Mitchell Athletic Center

Built in 1994, the 81,000 square-foot Mitchell Recreation and Athletic Center houses a 200-meter indoor Mondo surface track, four indoor tennis courts as well as courts for squash and racquetball.

The 7.3 million structure compliments the original Physical Education Center which houses Gregory Pool, Livingston Gymnasium and the Alumni Memorial Field House. The Mitchell Center is also home to a state-of-the art strength room featuring the latest in Hammer Strength weight training and exercise equipment. In addition to the strength room, the Mitchell Center features a multi-purpose room and two cardio rooms with elliptical machines, treadmills, stationary bikes, stair masters and rowing machines.

Since 1994 Denison has been the host site for the North Coast Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships. In addition to its use by the indoor track and field teams and the men's and women's tennis teams, the Mitchell Center serves as an indoor facility for all varsity sports at Denison.

In September of 2010 construction began on a $38.5 million rennovation and addition to the Mitchell Center.  At the center of the project is a new natatorium with an Olympic-size pool, four times larger than the college’s current Mike Gregory Pool. In 1962, this pool was named in honor of M.O. “Mike” Gregory, class of 1929, one of the college’s all-time best athletes and most loyal supporters. The new natatorium will feature a 50-meter long, 25-yard wide competition course, a large diving well and spectator seating for more than 1,000.

Other highlights of the project include a spacious athletics training suite; a new entryway and lobby, including an Athletics Hall of Fame area; a number of offices for athletics staff; and a two-story fitness center, constructed in the footprint of the current pool and nearly doubling the size of the current fitness center to almost 8,000 square feet, with more than 100 pieces of strength training and cardio equipment. The natatorium is scheduled to be ready for use in the spring of 2012, and the entire project will be completed in the spring of 2013.

The most ambitious athletics facility project ever undertaken by the college, this renovation will provide varsity athletes with outstanding training facilities and will provide modern recreational facilities for students, faculty, staff and community members. As with all new construction and renovation at Denison, these facilities will be built according to LEED standards, a national benchmark for sustainable design by the U.S. Green Building Council.