Thurs. July 18, 5:30 p.m. at Rhein House (649 Division)
Seattle: Wed. July 31, 5:30 p.m. at Pryamid Alehouse (1201 1st Ave. S)
“No-host” event where food and drinks are at your own expense.
PLU Football Golf Tournament
Football alumni and friends. August 9, 2019 at The Home Course in Dupont, WA.
Cross Country/Track and Field
Twenty three new Lutes are headed to campus this fall to join our Cross Country, Track and Field Teams. 8 of these athletes will compete on both teams.
NCAA DIII Track & Field Championships
Kyle Rapacz ran 9:08.38 (#3 all-time for PLU) in the 3000m steeplechase to qualify for the NCAA DIII T&F Championships in Ohio. Four women also qualified for the championships, with three earning All-American honors by finishing in the top eight.
Football Recruitment
Football is excited to welcome 58 New Lutes to the PLU Football team in August and have their experience begin in such a great facility! Nine of these students are dual-sport athletes planning to compete in track & field as well.
Football Golf Tournament
Mark your calendar for August 9! The PLU Football Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament is a day of fun, fellowship and fairways as we bring decades of PLU Football alumni and supporters together to raise funds for PLU Football.
Pictures of Progress
Great news! The outdated locker room for PLU Football, Track & Field and Cross Country is being updated. You can help make this project a reality with your gift today! Your gift will remind the student-athletes of today and tomorrow about the shoulders they stand on.
Square foot renovation
New lockers
Shower stalls
Scope
of the project
The large locker room in Olson Auditorium serves as the primary home for the Lute Football, Cross-Country and Track & Field teams. It is used daily by over 150 student-athletes. This project will completely renovate and modernize the men’s football, cross country, and track and field locker rooms. This 3,675 square foot renovation includes 133 new lockers, 10 shower stalls, and a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.
Timeline
Clifford Olson, who coached many sports and served as Athletic Director between 1929 and 1947, attends the groundbreaking of the new Olson Auditorium. Lockers and showers are installed that will remain in Olson for the next 50 years.
The Westering Era begins when Forrest “Frosty” Westering is named PLU’s 7th Head Football Coach. Frosty’s son and long time Offensive Coordinator, Scott Westering, was named the 8th Head Coach in 2004. During the Westering Era, the Lutes won 4 national titles, 8 Northwest Conference titles, and appeared in 21 NCAA and NAIA tournaments.
Anticipated Cost
Cost
of the project
Investment in renovated wellness and athletic facilities is a top priority for the PLU Board of Regents and Administration. As such, $500,000 has been dedicated in 2019-20 as a challenge grant to partially fund this project. We invite our funding partners and alumni to match this amount and make these investments possible this year.
Wes Nixon ‘21
Football and Track & Field AthleteAs a two sport football/track & field athlete at PLU, this locker room renovation is extremely exciting! The impact that a new facility will make on recruiting and the four year athletic experience is immeasurable. It is also extremely encouraging to know that this facility upgrade is a product of both university AND alumni support! I can’t wait to sit in my locker this fall! Go Lutes!
- Wes Nixon ‘21, Football and Track & Field Athlete
Total amount raised
Give
How
can you help?
Thanks to the funds dedicated by the university and over 200 alumni, family and friends who have already made their gift to the reimagined locker room — the old lockers are out, the demolition is done, and the re-construction is well underway.
We still need your help. Student-athletes will be moving into the new locker room on August 15 – but there is money left to be raised! You still have the chance to be a part of this exciting project. Help us modernize the PLU locker rooms today.
Gifts of all sizes matter. Your gift, no matter the size, will remind current and future student-athletes the names of the PLU athletes whose shoulders they stand on and may even encourage them to give a gift to help future athletes one day.
Name your locker
How
it works
You can sponsor a locker — dedicate it to a student or alumni athlete, parents (who supported your athletic career), a particular team or mentor. OR, you can go in on a locker with others from your class, your fellow captains, your group of friends/housemates or even your position group. The options are endless but the time is NOW!
The naming right for each locker is $2,500, payable all at once or in installments up to three years. Lockers are available on a first-come, first-served basis (determined by the date a commitment is received) until all 133 lockers are reserved.
Locker name plaque
The naming plaque can include donor name(s), graduation year (if applicable), player number (if applicable), and “in honor of” or “in memory of” recognition for an individual or individuals only.