Ward Sports Medicine Building

Completed in 1989, the Ward Sports Medicine Building houses administrative offices for ECU athletics, including the Pirate Club, football and basketball offices, media relations, director of athletics, and other administrators. The ECU football locker room, student development offices and athletics training department are also located in the three-story structure.

The building was dedicated in honor of Robert and Margaret Ward of Burlington, N.C., who in 1991 made the then-largest single-endowed gift ever received through the ECU Educational Foundation. The gift is just one of the numerous contributions the Wards have made to the Foundation over the years.

In addition to being the home of ECU Athletics, the three-story, 82,095-square foot structure also houses the Human Performance Laboratory.

The injury treatment and rehabilitation center of the sports medicine department includes the latest in technology, making it one of the top sports medicine programs in the country.

The entire coaching staffs for the football and men's and women's basketball teams are housed on the second floor, while the athletic administrative staff has its offices on the third floor.

The building is unique in its structure. The shortest of six sides of the building is the front of the facility, which faces Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Features of the first floor include:
• Sports Medicine Training Center - Sophisticated injury treatment, evaluation and rehabilitation equipment fill the room including touch-control whirlpools, a computerized isokinetic rehabilitation and evaluation machine, examination rooms including one dental chair and a seven-foot deep whirlpool that allows an injured athlete to exercise without bearing weight.
• Football Locker Room - The 4,291-square foot renovation project includes 125 custom-made lockers made of natural finish wood veneer and solid wood edges with quality, commercial carpet with a purple hue and a large centered in-laid Pirate head logo, a full-wall mural and six overhead flat-screen televisions.
• Football Meeting Rooms - The project, completed during the summer months of 2006, features eight meeting rooms which are all wired and furnished with the latest of video and computer equipment from XOS Technologies and drop-down display screens. The breakdown of the complex includes one team meeting room (107 permanent embroidered "Pirate-logoed" theatre-style seats), one unit room (55 seats) and six positional breakout rooms (12-15 seats).
• Equipment Storage
• Women's Locker Room

Attractions of the second floor include:
• Leo Jenkins Auditorium - A multi-use auditorium that can seat up to 300 people and can be broken down into two or four different rooms. It is used for meetings, classes and other gatherings.
• Hall of Fame - Hall of honor recognizing distinguished individuals who have brought admiration to Pirate athletics. A plaque recognizing each member of the Hall of Fame is on display.
• Basketball and Football Suites - The football staff has their own private office suite with each coach having his own individual office behind a spacious reception area. The men's and women's basketball staffs share an office suite complete with separate meeting rooms and personalized offices.
• Pat Draughon Study Center - This location provides wireless access for laptop use as well as printing. Each computer is connected to the Internet, a printing station, and is loaded with additional programs needed for classes. The offices of the several members of the student development staff are also contained inside the study center.
• Sports Medicine Offices
• Student Development Offices

The third floor includes:
• Human Performance Laboratory - A sophisticated lab with the latest in human performance technology.
• Biomechanics Lab
• Athletic Administrative Staff - Offices saturate the third floor with the business, media relations, Pirate Club and athletics operations departments all housed on the top level of the building. The office of the director of athletics is also located on the third floor.