Background Information on the Recreational Sports Center

February 14, 2008

The Recreational Sports Center at The University of Texas at Austin is managed by the Division of Recreational Sports, a unit of Student Affairs. More than 90 percent of the student population participates in the programs and services offered by RecSports, accumulating over 3.5 million hours of recreational usage annually.

The Recreational Sports Center opened Oct. 11, 1990. Funding for the construction and the annual operation of the facility is derived 100 percent from student fees. 
Built to accommodate the recreational needs of a growing University campus, the Rec Center—as it is affectionately known—features 120,000 gross square feet of space. The center attracts up to one million participants each year and features top-of-the-line facilities for basketball, volleyball, handball, racquetball, wallyball, squash, martial arts, dance, aerobics, group cycling and weight training. It also includes a Cardio Theater, lounge areas and multipurpose rooms.

The facility is also utilized by student organizations and other university affiliates for recreational tournaments, special events, meetings, conferences and much more. Most notably, in the spring of 2005, the Rec Center served as the venue for Senator John Kerry's Town Hall meeting concerning health care coverage for uninsured children sponsored by the University Democrats.