When it opened in 2001, it boasted the largest university weight and cardio rooms in the country. This year, it’s welcoming its 15 millionth patron and celebrating 25 years as one of the busiest spaces at Washington State University.

The Student Recreation Center (SRC) on the Pullman campus has been hosting a yearlong series of activities to commemorate its quarter-century milestone, including a September 19 reunion for staff, student employees, and advisory board members.

Unlike most campus buildings, the SRC is a student legacy⁠—conceived, financed, and managed through student leadership and mandatory fees. The model of student ownership remains rare among universities nationwide.

“It speaks to how important this facility is to students and the university community,” says Joanne Greene (’02 MBA), executive director of University Recreation (UREC). She was working as a graduate assistant when the SRC was built and remembers the rush leading up to its opening in January 2001. She says, “It is not only a place to work out but also where you can meet other students and community members, socialize, and relieve stress.”

Prior to the SRC, the Hollingbery Fieldhouse was the key campus spot for physical education, intramurals, and recreation programs. In 1980, an annex was added to provide space for racquetball courts and a small weight room. It also housed the Outdoor Recreation Center.

Students began lobbying for a larger facility in 1996 when a task force was formed to determine the feasibility of building the SRC. The idea was put to a student vote, and the proposal to fund the SRC through a mandatory fee received the support needed to finance the construction and operation.

Steve Wymer (’01 Comm.) served on the building’s planning committee and helped the multi-year project unfold while first serving as an Associated Students of Washington State University senator, then vice president, and eventually president.

“I probably knocked on 5,000 doors campaigning for it, and I’m not exaggerating,” recalls Wymer. He also remembers parking his beat-up Honda Accord across the street from the construction site, with snow on the ground and the heat cranked up, to watch with amazement his dream project become reality.

Today, the building boasts 160,000 square feet of exercise space where patrons can engage in activities for just about every interest: swimming in a five-lane 25-yard lap pool, running on an eighth-of-a-mile indoor track, playing racquetball, taking a spin class, shooting baskets, ascending the climbing wall, and using the fitness, weight, and cardio machines.

JoJo Maestas (’26 Comm., Socio.) visited the SRC almost every evening to play volleyball with his friends during his senior year. “Being able to move, decompress, and be part of a community helps me manage stress, stay balanced, and supports my overall happiness and success as a student,” Maestas says.

Because the SRC had such a positive impact on his student experience, Maestas volunteered on the UREC Advisory Board, serving as its chair. “Serving in a leadership role on the board has shown me how much student input truly shapes this space, and I’m excited to see how the SRC continues to grow and adapt to support future generations of Cougs.”