In March 2014, University of Wisconsin students made history in Madison when they voted overwhelmingly to support a Master Plan for new recreational facilities on campus.
This blog tells the story of the current facilities, the process by which the Master Plan was approved, and plans moving forward.
Rec Sports’ mission is to enhance the UW-Madison experience by providing top-quality programs, services, and facilities. With more recreational space, the university gains a greater capacity to provide daily opportunities for students and the campus community to play hard, get fit, and live well.
Please take time to browse this site, post your questions and thoughts in the comments, and imagine a better future for our great university. Thank you for your support as we move forward.
On, Wisconsin!
Your Division of Recreational Sports
The Master Plan. 
Didn’t Athletics just spend money in 2012 to finally give swimming and diving their own locker rooms and lounges as part of the LaBahn Arena project? Wouldn’t they want to protect that investment by helping the Nat continue to have a competition space, so that the swim/dive programs don’t wither away?
I realize that $24-27 million is a significant amount, but I have to think there are donors and Athletics contributions out there to reach that level. And there must be some revenue that can be generated from having a quality swim/dive space available for competitions and outside groups to offset some costs.
My nephew is an exceptional young diver in Madison with national/beyond aspirations who loves UW and attends dive camps at the Nat. But he probably would go elsewhere if our university can’t commit to the sport and takes away this resource. It would be sad if UW misses this opportunity to have a great swim/dive competition facility and instead makes a short-sighted choice to eliminate the existing facility.
I went to school here, and now I work here, and I know that with enough voices and the right people, this campus and this community can make things happen.
I am very saddened by the Universities lack of commitment to improving the 50 meter competition pool. I have two collegiate swimmers and I have been embarrassed by the swimming facilities throughout the UW system. I always envisioned that the college facilities would be so much better than what we were used to. Well that proved untrue. It is time for U W to step up and do the right thing. We only become less attractive to potential students and athletes by not keeping up our facilities. Why are the Olympic sports less important than the revenue sports?
Please read more about the competition pool here: https://uwmadisonrecsports.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/rec-sports-responds-to-news-article-pool-questions/. Note that should additional funding become available, the competition pool will be reconsidered with no impact on students’ seg fees.
I agree with RL. Find a way to deliver a package that includes a competition pool. Wisconsinrecsports stated that the original plan included a competition pool based on conversations with student government, survey results, and student organizations about students’ willingness to pay increased segregated fees. But then gets scraped because of, ‘lack of additional funding sources to help offset the student contribution to the new pool facility’. If everyone wants it, then let’s try and deliver it. Let’s find a way to make it happen. It’s the right thing to do.
Please read more about the competition pool here: https://uwmadisonrecsports.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/rec-sports-responds-to-news-article-pool-questions/. Note that should additional funding become available, the competition pool will be reconsidered with no impact on students’ seg fees.
The students do deserve to have better rec facilities. I am an alumnus who was only a sophomore when the Serf was built. I used both the Nat and the Serf as a student. I was a graduate student when “Up the Nat” was attempted, which included a competition pool. I voted yes, by the way.
I am currently a very active swim parent who has had children compete in the WIAA state meet at the Nat. Both have swam at large meets at the University of Minnesota, Indiana University and North Dakota. The question I often got when they were younger returning from these venues is “why does Wisconsin have such a dump?” this was in reference to showers not working in the locker rooms, the limited deck space and such. I used to just reply, it might be a dump, but it is our dump and we love it. When the Nat opened the University proudly showed off the state of the art facility- one that at the time was the fastest in the nation.
Today the Wisconsin Swim and Dive team is making a mark on the NCAA scene….it is just too bad that folks in the athletic department don’t understand the sport of swimming.
Please do not scrap the idea of a competition pool. Find a way to make it happen.
Please read more about the competition pool here: https://uwmadisonrecsports.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/rec-sports-responds-to-news-article-pool-questions/. Note that should additional funding become available, the competition pool will be reconsidered with no impact on students’ seg fees.
It is really too bad that the plan for a new 50 meter pool with spectator spaces at the SERF is being scratched. As an active member of the swimming community in Madison and Wisconsin I know that families are willing to help pay for a new state of the art facility that the university and the community is missing. Furthermore, current swimming facilities are a deterrent to many potential students who are swimmers, either recreationally or competitively. The UW was offered a state of the art swimming facility years ago by the Goodman brothers and turned it down, because the community would not have been able to participate. The community is desperately looking for more indoor swimming pool space. Here is certainly an opportunity for cooperative funding, UW please reach out and do not let this great opportunity go by that helps both the UW and Madison.
Please read more about the competition pool here: https://uwmadisonrecsports.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/rec-sports-responds-to-news-article-pool-questions/. Note that should additional funding become available, the competition pool will be reconsidered with no impact on students’ seg fees.
As a UW alum it’s my belief that you going to have to bite the bullet and ask for more fees to pay for the competitive pool because the money is not going to come from the Athletic Department. They are not going to invest in facilities they can’t completely control the usage of. Fine then. If there’s any revenues to be made from hosting events like the WIAA state meet or NCAA meets or the Big Ten meet, then UW Rec. gets it all because the AD didn’t want to pony up when it was asked to do so. So they get nothing and like it. And in return for such revenue, the Rec. department can eventually reduce their share of student fees when that money starts coming in.
I don’t see how essentially eliminating UW Swimming and Diving from being competitive with the rest of the country is a good idea. No competition pool and no dive team at all is bad for the University.
I see many things be added, what exactly are we losing? I noticed the competition pool and seating are gone at the Natatorium, but it makes me wonder what else is being taken away.
Excellent point, Diana. In addition to the competition pool, a few racquetball courts will be lost in the new facilities. However, this decision has been made based on usage numbers and Rec Sports feels confident that the amount of racquetball courts included in the new designs will serve the campus demand for these spaces. Some locker room space may be lost as well at the SERF; however, these spaces will be reallocated throughout the facility to provide participants more convenient access to storage while they work out. The new plans also eliminate several smaller basketball courts but replace these with regulation-size courts that are more functional (the current courts often sit empty because of their size). Finally, the new plans will also hopefully eliminate the wait time to use equipment, as well as the overcrowded feelings currently felt in our facilities.
Very sad for all current, former and future UW swimmers that their sport will essentially fade away since it would be very hard to recruit top swimmers to a school that can’t even hold a competition meet.
Is my interpretation of the current NAT and SERF plans correct, there is no seating available for competitive swimming events?
I am not an alum, but a community member with great interest. I’m simply baffled that the Athletic Department doesn’t see a need/benefit to participate in upgrading facilities that could be used by student athletes and to support community activities on campus that impact our local economy (ie State High School Swim Meets, USA State Meets, Club events…not to mention, do the upgrade correct and expose Madison to water polo, indoor triathlons, water ballet and national events). My perspective is such that *Athletic* Department has a responsibility beyond the revenue generating sports to maintain & improve facilities. It would be an investment in the health & well being of all athletes and the community.
It is beyond disappointing that the plans for a new 50 meter pool have been scratched. The current pools were out of date when I was swimming at state in HS, stayed out of date when I swam for UW (98-02) and are now not anywhere competitive with other Big 10 schools (at all!). How can IU, MN, MI and on and on all do rec updates and include a competitive 50 m pool, but UW can not. Not good form Madison! How much would the athletic dept/ other donors have to contribute to get this done? Be clear about this before totally scratching the plan… maybe moneys will come in from other places as well.
Always great to hear from a UW Alum! Rec Sports did initially consider a plan for a new facility that included a new 50-meter pool that students said they were willing to help fund. However, funding is not available from alternative funding sources at this time. The design of the new facilities are still flexible (any images you see are concepts only) and should funding become available, the addition of a new 50-meter pool to the SERF site would be included in the Master Plan. Construction of a new pool is estimated at $24-27 million dollars. At this point, the plan reflects available funding and a design that students have indicated they will support. We hope this answers your question.
As a sidenote, our Master Plan will allow for alumni memberships so if you are still in the area, you would be eligible to utilize the facilities should the plan pass. We will also be offering a limited amount of alumni memberships this Spring.
Thank you for your comment and please continue to stay engaged in the process! Let us know if you have further questions.
Could you share information about the timing of construction and when current facilities will be unavailable for use? I have serious concerns about the potential that campus will have NO AIR CONDITIONED exercise space at certain times during the reconstruction. For those suffering certain illnesses (asthma, age-related issues, etc.), this leaves us with NO SPACE to exercise during the summer into fall months. There are also times during the summer when it is simply unsafe to exercise outdoors due to the heat. Driving campus indoors will not be an option if the SERF is unavailable. This will lead to potential health risks for the campus population who are dermined to exercise.
Hi Sharon! Thanks for your comment and we understand your concern here. We just posted our estimated phasing timeline for all projects on our blog. You can view them here: https://uwmadisonrecsports.wordpress.com/2013/12/16/master-plan-phasing-timeline/. We are currently working on developing a plan for relocating some of our equipment while each building is under construction as well in order to continue to serve the needs of our participants. Does this make sense? Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Yes, as they are developed, please share the plans for space to accommodate health-related issues in the summer and during heat and other advisory days when exercising outdoors is not realistic for those of us with asthma, etc.
Thanks!
How much have you gotten from the UW-Athletic Department for this new master plan? When the Athletic Department was running red ink in the early 1990’s the Chancellor imposed a surcharge on all students using a seg fee. Now with a budget of over $100 million certainly a surcharge could be imposed on Football, Basketball and Hockey tickets of $2-$5 to help pay for Bucky’s Student Rec Sports improvements. Come on Bucky, You can pitch in too..
The extent of Athletics’ involvement is yet to be determined. Athletics is one of the campus partners that we are working with – and will continue to include – in our discussions of the Master Plan.
I agree with what you say about the need of renovating the facilities. The main question, though is not wether UW can or even should renovate the recreational facilities, but WHO is going to pay for it. I hope you guys are transparent about this issue from the start.
Hi Marcelo, thanks for your comment. We have been very open about funding for these projects since we reopened the Rec Sports Master Plan last year. We have been in constant communication with ASM and SSFC to assess students’ willingness to pay and have had many conversations with student groups about the topic as well. As it currently stands, our funding model includes students’ segregated fees, the state, corporate sponsors, and we are anticipating donor gifts to help offset the cost to students. There is no doubt that students will be expected to help pay for the Master Plan, but we also hope to have the Nielsen Tennis Stadium and University Bay Fields paid for entirely by donor gifts.
The Big Ten average for students’ segregated fees (different schools refer to these fees under different names) is $145.06/semester. We are committed to keeping the Wisconsin segregated fee below that average and anticipate a worst-case-scenario increase of $108 to students’ current fees of $36.78/semester. We are also hoping to increase fees only when new facilities become available for use so that students are paying for the amenities they are able to use.
Let us know if you would like some more clarification.
Rec Sports:
I frankly do not understand your reply. Seg Fees at Wisconsin are $565.04 a semester for grad students like me. Sure, Rec Sports currently receives $36.78, but if every activity starts pitching their component of the seg fee we will soon be paying $1,100+ a semester like UW Green Bay. At some level, it seems that Rec Sports is jealous of the Union and the $228.48 I pay them every semester.
Which brings me to a big question I have: why do the plans for these gyms have so much seating? We have just built a new Union South and are currently renovating Memorial Union. We do not need lavish lobbies with comfortable seating at the gyms. You have a monopoly on students’ recreational activities, you should not be building these new gyms as if you need to attract members. They should be utilitarian structures based on providing a basic amenity to the members of the UW community.
-Patrick, a 6.5-year Badger (with 1.5 to go) sick of paying for everyone’s lavish dream-buildings.
Thanks for your comments, Patrick. The concept images you’ve seen are not actually formal design images. The seating spaces could easily become additional space for fitness equipment. We are simply trying to portray a wide variety of opportunities that could be available in these new facilities.
So about the fact that there appears to be no competetive pool in the plan. How can you just cut the varsity Swimming and Diving teams because you don’t want to build a pool with seating, electronics, and a diving well? “The SERF pool will remain as it is” and the Nat will include a “recreational and instructional pool”.
Hi Taylor, thanks for your comment. It is accurate that at this point Rec Sports is moving forward with a plan to use the existing pool at the SERF in order to produce a plan that students have indicated they will support (based on our conversations with student government, survey results, and student organizations about students’ willingness to pay increased segregated fees). A previous facility plan included a competition pool that students were willing to help fund. However, that plan is not moving forward due to lack of additional funding sources to help offset the student contribution to the new pool facility.
It doesn’t make any sense to destroy the NAT pool when there is no other place in the community to hold championship swim meets at all levels (and watch them). And not at least have a 1500 seat viewing area at the SERF.
Do you realize how many swimming kids there are around here? And what removing this facility–even in it’s current state–will do to Wisconsin swimming in general? It seems absolutely crazy to completely destroy the NAT pool when it is still usable, unless you plan to completely remodel it with a new pool.
Not to mention that we currently have two UW swimmers on the US National Team and we won’t even be able to watch them swim on their home campus?
We are a Big 10 school! We should at least have a swimming facility that is as nice as UMN or Iowa (or even the RecPlex in Kenosha). But we will have nothing like it. It doesn’t make any sense.
We are alumni and our kids swim (as do hundreds of other kids in the area and in Wisconsin). You are telling all of them to go elsewhere to swim in college (well, and to swim now).
Maybe we don’t have 10,000 lakes in Wisconsin, but we have a lot of lakes and a lot of swimmers. We should do something to retain them. This is important!
You can read more about the competition pool here: https://uwmadisonrecsports.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/rec-sports-responds-to-news-article-pool-questions/.