Savannah State University President Jermaine Whirl announced plans for a new state-of-the-art field house and weight room that will be built at the school's T.A. Wright Stadium after a major donation to the school, at a press conference on Thursday, Oct. 8.
The new facility will be called the Winston and Alma Pittman Field House after a donation from Winston Pittman Sr., named after African-American entrepreneur and the owner of Pittman Enterprises, the parent company of Chatham Parkway Motors, and his wife, Alma Pittman.
The Pittmans have been a major donors in the past for projects at SSU and the donation was described by Whirl as the largest investment in Savannah State Athletics history. Whirl didn't reveal the exact dollar amount but said
the donation contained a "lot of zeroes" in the bottom line.
Whirl said the project will include four aspects that will help boost the SSU Athletics Department as student athletes have never had a weight room on campus as football players have traveled by bus in recent years to use the Anderson Cohen Weightlifting Center.
The project will include the brand new weight room, coaches' offices, a film room and a player lounge, Whirl said.
SSU Athletic Director Opio Mashariki said the project build a foundation for the SSU Athletic Department determined to become a prominent factor in the HBCU athletic landscape.
"This is going to be a game changer that changes the direction of our athletic department and how our student athletes feel about themselves," Mashariki said.
The Winston and Alma Pittman Field House will be built on the side of the field that is opposite from where the SSU football locker room sits and construction will begin soon, although Mashariki said he doesn't have a detailed timeline of the project's completion.
SSU Football Coach Thomas Howard, in his first season leading the Tiger program, said the project will help build the program from the ground up.
"It starts out with our recruiting because it's a phenomenal thing to have on campus," Howard said. "It's something that not a lot of Division II programs have across the country and across our state ― so I think that will be big for us. That part will be a game changer and huge because student athletes can get all of that in just one place."
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah State reveals plans for state-of-the-art field house and weight room
