A $1.2 million gift of strength and conditioning equipment from Pacific Bell helped make the UC Riverside Fitness Center a reality.

The center, which opened in the Fall of 1999, is available to all 17 Highlander intercollegiate teams and features extensive cardiovascular and weight training machines, as well as traditional free weights. In the fall of 2001, eight brand new weight lifting platforms and racks were installed.

The gift from Pacific Bell, the largest of its kind in the history of the institution, permitted the department to substantially upgrade and expand the center, which is also open to physical education classes, students and staff. The center was expanded in size from 1,900 square feet to approximately 5,100 square feet.