Watson and Tressel Training Site

GPS Address: 651 Elm St. | Youngstown, OH 44555

The Watson and Tressel Training Site (WATTS) is an on-campus facility that offers Youngstown State athletics one of the best indoor complexes in the Football Championship Subdivision and the Horizon League.

The concept for the complex was announced in the summer of 2007 when the Tressel and Watson Families presented the University with a $1 million donation.

Through hard work by many, the facility opened for use in the fall of 2011.

This indoor facility is vital to the future success of the YSU athletic department. The WATTS will provide the most critical ingredient to meet the challenges presented by the opportunity of playing nationally-recognized competition.

Located to the east of Stambaugh Stadium and the YSU Tennis Courts, the WATTS features a full-length Shaw Sportexe PowerBlade HP+ synthetic turf system football field, a 300-meter state-of-the-art mondo track surface, two long-jump pits, a high-jump pit, four batting cages, protective netting, a training room and locker rooms.

The seasonal facility will accommodate athletic team practices, intramural sports, campus-wide activities and special events benefiting students, faculty, staff and the community throughout the year.

Soccer, men’s and women’s track and field, baseball, softball and football have the ability to practice in a safer, more comfortable environment. The facility also provides a significantly prolonged practice season to meet the challenge of the elevated level of competition YSU seeks to embrace.

In addition, the WATTS will serve as a community resource - providing a large, climate-protected venue for local youth organizations and high schools. 

Utilization would benefit other campus constituencies as well. ROTC, intramurals and other student activities could now be engaged year round. Similarly, YSU can host numerous scholastic and community events that would equally benefit from the facility.

This $12.3-million project was seen as a public/private partnership in that the construction costs would be sought through private philanthropy.