Combining Science & Sport to Promote Student‑Athlete Wellness

Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Center

University of Oregon


The Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Center combines sports performance, sports science, sports medicine and technology in one efficiently-designed space on the ground floor of the Casanova Center. The center not only promotes athlete health and wellness, it is an important part of Oregon’s recruiting program.

Size

30,000 sf

Location

Eugene, OR

Year Complete

2016

2017 Healthcare Environment Award, Health and Fitness Wellness Facilities — Contract Magazine

2017 Brand Integration Award — IIDA Oregon Design Awards

2017 Juror's Choice Award — IIDA Oregon Design Awards

2017 Gold Award — CISCA Construction Excellence Awards

2017 Outstanding Project Award — NWCB

The facility is up there with the best in the world and will help us support our teams with better preparation and recovery for our student‑athletes. I look forward having conversations with coaches and student‑athletes around their performance questions and where we can support and impact on their preparation with data‑driven decision making. Andrew Murray, Director of Performance and Sport Science

Entry Room / Awards

Entering from the west, student-athletes walk into a trophy lobby that is a stunning tribute to the Sports Performance Center’s namesake. Trophies for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Maxwell Award and Manning Award reside in the lobby.

This inspiring entrance leads to the junction under a new skylight at the heart of the MMSPC, where innovations and applied science truly become the focus for Oregon’s student-athletes. Remarkable technology and efficiency of space in the 30,000 square-foot interior renovation are two of the most impressive byproducts of the MMSPC construction. A new mezzanine inserted into the space helped maximize the amount of usable area in the center.

Sports Science

The sports science unit of the MMSPC contains a number of areas where the technology of the new facility truly shines. Motion capture cameras and force plates are located throughout the space. The cameras are used to capture a subject while performing virtually any movement, including sport specific drills. Using force plates, the MMSPC staff can perform strength diagnostic tests to profile and identify areas of opportunities that will improve the performance of each student-athlete.

Recovery

The recovery area is a multipurpose space, with a gray Mondo floor inlayed with Oregon’s well-known feather pattern, that focuses on recovery following a game or practice. In addition, baseline measurements will be taken via a marker-less motion capture system to identify any deviations from a subject’s normal range, which can help identify where intervention needs to occur prior to injury.

The Haberdashery

Down the hall in the Haberdashery, there is also an over-sized armchair, complete with web foot legs – an Oregon spin on the traditional claw foot leg – with “fighting Ducks” attached to the ends of the arms, where student-athletes can test out a full range of the latest offerings from the equipment room.

Equipment Storage and Distribution

The Center is also home to the equipment room for the Ducks football team. The graphically engaging space uses compact shelving to store the vast array of uniforms, shoes, helmets and other gear used by the program. Areas for distributing gear to the players, as well as equipment maintenance and assembly, are included as part of this full service equipment room.