Simpson Building Gymnastics Facility

Simpson College has begun construction of a 10,000 square foot gymnastics facility, located on the north end of campus near its softball complex. The $2.8 million venue — fully funded by donors — will serve as the practice and competition facility for women’s and men’s gymnastics, while also providing opportunities for external groups to use the state-of-the-art facility.

“This is a timely investment in response to the tremendous interest and growth of gymnastics at Simpson since launching our programs in 2022,” said Marty Bell, director of Athletics. “For starters, the new facility will relieve considerable pressure from high usage demands at Cowles Fieldhouse. And, most importantly, it will allow us to expand our current varsity rosters to include a club/junior varsity element, creating more opportunities for students while providing a significant boost to the College’s drive for strategic enrollment growth.”

Further, Bell adds, the gymnastics facility will provide new revenue streams through camps and rental income from a variety of public events. He envisions that the venue will ultimately become a regional training center for gymnastics.

The new gymnastics facility is expected to open in January 2026. Earlier this fall, Simpson announced plans for the $10 million renovation of Pfeiffer Dining Hall and Great Hall. Construction on those reimagined facilities will begin in November with the completion date set for August 2026.

“We are thrilled to enhance the student experience with these two exciting projects,” said Dr. Sue Stuebner, interim president. “Along with the recent $10 million renovation of Dunn Library, these improvements add great vibrancy to campus life and will serve Simpson students now, and for generation to come.”

For more information, including how to support these projects through financial gifts, please visit www.simpson.edu/renovations.