Following months of rapid renovations, the United States Sports University in Daphne cut the ribbon for a new weight room and various other facility updates Monday morning.

With roughly half a million dollars contributed to USSU athletic renovations this summer, the project included major improvements to the school’s Human Performance Lab, training room, performance equipment and hydration infrastructure.

But of course, the most visible changes occurred in the Eagles’ weight room, as USSU nearly doubled the available square footage by removing a wall that separated existing spaces. In addition, air conditioning was added to the room, door frames were widened, paint, lighting and flooring were updated on top of the new equipment that was brought in.

“This space used to be for art storage and a very dated weight room,” USSU Director of Athletics Shealynn Miller said. “We wanted to invest in our student-athletes with a larger area, and it was kind of a necessity due to our growth.”

Outside of the weight room, other improvements included new water fountains, relocating the training room so it is in a more central location and the purchase of additional therapeutic modality equipment.

And the timing couldn’t be better for the Eagles to open up this space, as USSU is competing at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level beginning this academic year. The school’s respective teams are playing in an independent conference before joining a regional league next year as part of their transition process, and they already made a statement when the women's soccer program took down Arkansas Pine-Bluff, 5-2, on Saturday, Aug. 29, for the University's first win over a Division I opponent.   

So with the Eagles entering a stronger level of athletics, it made sense to update the facilities that support their teams.

“As we transition into the NAIA, we are going to be up against some tougher competition,” Miller said. “And so we wanted to provide our student-athletes with resources that will help them develop better.”

With the project being spearheaded by RH Design Build and Tailored Living Design of Daphne, all renovations were completed within a compressed summer timeline in order to have the facilities ready for when students returned to campus.

“As soon as the students moved out in May, we had everything lined up to be done by Aug. 10, when the students returned to school,” Miller said. “At times it was a struggle with making sure all of our dominoes fell in line, but we got it done.”

USSU athletes will be taking advantage of the new digs all year long, but the weight room isn’t the only new project on campus.

The aforementioned Human Performance Lab is still undergoing updates, and that is because USSU was recently designated as an Olympic Study and Research Center, the second in the U.S. and one of only 83 in the world.

The lab goes hand-in-hand with that honor, and Miller explained that new equipment is continually being added to the space.

Beyond that, there’s plenty more to be done as the Eagles’ head brass attempt to keep up with the school’s rapid expansion.

USSU only started competing in collegiate athletics in 2023, but after starting with 19 players on a men’s club soccer team, just over 200 athletes now call the Daphne campus home.

“We are officially at 210 students walking around, and the building is getting pretty tight, as well as the parking,” Miller said with a smile. “It’s a great problem to have, and so now we’re talking about some long-term visions.”

Those visions already include the addition of a women’s flag football team, and the school is actively looking for a coach as it aims to capitalize off the sport’s national popularity.

Outside of that, there are conversations being had about larger construction projects down the line. 

USSU currently uses city facilities for most of its activities, and all students stay in local apartments. Thus, Miller and her peers are pondering the idea of building a standalone athletics complex, or potentially adding their own dorms on campus.

Those future plans and Monday’s ribbon-cutting are just the latest examples of how USSU is investing in its athletes as it continues to expand in all facets. 

“We’re just very growth-focused as we continue to gain more students and offer more sports,” Miller said.