The Murr Center At a Glance

After years of world-class caliber play in sub-standard facilities, the Harvard men's and women's tennis and squash teams will start their respective seasons this year across the river in their new place, the Murr Center, which officially opened this May. Next to Soldiers' Field and in front of the Bright Hockey Rink at the site of to old Carey Cage and Varsity Club, the state-of-the-art, three -story Murr Center puts Harvard on the map for having top-quality squash and indoor tennis facilities.

The 16 new, Olympic-style, NIS-regulated, plaster squash courts on the first floor of the Murr Center makes this one of the premier NCAA squash facilities in the nation. The squash teams' new home is a major improvement from the 11 non-standard-sized squash courts at the Law School's Hemenway Gym. A prime view for spectators makes the feature matches come alive in the new seating gallery.

"We think it's the finest squash facility in the country," said Squash Coach Bill Doyle said.

While the men's and women's tennis teams had a shorter move to the Murr Center from Palmer-Dixon just a few doors away, their new facilities are equally impressive and marked improvement. With only three indoor courts at Palmer-Dixon, the tennis teams vastly increased their indoor court capacity with the six new indoor courts on the second floor of the Murr Center. Gallery seating is available for the main matches.

In addition to the new squash and tennis facilities, athletes from all of Harvard's 41 varsity sports can now work out in the Murr Center's first floor, state-of-the-art weight room with all new nautilus and cardio vascular machines. This is a enormous step up from the cramped weightroom across the way at the Gordon Indoor Track and Tennis Center, where varsity athletes were forced to move their work outs to when the Carey Cage was torn down two years ago. There is even an office for Strength and Conditioning Coach Dom Sardo.

The third floor of the Murr Center brings the Harvard athletic community together with mailboxes for coaches from all 41 varsity sports, office for the tennis and squash coaches, conference rooms and offices for all the athletic department offices. Almost all of the third-floor athletic department offices have a fantastic end zone view of Soldiers' Field. The best seat in the house, however, is from the "Touchdown Room," which, with its comfortable and plush seating, is guaranteed to be a real crowd-pleaser among alums and recruits who come to watch a Harvard football game.

Work is still being done to complete the first-floor entrance and Harvard sports Hall of Fame Room, which will be a tribute to the greatness of Harvard athletics in the past and present.

"It's awesome and is going to be an unbelievable asset to all the Harvard programs with the weight room," said Women's Tennis Coach Gordan Graham. "It will help immensely with recruiting. It's like going from the poor house to the penthouse."