SAW Dedication Ceremony Oct. 21

Cornell College is holding a celebration and dedication for the Richard and Norma Small Athletic and Wellness Center (the SAW) on Friday, Oct. 21. 

• What: SAW Dedication Ceremony
• Where: The SAW, located on the north side of campus on First Street W
• When: 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21 
  • Building tours to follow 3-4:30 p.m.

Students, faculty, staff, community members, and friends of the college are invited to join us for this celebration.

In February 2021, Cornell publicly launched the Athletic and Wellness Facilities Project, the final component of the Greater > Than Campaign for Cornell College. Construction started a few months later in the spring, and the finished $20.5 million project expanded the building by about 29,000 square feet and renovated much of the existing space.

“The best part of the new facility is the flexibility we have to serve the entire campus community,” said Interim Athletic Director Jeff Meeker. “Our athletes are certainly excited about this, and everyone who walks into the door can’t believe how nice it is, how big it is, how many different spaces we have, and it’s going to benefit not just Cornell athletics but the campus in general.”  

The project included a new wellness and fitness center with updated cardio and weight equipment, new athletic training room, an expanded lobby, new locker room facilities, centralized office and conference spaces, two new group exercise rooms, a 20-yard multi-purpose turf area for movement-based exercises, and much more.

Building off the rich athletic history of the past, the SAW has become a vital hub of health and wellness for our student-athletes and the broader Cornell community. The college worked closely with the architectural firm Kahler Slater and construction firm M.A. Mortenson Company for this renovation project. The design concept centered around creating an inclusive facility rooted in function that would allow Cornell to recruit top students, athletes, coaches, and staff, while serving as a living showcase of the past, present, and future of athletics and wellness on the Hilltop. 

The project was possible due to the early support of several lead donors who inspired others to invest in the future of Cornell, including Jean Russell ’65, Scott Ririe ’79 and Shelley Ririe, Richard Small ’50 and Honorary Alumna Norma Thomas Small, and the Hall-Perrine Foundation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.