AUBURN, Ala. – The new Harbert Family Recruiting Center is set to open this season at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and the reviews are in. Head football coach Gus Malzahn calls it a "game-changer." Director of Athletics Allen Greene says it feels "big-time" as soon as you walk in the door. The players were on "cloud nine" when they visited the new locker room for the first time last week.
New locker room, who dis? pic.twitter.com/8HPkTcoG9g
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) August 16, 2018
The Auburn University's Board of Trustees approved the $28 million project, which once again puts Auburn at the forefront when it comes to facilities.
"A lot has changed in the past 20 years," Greene said. "And the ability to demonstrate that you're serious about being competitive, serious about attracting the best talent in the country and serious about making sure that your existing student-athletes have the best experience possible, Auburn is one of the best in that regard."
The renovation includes the Babs and Michael Anderson/Thorne Tigers Den recruiting lounge, a bigger and better area for recruits and their families to spend time while on visits. There's also more room for the training staff, the equipment staff, and of course, the players and coaches will have plenty more room in the new state-of-the-art locker room.
Not only is the locker room now 16,000 square feet, but its open-concept design – similar to what the 2013 Auburn team experienced in the locker room at the Rose Bowl stadium – allows the coaches to better communicate with the players.
"When we were in that locker room, it was great to have that large, open facility where [Malzahn] could see every player's face anywhere he turned," Auburn's Director of Football Operations Brett Whiteside said. "The players were looking right at the center and giving their attention.
"I thought we accomplished that goal in that it is a big, nice open room with all the lockers around the outside walls with just the staff there in the middle. So that's really going to help the coaches in their communications and their preparations at halftime. It's going to make us efficient in that. And then they did a great job future proofing it. The technology is there."
Other parts of the renovation include the Tiger Walk Club, a two-level club area where fans can gather three hours before, during and one hour after games. It provides a great view of Tiger Walk and the players walking into the stadium two hours prior to every game. And then there's the new press box, which sits on the upper level in the southwest corner of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
From the locker room to the Tiger Walk Club to when you first walk in and see the chandelier lights built to emulate the rolling of Toomer's Corner, there's a "Wow" factor.
"When you walk into a facility, how does it make you feel?" Greene said. "Thinking about it from the perspective of an 18-year-old and their families, this feels big-time. And I really appreciate the time and attention to detail that our staff put into this, thinking about the brick, the Toomer's chandelier, all the TVs, the bathroom and the shower heads – that is what makes this place special, in my opinion."
"Auburn is very rich in tradition, and this facility gives us the opportunity to tell our story," added Whiteside. "You have guys that come in for the first time, and they get a chance to see what Auburn football is really all about."
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf