Talking Stick - March/April 2018 - 38

ack in 1965, Sports
Illustrated ran a story
on the "Bear Bryant
Hilton," the then-brand
new $1 million athleticsexclusive residence hall at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, home to
"130 boys, two to a spacious room. . . .
a library, two study rooms, a recreation
room, a TV room with a 23-inch color
television set, and two full-time dieticians." Steak was served every night
and twice on Saturday. Nobody could
argue with the results. Bryant retired
with 323 career wins and three national
titles.
Success breeds imitation, and soon
football residence halls sprouted at the
University of Oklahoma, University of
Mississippi, University of Tennessee,
University of Arkansas, North Carolina
State University, and the University
of Georgia, among others. Schools
boasted that their halls supported team
cohesion and the athletes' lifestyle.
Coaches and players were closer than
ever before: sometimes, perhaps,
uncomfortably close. In a later Sports
Illustrated article, an Alabama staffer
remembered, Bear "used to prowl the
halls at all hours. You could hear one
floor after another grow quiet as he
went upstairs."
These types of halls, though, largely
disappeared after 1991 when the
National Collegiate Athletic Association adopted Proposal No. 30. Spurred
largely by a series of ugly incidents at
the Bud Wilkinson House (named for
a former coach) at the University of
Oklahoma in Norman, the NCAA gave
schools five years to bring residence
halls into line with new rules including a minimum 49-51 percent split
between student athletes and nonstudent athletes living in a hall, with
equal accommodations provided for
each. Programs shifted their focus
toward training, dining, and stadium
facilities as elements crucial to success.
However, in recent years a number of
schools have returned to the concept

TALKING STICK

of an athletics-oriented residence hall,
recognizing the importance of the
living environment to attracting top
recruits and supporting their success.
The Wildcat Coal Lodge at the
University of Kentucky in Lexington
opened in 2012 and is often cited as
the building that reignited the trend.
Venues like Headington Hall (2013)
at the University of Oklahoma and
McCarthy Hall (2015) at The University of Kansas in Lawrence followed
suit, with plans for Case Commons
at North Carolina State University in
Raleigh currently in the works. These
developments have not been without
controversy. In a time of debate about
the professionalism of collegiate
athletics, headlines about recruiting
violations, and general discourse about
affordability, these halls are sometimes
questioned as an indulgence. However,
while these buildings feature amenities and designs to appeal to potential
recruits, many of these elements are
part of integrated strategies to meet the
unique needs of student athletes. Just
as other residence halls are purposely
designed, located, and programmed
to meet the changing needs of the
general student body and all the niches
that exist within it, so are these halls
designed around the demanding life of
a student athlete.
Let's be clear, student athletes face
a delicate balancing act as they navigate
two nearly full-time responsibilities. In
addition to managing their academic
responsibilities, they are pursuing
their sport at an elite level. Their lives
are remarkably scheduled, managed,
and demanding. In many cases, up
to 12 hours of their day are virtually
scripted out for them. Although the
NCAA limits athletic activities to 20
hours per week during the sport's
regular season, many student athletes
are expected to participate in additional
voluntary workouts. (As Jabari Howard, a University of California Davis
football player put it, "What 'optional'

really means is that you have an option
of whether or not you actually want to
play this year.")
In addition, many student athletes
live high-profile, high-pressure lives.
Along with the pressure of succeeding
for the team, players must maintain
their scholarships, live up to others'
expectations, and deal with campus
celebrity, the press, and unwanted
attention from a variety of strangers.
High-profile athletes, especially on
larger campuses, are constantly in the
public eye. Unwelcome attention from
autograph seekers, curious peers, intrusive gawkers, members of the press,
and even authorized or unauthorized
sports agents can offer situations
that range from difficult to damaging. Pete Thamel and Thayer Evans'
article about the pressures of adulation
described times when this unwanted
attention leads to real problems for
student athletes.
Residence halls intended for
student athletes create living environments that help them meet these challenges and succeed as both students
and as athletes. "The pressures and
demands on players are high," Sean
Lester, deputy athletics director at The
University of Kansas, told Athletic Business. "The wellbeing of our athletes is
important and what they need most is
what any student needs: safety, security
and community." Lester described the
ideal living environment for student
athletes as one that "would design in
safety and security, an unbelievable living experience, proximity of the sports
facilities to where they are living, an
inclusive environment to the university
and other students, modern furnishings. You want it to be the best college
experience you can provide."
As it turns out, Lester had the
chance to shape such an experience
in McCarthy Hall at The University
of Kansas. The home of the men's
basketball team, McCarthy Hall is a
place where students can enjoy a little
breathing room in the midst of their

Talking Stick - March/April 2018

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