Recreational sports programs are a tremendous growth industry nationwide and provide a great marketable asset to colleges and universities. And a booming recreational facilities construction trend has not faltered, even in the face of a slow economy.
In the past 20 years, the cost to build a multimillion dollar recreational complex has gone from $2 million to $49 million.* Over the next five years, an estimated 82 colleges and universities are currently involved in 129 facility construction, expansion, and/or renovation projects; over $1.7 billion dollars in NIRSA-Member capital projects are currently underway.
The building boom for recreational sports facilities continues to increase demand for knowledgeable and qualified facility managers and directors. The NIRSA National Recreation Facilities Institute (NRFI), Presented by Mondo, provides in-depth information on planning, constructing, renovating, and operating recreational sports facilities.
NRFI attendees may move freely between educational sessions focused on design/construction or management operations. In addition to the informative educational sessions, facilities tours are included for some of the area's top recreational facilities The on-campus tours have been specially designed to complement the educational sessions, the interactive opening session, and the networking opportunities with recreational sports managers/directors and architects from across the nation.
2012 Program Committee
- Jeff Sessine (Chair), Centers, LLC
- Jeff Corley, University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Tia Freiburger, Florida Gulf Coast University
- Micah Glenn, University of Minnesota- Twin Cities
- Eric Maki, University of Missouri
- Marilyn Ross, University of Pittsburgh
* Source: Kerr & Downs Research Report - Buying Power of Participants of Recreational Sports on College Campuses (2002) Building Your Future