TLU Breaks Ground on Verne Lundquist Student Athletic Center

It's been years in the making. On October 26, the first shovel broke ground, and construction will soon begin on Texas Lutheran University's Verne Lundquist Student Athletic Center. The nearly 10,000 square foot building will house a conditioning and weight room for student-athletes as well as locker rooms for the women's soccer and softball teams.

Named for one of TLU's most famous alumni, legendary sportscaster Verne Lundquist '62, the six-million-dollar building will also feature a dynamic lobby and welcome center displaying Lundquist's sports memorabilia collection and celebrating TLU athletics.

"I was overwhelmed when Dr. Debbie Cottrell first announced plans for a Student Athletic Center to be named in my honor," says Lundquist. "Now that the imminent groundbreaking moment is almost here, I'm really excited."

Lundquist's first professional broadcasting job was at Seguin's KWED radio station during his years at TLU. He began his career in earnest when he became a weekend sports anchor in Austin. Over the course of more than 50 years, he has worked for ABC Sports, CBS Sports, and Turner Sports, was the radio voice of the Dallas Cowboys as well as lead play-by-play announcer for the SEC on CBS, and has commentated on everything from the Olympic games to the Masters Tournament, calling more than 20 different sports through the years, earning himself the nickname "The Golden Throat" in broadcasting circles. Lundquist is a member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame, the Sun Bowl Hall of Fame, and is winner of the 2016 Sports Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement. His leadership at TLU's annual Front Row Gala, featuring sports legends such as Troy Aikman, Charles Barkley, Terry Bradshaw, and Roger Clemens, has provided tremendous support for TLU athletics for more than 20 years.

"In the world of NCAA DIII Athletics, new facilities are critical in recruiting," says TLU Director of Athletics Bill Miller. "The recruiting advantage that the Verne Lundquist Student Athletic Center will give the TLU Athletics Department will be significant."

Those prospective student-athletes who are considering attending TLU will be impressed from the moment they walk into the building's lobby. "Besides highlighting the brilliant sportscasting career of Verne Lundquist, the lobby also will emphasize the championship history of the TLU athletics program," says Miller.

The center, which will be located on the north side of campus near the current athletics facilities, will also free up space in the existing Jones Physical Education Complex, allowing for locker rooms for visiting athletic teams.

"The new Verne Lundquist Student Athletic Center will make TLU unique among other SCAC membership schools. It will create the 'WOW' factor for TLU Athletics," says Miller. "No other university in the SCAC has such a facility."

The groundbreaking was a wonderful event at this year's Homecoming festivities, it is set to be completed by Summer 2025.

"The Koehler Company has been blessed with building numerous buildings on the TLU campus," says Paul Mueller, president of The Koehler Company. "We are honored to be selected as the Verne Lundquist Student Athletic Center General Contractor. We look forward to constructing another successful project for Texas Lutheran University."