The University of Minnesota unveiled renderings of what the new wrestling facility that will open later in 2018.
Head coach Brandon Eggum also announced possible weight changes to four NCAA Qualifiers for the Gophers, two of which are All-Americans. Those four include Ethan Lizak (125 to 133), Mitch McKee (133 to 141), Tommy Thorn (141 to 149) and Steve Bleise (149 to 157).
The new wrestling facility will be a complete renovation of Bierman Gym inside the Bierman Athletic Center. Formerly the practice facility for Gopher Men's Basketball, this space became available with the completion of the Athletes Village, which includes the Cunningham Basketball Performance Center. With its move to the new facility, the wrestling team will leave behind the cramped wrestling room deep in the Bierman basement that the program has called home since the early 1970s.
Brandon Eggum coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)"We would like to thank the generous supporters that made this wrestling facility a reality," said head coach Brandon Eggum. "Many All-Americans, National Champions, National Team Championships and lifelong friendships were made in that old basement. We are bringing all those past successes with us to our new facility, where we plan to build another era of greatness for this incredible program."
"We are welcoming one of the nation's top recruiting classes this fall and those freshmen, along with all our returning guys and every future Gopher wrestler, will have everything they need right at their fingertips now. Starting later this year, our facility will be at the center of Athletes Village, in the same building as our brand-new Nutrition Center and the Lindahl Academic Center. We now have a truly complete facility for our program."
This project will renovate 9,300 square feet of gym space, with approximately 7,500 square feet of dedicated mat space. Natural light will fill the space from the oversized, floor-to-ceiling windows. A 1,100-square-foot cardio room will be safely partitioned just off the mat. There will also be plenty of viewing space at mat level, one of the many firsts for the program in this new facility. A new mezzanine level above the practice room will offer great views as well. The mezzanine will include new coaches' offices, a video room, and a lounge where the program's storied history will be on display.
Be sure to follow the Gophers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so you can get all the latest updates on the new wrestling facility.
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