Kenneth G. Langone Athletics & Recreation Center

• Kenneth G. Langone Athletics & Recreation Center Dedication Release
• Kenneth Langone Athletics & Recreation Center Photo Gallery
• Kenneth Langone Athletics & Recreation Center Hall of Fame Area Photo Gallery
• Krebs Family Fitness Center Photo Gallery

The Bucknell University Department of Athletics and Recreation prides itself on setting the standard of excellence when it comes to success both on the playing fields and in the classroom. With 11 Patriot League Presidents' Cups in 15 years, national leadership in graduation rate of student-athletes, 110 Verizon Academic All-Americans in 35 years and 100 Patriot League Scholar-Athletes in 15 years, Bucknell is clearly at the head of the class in terms of upholding the scholar-athlete ideal.

The addition of the Kenneth G. Langone Athletics and Recreation Center, one of the finest collegiate athletics and recreation facilities of its kind in the nation, goes a long way toward ensuring the continuation of that success.

The facility enhances each of Bucknell's 27 varsity athletics programs and greatly expands the scope of its growing intramural and recreational sports offerings. A visually appealing structure located along Moore Avenue on the "downhill" side of campus, the Langone Athletics and Recreation Center was designed to reach out to all members of the campus community -- the student body, varsity student-athletes, faculty, staff and alumni.

Three primary venues lie within the facility: the Arthur D. Kinney Jr. Natatorium, the 4,000-seat Gary A. Sojka Pavilion and the Krebs Family Fitness Center. Other features include a new location for the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame, a display of Bucknell's Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, a sports medicine and athletic training suite, classrooms, modern offices for coaches and staff and increased locker room space for varsity and recreational athletes.

The facility is named in honor of Ken Langone, a 1957 Bucknell graduate who, along with his wife Elaine, pledged $11 million toward the center's construction. Langone was a member of the university Board of Trustees from 1980 to 1996.

One of the special qualities of the Langone Athletics and Recreation Center is the manner in which it supplements the pre-existing facilities. The brand new construction surrounds Gerhard Fieldhouse and historic Davis Gymnasium, which has been restored as a competition venue for the Bison volleyball and wrestling teams, as well as intramural, recreation and other varsity practice activities.

As Bucknell continues to strive toward its mission of setting the standard of excellence in college athletics, the Langone Athletics and Recreation Center becomes the centerpiece in an already impressive cache of athletics facilities that includes the 13,100-seat Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium and its recently installed FieldTurf and 8-lane track surface; the scenic Bucknell Golf Club; Depew Field, the home of the Bison baseball team; a brand new grass playing surface at the Varsity Soccer Field; spacious West Fields for softball, other club and intramural activities; and, new in 2004, the Graham Field artificial turf playing surface for the Bison field hockey and women's lacrosse teams.

Here is a closer look behind the walls of the Langone Athletics and Recreation Center.

Ramer Schaffner Memorial Hall
Ramer Schaffner Memorial Hall greets guests as they enter the Langone Athletics and Recreation Center. The entry hall features the busts of 2nd Lt. George H. Ramer and 1st Lt. Dwite H. Schaffner, Bucknell's Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, and provides access to Gerhard Fieldhouse and the Krebs Family Fitness Center on the ground level. Guests may proceed to the second level to enter Davis Gym, administrative offices and the Hall of Fame, which celebrates Bucknell's Patriot League championships and other athletics accomplishments.

Krebs Family Fitness Center
Promoting lifetime wellness, the Krebs Family Fitness Center contains state-of-the-art cardiovascular and strength conditioning equipment. The 16,000-square-foot center includes over 175 positions for equipment within three distinct areas. The first-level cardiovascular and pin-select equipment is open for student, faculty and staff use at all times. Directly above the mezzanine also contains cardio equipment, with scenic views of the campus and natatorium.

The third area, the Berger Family Weight Room, sits on the former site of Freas-Rooke Pool, and is used for instructional free-weight training and varsity workouts.

Arthur D. Kinney Jr. Natatorium
The Kinney Natatorium features a 50-meter by 25-yard Olympic class pool, which accommodates four varsity programs -- men's and women's swimming and diving and men's and women's water polo -- while enhancing the recreational aquatics opportunities for the Bucknell community. The pool itself features two moveable bulkheads, allowing for multiple team practices and recreational swimming to occur simultaneously.

Natatorium amenities include seating for 500 spectators, restrooms, separated varsity and visiting team locker rooms, a poolside classroom, sauna, steam room and concession stands.

Already Kinney Natatorium has played host to several major events -- the 2003 and 2005 Patriot League Swimming and Diving Championships; the Eastern water polo championships for both men and women; an exhibition game pitting Bucknell against the U.S. women's water polo national team; and the Pennsylvania state high school swimming championships -- drawing rave reviews at each. On Dec. 3-4, 2005, the NCAA Men's Water Polo Championship comes to Kinney Natatorium, making Bucknell only the fifth non-California school to host the event.

Gary A. Sojka Pavilion
Sojka Pavilion provides the Bison men's and women's basketball programs with one of the finest arenas in the East. A "first-class" venue capable of seating 4,000 spectators for sporting and other campus events, the pavilion has walk-down access to all seats and unobstructed views of the playing surface or concert stage for all spectators. The seating bowl features approximately 1,500 fixed seats and 2,500 retractable seats, enabling an "expandable" open floor area with sufficient space for three basketball courts for recreational activities and varsity practices. The spacious upper concourse includes two concession areas, restrooms, handicapped seating and several suites that overlook the floor.

Named in honor of former university president and current faculty member Gary A. Sojka, the facility provides a green room for performance acts and other functions, a catering kitchen for special events, ticket windows, locker room space for home and visiting teams and officials, and a loading dock capable of accommodating team buses and production trucks for televised events.