The Nicholson Pavilion was transformed into an entirely new space, featuring an expanded indoor field, a state-of-the-art weight room and dedicated academic classrooms. This milestone was marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 20.

Among the extensive renovations are a comprehensive range of gymnasiums containing the performance gym, teaching gym and an auxiliary gym. A brand new straight track was also implemented to cater to the needs of both the athletes and the students here at CWU.

Going inside Nicholson Pavilion to uncover the goals and benefits from this renovation was essential to understand what it means for the department, athletes and students.

Brian Mcgladrey, department chair of sport and movement studies, gave a timeline for how long CWU has gone without making changes to the Nicholson Pavilion. 

“My understanding is that it had been 20 to 30 years that any renovations had been done on the facility,” Mcgladrey said.

Renovations began around the end of winter quarter in 2022. When asked about goals for Nicholson Pavilion, Mcgladrey said the focus was to expand on existing spaces and create new spaces moving forward.

Andrew Petko, deputy director of athletics, also mentioned perks of the new space in the building. 

“Sharing less spaces [has helped with] everyone having their own spot,” Petko said. 

Petko also provided insight to the goal for the athletic department.

“[We want] to make sure we have more opportunities for all of our students on campus,” Petko said.

Petko explained that one benefit of these new spaces can be seen in the positive impact Nicholson Pavilion is foreseen to have on CWU’s recruitment process. 

“Our facility is now pretty much comparable to a lot of division one institutions,” Petko said.

Mcgladrey further elaborated on the potential benefits this new structure could bring to the campus community. 

“If you build it, they will come… that’s what we are gonna see, the excitement for students, faculty, staff and coaches is easily evident,” Mcgladrey said. “This excitement is going to translate into helping with recruitment and retention of both students and student athletes.”

The academic wing of Nicholson Pavilion experienced a substantial transformation with the recent refurbishment of the building. The renovation followed the pandemic, which meant course offerings in person weren’t available. Mcgladrey mentioned what this meant to the department.

“With the renovation being completed, we’re excited about winter quarter and being able to offer a full slate of physical activity courses that students can choose from and enjoy the new facilities,” Mcgladrey said. 

Senior running back on the football team, Tre’jon Henderson, expressed how it felt to be in the new facility as a CWU athlete.

“It’s a really big deal for everybody,” Henderson said. “Everybody deserves it.”

Before Nicholson Pavilion’s renovation, the football team had to rely on trailers in place of locker rooms. Henderson elaborated on what it means now to now have this dedicated space.

“It’s like a second home,” said Henderson. “It’s a kind of sense of privacy, our own place. So, it’s really special.” 

The new Nicholson Pavilion has ignited excitement among CWU’s students, faculty and staff. 

“Overall, the best thing is that we have our own space,” Petko said, echoing the sentiment. “We have a place to call home.”