The Student Recreation Center (Rec Center) just underwent a makeover. After being closed for renovations on Nov. 25, the facility reopened its doors to students on Jan. 16, the first day of instruction of the Spring 2025 semester.
With the upgrades, students can find a wide variety of new equipment and machines, as well as more spirited flooring that was installed.

Some of the new equipment includes more free weights, new treadmills and bikes.
“With the trend being more free weights and strength training, we’re able to spread out and bring in more racks and dumbbells and more weight and strength equipment so that they have more pieces to work out on,” said Derek Walters, director of the Student Rec Center. “They won’t have to wait. It’s not as congested now.”
The conversation about renovations began in 2023 when Kent Willis, former vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, asked Walters what he would do if they wanted to renovate the Rec Center.
He then took time to notice trends in exercise and at the Rec Center. One major trend he saw was the lack of use of treadmills compared to the popularity of weight training. This was coupled with the fact that the 20-year-old equipment was showing signs of heavy wear and tear.
Eventually, these issues became one of the focal points in the remodeling. This shift has left many students satisfied.
“[There’s] way better equipment,” said Joshua Griffin, a student who was working out on the first day of the reopening. “Higher quality, good weight increments and I like how they extended it to that side too so we got like double the amount of dumbbells. I mean like double the amount of benches too so a lot more availability.”
With more weight came the need for more space. The new plan saw the distribution of weights throughout the gym rather than a single corner. This created the feeling of more space and less crowding issues that the Rec Center faced in the past.

“It’s awesome,” said Gabe Edwards, a sports administration student at Fresno State. “I feel like it’s way more spacious than it was before. It feels like a better environment. It definitely felt kind of cramped before the renovations, but now it’s a really, really nice-looking gym.”
The remodel was funded by the Student Recreation Center budget, so students didn’t have to pay for it according to Walters.
The Rec Center is currently open seven days a week, and hours vary depending on the day. It is located near Woodrow Avenue. Students can get in for free by presenting a physical form of identification with their student ID number, or their Bulldog ID card.