Varsity Gym

The Rivers Street Deck across from Varsity Gym is the most popular parking option for wrestling events, with fans entering the corner of the gym adjacent to the loading dock area off Rivers Street.

Fans attending wrestling events should be aware that Varsity Gym has a clear bag policy for visitors. According to App State's clear bag policies:

Approved bags include clear plastic bags that do not exceed 12" x 6" x 12" and small clutch purses no larger than 4.5" x 6.5".
Bags that are not approved include diaper bags, backpacks, binocular cases, camera cases, tinted or printed pattern plastic bags, fanny packs, oversized tote bags & mesh bags, and purses exceeding 4.5" x 6.5".

ABOUT VARSITY GYM

Varsity Gym, a cornerstone for generations of App State students and athletics teams, is home to App State’s title-winning wrestling team.

The debut for a new-look Varsity Gym occurred in November 2024, during the first dual of the 2024-25 season, highlighted by the unveiling of a C. Philip Byers Scoreboard with video capabilities and a Barker Arena display. Spectators filled new premium bleacher seats on the main floor of Varsity, putting groups of fans on three sides of a new competition mat.

Varsity Gym regularly has standing-room-only crowds for home wrestling duals, with recent visits coming from highly ranked programs from the ACC and Big 12. The Mountaineers routinely lead the Southern Conference in home attendance.

Thanks to successful fundraising efforts, App State Wrestling enhanced both its locker room space and practice space in recent years, as the spacious wrestling room connected to the main arena has increased in size to accommodate additional mats as well as the installation of new wall mats and wall graphics highlighting the program’s championship history.

With bleachers full of fans contributing to a high-energy atmosphere that includes a tunnel entrance for App State wrestlers and matside cheerleaders, the Mountaineers have one of the best wrestling environments in the country.

Varsity Gym is also used by volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf and track and field programs as an alternate practice facility. App State’s pole vaulters practice on the second level, and workouts are also held on the Mondo track that was installed in January 2008.

For both the men's and women's golf programs, a renovated indoor performance lab, back in 2018, resides in the basement of Varsity Gym.The Golf Performance Lab features two new Skytrak Golf Simulators and two new impact screens that are accompanied by televisions, projectors and computers thanks to the support of Jeff and Liz Mick, Don and Pat Phillips and Tom and Charlene Johnson.

The technology allows the App State golfers to receive distance, accuracy and other feedback on their indoor swings. With target settings, team members can participate in closest-to-the-pin competitions and other helpful drills. Two other separate rooms down the hall are designed for indoor chipping and putting practice that simulate green-like surfaces found on a golf course.

Varsity Gym cost $2 million to build and was North Carolina's largest indoor athletic facility west of Charlotte and Winston-Salem at the time of its completion in 1968.

When the 1999-2000 men's and women's basketball seasons concluded, it was the final season for Varsity Gym to serve as the home of App State basketball, marking the end of a 32-year relationship. The volleyball program also played its final season in Varsity Gym in 2000.

Varsity Gym also served as the preseason training camp home for the Charlotte Hornets during their first two NBA seasons from 1988-90.

Not only an athletic, intramural program and health, leisure and exercise science facility, Varsity Gym has a storied history of hosting nationally recognized entertainers.

The list of entertainers and concerts to step on the stage in Varsity Gym is a diverse group, covering several musical genres. Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Steppenwolf, The Allman Brothers Band, The Temptations, The Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffett and Ray Charles are just a few who made appearances in Varsity.

Several public speakers, ranging from educational to political to comedic, have addressed large crowds in Varsity Gym. Bill Clinton, John Houseman, Jane Fonda, US consumer advocate Ralph Nader, entertainer Bill Murray, Harry Reasoner of 60 Minutes, US Army General Thomas Kelly, as well as Grammy Award-winning poet, writer, composer and actress Maya Angelou, all stood behind the Varsity Gym podium.