CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – The newly renovated Tippin Gym will host its first regular-season Clarion University home athletic competitions this weekend with events going on in volleyball and wrestling Friday through Sunday.(The outside of Tippin Gym near the main entrance. Photo by Dave Cyphert of ProPoint Media.www.propointmedia.com)
“We are beyond excited to return to Tippin Gymnasium this weekend,” Wendy Snodgrass, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Clarion, said. “This is a moment that our coaches, athletes, alumni and fans have looked forward to since ground was broken last year, and I am sure it will be a moment they will never forget.”
The first-ever regular-season match in the newly renovated building — there were basketball scrimmages that were held in the new auxiliary gym earlier this month — will be the Clarion University volleyball team hosting Mercyhurst at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15.
The volleyball team will then host Gannon at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, before wrestling kicks off its 2019-20 season at noon Sunday, Nov. 17, against George Mason in the inaugural Mid-American Conference match for the Golden Eagles.
“In our internal discussions, we thought it was important to give our volleyball and wrestling student-athletes the chance to close and open their seasons, respectively, in the facility,” Snodgrass said. “This was an opportunity to give them a special experience competing on that Tippin floor for the first time in two years.”
The inside of the newly renovated Tippin Gym. Photo courtesy of Clarion University Athletics
While the gym is ready for competition, the building is not 100 percent completed, according to a release from Clarion University.
“Some areas still undergoing final phases of the renovation,” a release from the University’s Sports Information Office said. “As such, not all parts of the building will be accessible to fans, and certain features of the in-arena entertainment system are not yet installed. Plans are being developed for an official grand opening of the building in the spring semester.”
Snodgrass asked that the fans be patient with the building and do their best to create a positive environment.
“We ask that our fans show understanding, and help create a positive atmosphere by cheering on these deserving young men and women this weekend,” Snodgrass said.
Parking and Entering Tippin Gymnasium
Fans attending this weekend’s events are encouraged to park in Lot 12 (between Marwick-Boyd Auditorium and the Student Recreation Center), as well as Lot 11 (across Greenville Ave. from Tippin Gymnasium). The main entrance has changed and is now located off Payne Street – which will be closed to car traffic ‑ on the interior of the campus. Handicap accessible entrances are available under the main entrance.
