New Ferris State University Center For Athletics Performance Officially Opens For Student-Athletes
Watch CAP Opening Reveal Video 
CAP Opening Photo Gallery
AD Steve Brockelbank Interview
Head Strength Coach Andrew Thiede Interview
Football Athlete Brandon Childress Interview
Big Rapids, Mich. - Ferris State University's new Center for Athletics Performance officially opened on Wednesday (Sept. 14) night as Bulldog student-athletes entered the strength and conditioning facility for the first time.
A project intended to fortify Ferris' student-athletes and advance its programs into the future, the Center for Athletics Performance was officially approved in February of 2021 as part of a $15.3 million upgrade to the Bulldogs' Athletic Facilities. The upgrades will offer championship-caliber training and conditioning facilities to the nearly 400 Bulldog student-athletes and 17 varsity programs.
"This is really exciting and our student-athletes have earned this, both our current student-athletes and those that have came before," said current FSU Athletics Director Steve Brockelbank. "This facility is a result of all those years of great teams and competitive success. If you're going to compete at a championship level, you should train in a championship facility and this is a championship-level facility. I'm crazy excited about it."
FSU student-athletes had an opportunity to enter the facility on Wednesday evening for the first time. Brockelbank and Head Strength & Conditioning Coach Andrew Thiede addressed the group in the facility and thanked both current and former student-athletes for achieving championship success to make the project possible. They also challenged them to bring the same intensity and determination in training into the new facility.
"Our athletes work so hard and they are deserving of having a facility like this," Thiede said. "This room is my toolbox and there's so many more things we can now do. It's such a nice space compared to what we had before and there's a new level of excitement. We're had great success despite where we were at and I'm excited to see how that perpetuates in this new facility."
Bulldog student-athletes from all of FSU's 17 programs were excited check out the facility and thrilled to see the project become a reality.
"I'm excited and a lot of student-athletes have put in a lot of time for many years and it's very exciting to see all that hard work pay off in a facility like this," said FSU football senior student-athlete Brandon Childress. "This gives us a place to come in that is just for us and it's beautiful. This was worked for and it wasn't just given to us and now we take that same mindset to come in and stay focused and be locked in every day. Now, we have one of the best facilities and we're just excited to come in here every day and train."
The opening of the Center for Athletics Performance is part of a multi-phase renovation and construction project which includes not only a new and expanded strength and conditioning space, but also a new multipurpose arena and competition space for the volleyball program and practice area for other sports, additional and renovated locker room facilities along with team meeting spaces. Further, the project features a new connector and entrance to athletic facilities and renovations to offices and the sports medicine area.
Along with the Center for Athletics Performance, the new and renovated locker room facilities along with the sports medicine area were opened during preseason camp in August. The addition of office space overlooking the CAP is slated to be completed soon with the construction of the new Bulldog Arena and team meeting spaces set to be finished later this fall.
Granger Construction is overseeing the subcontracting firms, who took up approximately 7,200 square feet of renovation work and the development of nearly 16,000 square feet of new construction to create the Center for Athletics Performance. This work includes the new home for the volleyball program, Bulldog Arena, in addition to a new entry and connector space.
The Center for Athletics Performance will provide student-athletes with increased space for strength and conditioning, cardio work, training and nutrition.
"This upgrade and facility project will be a wonderful addition for all of our student-athletes," said head football coach Tony Annese. "We're so thankful to the university for making this project a reality, and it is one that will transform the way our athletes train and develop on an everyday basis."
The Ewigleben Sports Complex was originally constructed in 1974 with the former volleyball arena, which was transformed into the new Center for Athletics Performance, added on in 1982. Ferris State built Jim Wink Arena off the existing structure in 1999 and renovations to the ice arena were last made in 2007. The new Bulldog Arena addition will sit to the east side of the main concourse near both the existing Ewigleben Ice Arena and Wink Arena.