Prairie Fire Athletic Facilities

E. & L. Andrew Fitness Center

The center features 21 new "selectorized" weight training stations in a 2,785-square-foot cardio-exercise area and a new 2,860-square-foot free-weight training area. The fitness center also includes an 800-square-foot fitness studio and two new locker rooms.

The E. & L. Andrew Fitness Center is named in honor of Knox College Trustee Laurel Andrew and her parents, Edward and Edith Andrew of Orland Park, Illinois, and their family members, who provided the lead gift. The project also has received gifts from approximately 50 additional individual donors.

For photos and a listing of the equipment, visit the E. & L. Andrew Fitness Center.

Memorial Gymnasium was newly renovated in the spring of 2008. New wooden bleachers were installed with auto-tracking for convenient expansion and retraction as well as a new HVAC and sound system. Other improvements included new scoreboards, a new scorer's table, and new banners and logos. In addition the court itself was named Tim Heimann Court after longtime coach Tim Heimann. Heimann was the head Men's Basketball coach at Knox for 24 years before he retired at the conclusion of the 2007-2008 season.

For more information and photos please visit Memorial Gymnasium and Memorial Gymnasium Floor Unveiled as Tim Heimann Court

The T. Fleming Fieldhouse also features batting cages for softball and baseball, hitting nets for golf, and has served as the home of the Midwest Conference Track and Field Championships for eight years.

The Harley Knosher Bowl

Construction of the original bowl began in 1963 and the first Knox team played in the Knosher Bowl in 1967. Today, Knosher Bowl still retains its charm but has a new excitement about it as the $1.8 million project includes an artificial turf surface, new goal posts, new fencing, new gates and an entry area. The north berm was lowered as well to open it to campus.

The Knosher Bowl has a capacity of 6,000. The home record for attendance was set at Knox's hundredth game against Monmouth (the sixth-oldest rivalry in Division III) when crowds reached the 6,000 mark.

Blodgett Field is named after Thomas H. Blodgett 1899 and former Knox trustee, who donated the funds for its construction in 1963.

The original field and six-lane running track were created in 1961 and named in honor of former Knox College Coach and Athletic Director Dean S. Trevor. The track was dedicated as Turner Track at Trevor Field during a ceremony on October 12, 2006.

The field is used for football practice in the fall as well as the primary training and competition venue for outdoor track and field during the spring months.

Soangetaha Country Club
Knox golf teams practice and compete at Soangetaha Country Club, a private 18-hole course that is one of the finest in Illinois. With a tougher-than-average slope rating of 125, it has hosted both state and national tournaments in past years. Knox golfers are allowed unlimited access to the course while in season.

Jorge Prats Field
The College's soccer field, located west of the Knox Bowl, was renovated and named Jorge Prats Field in honor of Dr. Jorge Prats. Prats was professor of modern languages from 1962-2000, coach of the men's and women's varsity soccer programs for more than three decades, and founder of the Knox College study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain.

Renovations of the soccer field were completed in time for the start of the 2007 soccer season. The soccer playing surface was leveled and reseeded. Enhancements to the venue included covered team benches for both teams; the installation of fencing around the field; a state-of-the-art public address system; and new goals. The field features an excellent surface maintained specifically for soccer specifications and a built-in sprinkler system that maintains the integrity of the grass surface during dry summer months. The Soccer Field is used by both the men's and women's soccer teams.

For more information on the initiative please see Jorge Prats Soccer Field.

Merdian Tennis Courts
Resurfaced in 2005 and fully screened, the Merdian Tennis Courts are home to men's and women's tennis. Located on-campus next to the residence halls, matches are often watched by students in their suites.

Knox Softball Field
The Knox Softball Field features a state-of-the-art sprinkler and drainage system that allows for play within hours of the heavist rainfall. Dedicated to the sport of softball, the outfield fence measures 200 feet from home plate.

Lay Natatorium
The Lay Natatorium is home the swimming and diving team and water polo. A heated four-lane pool, it features unique murals of Knox students from the past.

Auxiliary Gymnasium
The Auxiliary Gymnasium was constructed in 1908 to serve as the main gymnasium at Knox College. It was converted to a women's gym after the construction of Memorial Gymnasium in 1950. Dance classes, some club activities and the Terpsicore Dance Collective meet in the Auxiliary Gymnasium. Every Halloween the building is made into a Haunted House by Knox's chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, a national co-ed service fraternity.