The Barometer Online

Issue date: 5/22/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: The Daily Barometer

In the past few years, the athletic facilities at Oregon State have upgraded drastically.

The success of the football team has paved the way to upgrade to a nicer facility with much more space than the Valley Football Center, a massive renovation project has been done at Reser and the average OSU student has beautiful Dixon recreation center for all their fitness needs. However throughout all the upgrades, there's a building on campus that's been standing strong much longer than any other.

That building is the McAlexander Field House.

Tucked away in the southeast corner of campus, sandwiched between Kerr Administration and Snell Hall, lays the lowly McAlexander Field House, which has now been standing there for nearly 100 years.

As the campus of Oregon State University has developed around the Field House, McAlexander has seen many things - if only the walls could talk. They would tell stories of the famous 1910 Civil War where a riot broke out between opposing fans - a riot intense enough to end competition between OSU and its biggest rival for the following season.

Or perhaps they would tell stories of some of the finest football teams Oregon State has ever seen. In 1907 the Field House was the Beavers' home field - a home field that gave up no points for an entire year as Head Coach Fred S. Norcross led the team to an undefeated season.

It's been a long time since the glory of Oregon State D-I athletics called the Field House its home, but that hasn't stopped it from continuously contributing to the Oregon State community.

Just last week it was host to the annual OSU Pow-Wow and has hosted the event on numerous occasions in the past. The OSU Army and Air Force ROTC programs use the Field House as its central location and has done so for many years.

However, for many students at Oregon State, McAlexander is very comparable to a distant relative you might not always need - always available and always there.

"There's not a better place to just shoot around and relax," said one Oregon State freshman. "It's also really close to a lot of the dorms so it's really convenient, especially in the winter time."

Even though the room temperature at the Field House in the winter is only a couple degrees above the temperature outside, that doesn't stop students from showing up and having fun. Almost any night of the week, there is an intense soccer game on the prehistoric field turf of McAlexander or a basketball game on a floor that more resembles a Slip 'n Slide than basketball court.

"It's great in here," a group of OSU students said during a water break in a soccer game.

Despite the physical conditions, the Field House is still a wonderful place to hang out and exercise. Its scenery also somewhat resembles Boston Garden in a way that philanthropy winners from 1923 are still enshrined in the McAlexander rafters.

Although the age of the McAlexander Field House shows in its appearance, the building has shown it is still capable of great things.

And as award-winning author and basketball enthusiast Dan Austin once said, "It doesn't matter how nice the court is, or how nice the hoops, net and backboard are. A perfect hoop is a court you can truly lose yourself on."

For some, that court could very possibly be the McAlexander Field House.

Terry Horstman, sports writer

sports@dailybarometer.com

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