Athletic Facilities
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Athletic Facilities High-tech machines crafted by the indus- try’s top manufacturers, as well as other mod- ern strength and conditioning apparatuses, are available to Liberty University student-ath- letes. Williams Stadium, named in honor of A.L. Williams, is located near the entrance of the campus and has been the home of the foot- ball program since 1989. The football stadium seats 12,000 with expansion capabilities up to 36,000. During the summer of 2006, a 60,000- square foot facility was completed in the North end zone of the stadium as the Williams Football Operation Center became the football program’s new home off the field. The new, state-of-the-art facility gives Liberty one of the nicest I-AA football facilities in the nation, housing coaching and support staff offices, a spacious locker room, academic learning areas, a training room and a weight room. The centerpiece of the facility is a 3,000 square foot room that overlooks Williams Stadium where Flames Club members can watch home games. A final facility upgrade to Williams Hancock Weight Room Stadium was completed just prior to the kick- off of the 2006 season as FieldTurf was installed. When looking at the success of an athletic Hancock. Offices housed in the Hancock The Vines Convocation Center, home to program, one aspect that needs to be consid- Center include the entire football operations, all men’s and women’s basketball and volley- ered is the quality of its facilities. Student-ath- the athletic media relations department, ball games, is a 9,000-seat facility which was letes involved in Liberty University’s athletic offices for the track and men’s soccer coach- completed in 1990. In 1998, the Vines Center program have the opportunity to showcase ing staffs and administrative offices. The hosted the 46th best home attendance in the their talents in a number of fine athletic facili- Hancock Center also includes a spacious nation as the women’s basketball team aver- ties. Like the program itself, these on-campus 8,500-square foot weight room that is utilized aged over 1,700 fans per contest. facilities have improved tremendously since by the entire athletic program. Basketball, volleyball and a number of the program’s inception in 1973. The weight room is furnished with the other indoor activities can take place in the The Hancock Athletic Center, dedicated most modern equipment available for devel- versatile Schilling Center. The men's and on February 12, 1985, was donated by A.L. oping speed, strength and endurance. The women's basketball teams held their home Williams and his wife, Angela, in honor of her spacious two-tiered facility has a free weight games in what was then known as Liberty parents, Sidney Lanier and Willemae Gates area that contains over 10 tons of weights. Gym in this facility from 1979 to 1990. The Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex, Worthington Stadium Liberty Soccer Field & The Hancock Athletic Center 16 Liberty Flames Football Athletic Facilities Inside the Vines Center Tolsma Track Center Schilling Center has two full-court areas that The Matthes-Hopkins Track Complex is reinstated. Over the last two years, the facility are also utilized for class instruction, intramu- the home of the Flames’ successful track pro- has received numerous upgrades, including a ral events and special activities. In 2005, the gram. The track, which features a new backstop and an enclosed hitting circuit facility was upgraded to give Liberty’s basket- polyurethane surface, is named after former with two new batting cages. ball programs two new practice courts. track coaches Jake Matthes and Ron The newest athletic facility made available Home baseball games are played at the Hopkins. The same facility holds the Liberty to Liberty University student-athletes is the beautiful Worthington Stadium. Recognized Soccer Field where both the men’s and Tolsma Indoor Track Center, located in the by Sportsturf Magazine as the best field in women’s soccer teams play. In 1996, lights heart of Liberty’s Campus North building. The the nation in 1998, the facility was named in were added so that games could be played at indoor center is one of just three indoor track honor of Al Worthington, who began the night. facilities in the state of Virginia and features a Flames baseball program in 1974. He also Liberty’s tennis teams have been signifi- flat 200-meter oval with a Mondo surface. The served as the athletics director from 1984-89. cantly enhanced by the recent addition of track has a wide radius, a four-lane oval and The Crowder-Muckel Fieldhouse is locat- three new tennis courts at the Esbenshade- an eight-lane straightaway. Also located in the ed adjacent to Worthington Stadium. The Hershey Match Center, bringing the total num- complex are two long/triple jump runways, a clubhouse, which is one of the finest baseball ber of on-campus tennis courts to seven. The pole vault runway and a high jump apron. facilities in the country, includes locker rooms athletic department has recently renovated a The recent purchase of a FinishLynx tim- for both the Flames and the visiting teams, a facility in the center of the tennis courts to be ing system will greatly increase the ability to team room, weight room, training room, used to further enhance the tennis program. host high-level high school and NCAA meets umpires’ locker room, public restrooms for The Liberty softball program has played at the facility as well as at the university’s out- the fans, sky box seating and full-length bat- its home games at the Liberty Softball Field door track complex. ting cages. since 1994, the same year the program was Liberty Softball Field Esbenshade-Hershey Tennis Center www.LibertyFlames.com 17 Athletic Administration Dr. Jerry Falwell also planning to build a new home for Jeff Barber Chancellor Thomas Road Baptist Church in a Director of Athletics 12,000-seat sanctuary adjacent to the As Jerry Falwell pro- Liberty University campus. Jeff Barber was ceeds through his fifth For more than 30 years, Jerry named the Director of decade as a pastor, Falwell has been telling students, "You Athletics at Liberty Christian educator and don't determine a man's greatness by University on January conservative activist, his talent or wealth, as the world 23, 2006, becoming few realize how unlike- does, but rather, by what it takes to the 10th Director of ly a candidate he was for the Christian discourage him." While many things Athletics in the history of the ministry. His grandfather was a self- can be said of him, it cannot be said University. avowed atheist and his father, a suc- that Jerry Falwell has allowed contro- The University has charged Barber cessful businessman, was an agnostic versy, criticism or adversity to dis- with the future leadership of the ath- who hated preachers and also ran an courage him. letics department and the building of illegal boot-leg whiskey operation dur- However, despite his national a strong financial basis for the depart- ing the Prohibition era. Falwell hated prominence, those who know him ment that will guide Liberty University public speaking and went to college to well will always remember him sim- athletics into the ranks of the elite study mechanical engineering and ply as pastor. After all, that is his call- NCAA Division I athletic programs in journalism. ing. the nation. Today, Jerry Falwell, 73, celebrates Barber has wasted little time making his 50th year as pastor of Thomas Dr. Ron Godwin an impact at Liberty as, in just seven Road Baptist Church and his 35th year Executive Vice President/COO months, he has been instrumental in as Chancellor of Liberty University. several key programs that have Utilizing broadcasting, direct mail and Dr. Ronald Godwin improved Liberty’s functionality, publishing, Falwell built a Christian serves as Executive including numerous athletic facility broadcasting and education ministry Vice President and upgrades and the addition of athletics that has impacted millions of people Chief Operating Officer department staff members. worldwide from an unlikely headquar- for Liberty University. During the summer months, Barber ters, his hometown of Lynchburg, Va. However, for a total of more than 15 spearheaded athletic facility upgrades The church started in 1956 with 35 years, Dr. Godwin has worked directly to the Vines Center with the resurfac- charter members and is now one of for the Chancellor of Liberty ing of the court and surrounding the largest in the country, with 24,000 University via many of Liberty’s affili- areas, while also making it possible to members. In 1971, four years after ated ministries. resurface the original flooring in the founding a Christian day school, During a long administrative career upper part of the Hancock Athletic Falwell opened the doors to Liberty he has held a variety of leadership Center weight room. University. Today, some 17,200 resi- positions including two presidencies At Williams Stadium, Barber was dent and external students from 50 of private Christian colleges, able to initiate a program that has states and 74 countries are now Executive Vice President of the given the football home of the Flames enrolled at Liberty, making it the Washington Times, Executive Vice a new playing surface with the instal- largest evangelical Christian school in President of the Moral Majority, lation of new FieldTurf at the stadium the world. President of Jerry Falwell Ministries, and numerous smaller projects to aes- His public life has been highly publi- President of Liberty Broadcast net- thetically improve the appearance of cized for many things – including the work, President of Liberty University the facility.