The Recruiting Advantage

The Highmark Center is set to give coaches a new advantage in attracting talents student-athletes to CMU

According to the NCAA, the percentage of high school athletes who go on to compete in college is roughly 3 to 5 percent, depending on the sport. By the time athletes are under consideration by university coaches, they already are outstanding players with many options.

Colleges and universities are in fierce competition for these elite athletes, looking to add the best talent possible to their teams. At Carnegie Mellon University, the competition has added dimensions because CMU’s student-athletes have ambitions both to win games and to achieve significant goals in the classroom. The drive of Tartan athletic teams and the quality of the educational programs are what attracts student-athletes to CMU, but some of the university's facilities simply did not make the case to these sought-after student-athletes.

“In Skibo Gym, we didn’t have any air conditioning. Not every team had their own locker room, and we’re short on lounge and weight room space,” says Josh Centor, associate vice president of student affairs and director of athletics. “That’s one of the reasons that the new Highmark Center for Health, Wellness and Athletics is a big win for the university. It comes down to the right equipment in the right space and the right design.”

“I loved Skibo Gym, it was my home for 31 years, but the reality of recruiting has been that you have to do a lot of explaining about a building from 1924,” says Tony Wingen, head men’s basketball coach.

The Highmark Center has been a centerpiece of his recruiting conversations for the past few years. It’s a key part of building men’s basketball, which is on an upward trajectory after a strong 2022-2023 season. To build on that success, Wingen is recruiting student-athletes who will start their college careers in 2024 playing in the new building. He calls it “a total game changer,” and part of a trend he’s seen since first stepping on campus in the 1990s. 

“The new building speaks to a vibrance on campus and a willingness of the administration to move the university forward,” Wingen says. “It’s part of continual building and renovation that started with residence halls and academic buildings. When you explain everything that’s happening now for athletics, students get really excited.”

The new facility elevates the training, competition and team-building spaces needed to take CMU’s intercollegiate athletic program to the next level as well as to recruit exceptional Division III student-athletes. It also expands access to spaces for both intercollegiate practices and recreational programs with a new fieldhouse and multi-purpose gym.

Additionally, the Highmark Center is not just a space for practice and competition. Training and treatment areas will offer the latest athletic treatments and support student-athletes’ health and safety, with new resources like a therapy room and advanced sports medicine options. A progressive building, the Highmark Center will also be home to University Health Services, Counseling and Psychological Services, Religious and Spiritual Life, and Wellness Programs.

The new spaces will appeal to prospective student-athletes, with meticulously planned details that demonstrate a commitment to varsity athletics that will create a truly exceptional experience and provide opportunity to succeed on and off the field.

“It’s going to feel like home and a destination, where you can come study, grow and learn,” Centor says. “I think that will really resonate with so many people and create more opportunities.”

Coach Wingen sees benefits to the entire student body when athletics is able to be more inclusive.

“From a varsity sports perspective, a new building will draw additional fan interest. We are excited to invite the student body to come to watch our teams in a way they haven’t been able to before. It broadens the availability of athletic spaces for everyone,” he says.

“We’ve been watching the new building rise up, and I’m excited to get in there. We are building tremendous opportunities for athletics, for future athletes that we’ll recruit, for the culture of athletics on campus, and truly for everyone at CMU.”