Connecticut College

Athletic Facilities

Overlooking the Thames River and Long Island Sound, Connecticut College Athletic facilities provide unique and scenic views of the picturesque waterfront campus.

Artificial Turf at Silfen Field

The Artificial Turf at Silfen Field, dedicated in September of 2005, is the newest athletic facility on campus. The field will primarily be used by the women´s field hockey team in the fall and men´s and women´s lacrosse in the spring, but it will also provide additional playing space for the college´s soccer teams, club sports, intramurals and recreational activities. It´s estimated that 600 students will use the field annually. The $1.4 million project – funded by college donors – also included several improvements for the track and field program, most notably the creation of a throwing events field directly east of Silfen Field.

The Charles B. Luce Fieldhouse

The Charles B. Luce Fieldhouse serves as the "living room" of all athletic activity on campus. The main fieldhouse gymnasium consists of a 22,000 square foot Pulastic playing surface. This gymnasium holds three multi-purpose courts for badminton, basketball, tennis and volleyball. The fieldhouse also can be converted for field sport practices such as field hockey, lacrosse and soccer. In 1992, the fieldhouse added two new wood floor basketball/volleyball courts which serve as the home for Connecticut College varsity teams. The gymnasium boasts a seating capacity of 1,000 and is a terrific setting for NESCAC competition.

Racquet sport enthusiasts enjoy the use of four squash courts and two racquetball courts.

One of the finest climbing walls in New England has been a popular addition for students interested in training for outdoor climbing and hiking.

Dayton Arena

The Connecticut College men and women's ice hockey program's play in Dayton Arena. The 800 seat facility is located on campus adjacent to the Charles B. Luce Fieldhouse. This facility is also used for public skating, intramural sports, and numerous other student activities.

Jane Cadwell Lott Natatorium

The Jane Cadwell Lott Natatorium is one of the finest aquatic facilities in the nation. Known for its breathtaking view of the Thames River, the aquatic facility includes a 37 1/2 meter, eight-lane stretch pool with moveable bulkhead, as well as two one-meter and one three-meter diving boards.

The Athletic Center/Health/Fitness Wellness Center

The College is starting construction on a 6,500-square-foot fitness center that will be open in the fall of 2009. The new facility will be located in the heart of the Athletic Center complex.

"The fitness center will benefit the entire community an will enable the College to continue to attract students who are seeking a high-quality liberal arts experience that encompasses rigorous academics and a rich cocurricural life, including athletics and physical fitness," said President Leo I. Higdon, Jr.

The center will offer leading-edge exercise equipment. Soaring glass walls facing the Thames River will provide an abundance of natural light and commanding views of the river and turf field events.

The first new building to be constructed at Connecticut College since the F.W. Olin Science Center in 1995, it is already a source of pride for the campus community.

The new fitness center is going to be a stunning highlight on a campus that is already regarded as one of the most beautiful in the country," said Fran Shields, Katherine Wenk Christoffers '45 Director of Athletics and Chair of the Physical Education Department. "It more than triples the amount of exercise and wellness space at the College and puts us at the top of our game in terms of our peer colleges." In 2007, the existing fitness center was upgraded with new weight equipment, treadmills, stairclimbers and exercise bicycles. While working out, students can watch CNN or ESPN on one of four satellite television stations.

Students Have a View of the Thames River While They Run on the Treadmills-A New 6,500 Square-Foot Fitness Center Will Open in the Fall of 2009

Outdoor facilities include 20 acres of playing fields. Soccer and lacrosse games are played in the center of campus overlooking Long Island Sound. There are 12 outdoor tennis courts and one of the finest cross country courses in the region. The Thames River waterfront includes a boathouse that serves as home to the Connecticut College rowing and sailing teams.

The Jean C. Tempel '65 Green Overlooks Long Island Sound

The Camel Rowing and Sailing Teams launch from the boathouse on the Thames River, just a five-minute walk from the main campus. Connecticut College is one of the only small, liberal arts colleges in the country with access to the waterfront.

Christoffers Rowing Tank

The Connecticut College rowing tank facility, features the 5,000-square foot Christoffers Rowing Training room and the 16-station Emerson Sculling and Sweep Rowing Tank. This facility provides the rowing programs with a year-round training environment.