Moody Renovation - $80 million

[RednBlue11]

right, just the swimmers

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

The other problem with mixed-use facilities is it hurts recruiting and it's harder to get top coaches because their egos want their own stuff...

[ponyboy]

No the natatorium was the gym....once moody was built they dug the pool...

The natatorium is a cool looking building, wondering how much a renovation of that would be as opposed to totally new complex...

I'm not a swimmer, but I believe the pool length at the existing Natatorium is undesirable.

[Charleston Pony]

No the natatorium was the gym....once moody was built they dug the pool...

The natatorium is a cool looking building, wondering how much a renovation of that would be as opposed to totally new complex...

I'm not a swimmer, but I believe the pool length at the existing Natatorium is undesirable.

Agreed that if we are going to build a class facility, 50 meter pool should be part of it. With separate diving area, is that feasible?

[Water Pony]

No the natatorium was the gym....once moody was built they dug the pool...

The natatorium is a cool looking building, wondering how much a renovation of that would be as opposed to totally new complex...

I'm not a swimmer, but I believe the pool length at the existing Natatorium is undesirable.

Agreed that if we are going to build a class facility, 50 meter pool should be part of it. With separate diving area, is that feasible?

Ponyboy and Charleston, you are both right. The current pool is 25 yards long and approximately 20 yds wide (only six swim lanes, which also has to accommodate three diving platforms and two swimming teams, Men and Women). This makes it smaller than most high school pools, which may be 25 yards long, but have 8 lanes typically. Separate diving well are often common, as well.

The preferred size is 50 meter (Olympic length) long, 25 yards (college distance) wide with moveable bulkheads, which permit multipe swimming sections, e.g. train width-wise and you have the potential for a more than a dozen lanes, plus a separate area for diving. The reason for this configuration is for sufficient training lanes and either 50 meters long or 25 yards wide events. To be competitive, SMU must invest, as this will aid training, hosting swim meets and championships and, of course, recruiting.

The current assumption is that a new natatorium would be sited where Perkins Natatorium is today, which would permit linking the current outdoor pool with the new indoor pool. This should be the minimum facility for any Division 1 Team (M/W), much less SMU, which has a rich history of swimming and diving success with dozens of Olympians, scores of National Champions and hundreds of All-Americans.

Thanks for the call-out.

[lwjr]

Don't forget a few Mustang Olympians and Olympic Medalist have swam a few laps in that pool as well.