Athletic complex expands with new Williams Center

Baylor’s Julie and Jim Turner Riverfront Athletic Complex really began to take shape in the spring of 1999, with the opening of Baylor Ballpark and Getterman Stadium. That fall, Betty Lou Mays Soccer Field made its debut, followed in 2001 by the Hurd Tennis Center.

Of the structures in place before the complex came together, only two remain: the covered batting cages and the soccer offices/locker room at the end of the Dutch Schroeder Plaza. This summer, both will come down to make way for the Williams Family Soccer and Olympic Sports Center, nearly 15,000 square feet of space for head coach Marci Jobson’s soccer program and other sports in the complex.

The new facility will include coaches’ offices, a locker room and training room for soccer, as well as a weight room and visiting locker rooms that can be used by all sports in the Turner complex. The building will also offer public restrooms and areas for concessions and laundry. It’s all been made possible by a $1.5 million lead gift from former Baylor football letterwinner Billy Williams, BBA ’63, and his wife Elaine.

You can add the Williams Center to the list of projects currently underway across campus, covering athletics (McLane Stadium, a new track and field complex, and the Beauchamp Athletics Nutrition Center), academics (the Foster Campus for Business and Innovation) and student life (the series of residence hall makeovers, starting with South Russell).

Sic ’em, Baylor soccer!