Benedictine Unveils New Locker Facility
Lisle, Illinois - The more the Benedictine University football team under coach Jon Cooper wins, the more student-athletes want to be part of the program. Unfortunately, the locker facilities at the Dan and Ada Rice Center have not been able to meet the expectations and standards desired by the highly-competitive program. Until now.
This fall Benedictine University and the Department of Athletics will unveil the "Borsellino Family Football Center," a one-of-a-kind locker and meeting facility that enhances the overall student-athlete experience, expands the University's recruiting power and serves as a sense of pride for the entire football program.
"The new locker facility is beyond my wildest dreams," head football coach Jon Cooper said. "The size, the amenities and the design make it a state-of-the-art facility at any level. It gives us the tools to maximize our potential and gives our student-athletes something to call home."
The 4,100-square foot, $1.7 million facility located on the west side of the Rice Center incorporates new exterior construction and renovation of two indoor racquetball courts, which had served primarily as storage for the past 10 years.
The center includes 120 hardwood lockers, which are ventilated for increased air flow and wired for individual electrical outlets. Each locker is equipped with leather embossed seating and several areas for storage.
The facility features a 24-foot multimedia area including a 20-foot chalk talk board, flat screen TVs and game consoles. A "Champions Room" that recognizes past Eagle team champions and individual accomplishments features soft seating and will provide the student-athletes a place to study and relax.
The locker facility is named for the Borsellino family of Oak Brook, which has sent three sons to Benedictine including All-American senior running back John Borsellino, who prepped at Montini Catholic High School in Lombard. The Borsellinos also made a significant donation to the project.
"The impact of this generous gift by the Borsellino family cannot be understated," said Mark McHorney, director of Athletics at Benedictine. "The Borsellino's commitment to Benedictine Athletics is instrumental in helping us achieve our goals and we cannot thank them enough."
"We are proud that Benedictine University has chosen to honor our family by naming this facility the 'Borsellino Family Football Center,'" Joe Borsellino Sr. said.
The facility was designed by DLR Group and built by International Contractors Inc.
"We are grateful to our administrators and the donors who made all of this possible," Cooper said. "As a team and community, we are excited about the future of Benedictine football."
