As the building that bears his name is scheduled to be fully operational in August, Skandalaris said it’s appropriate that the football team will be coming off its most successful season since 2003.

“I think in the next few years you’ll see the football program really rebound,” Skandalaris said. “I give all the credit to the coaching staff.”

State of the art

A key concept behind the rebound will be the $15 million addition of the Skandalaris Football Center.

While the glitz and glamor of the building — which features glass walls facing the corner of Shaw Lane and Chestnut Road — will turn heads, Dantonio said the most important aspect of the facility is efficiency.

“The team meeting area can be converted into (offense and defense) unit meeting rooms in a matter of seconds,” Dantonio said in an e-mail.

At the push of a button, a divider from the ceiling will split the 130-seat film room in half.

For the past 10 seasons, the football team has met in the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center and then moved to different areas of the Duffy Daugherty building for offensive and defensive player meetings. The move took 45 to 50 minutes — a large chunk of time, considering the NCAA only allows teams 20 hours of practice time per week.

“With this design and organization, we won’t lose valuable time when transitioning from meeting space to meeting space,” he said.

Dantonio said the new video technology will allow coaches to convert opponents’ game footage into diagrammed plays for the scout team.

The building also houses one of the largest computer servers on campus, which will host video files of almost 1,000 recruits and practice film, as well as MSU game footage from the past five seasons.

“If you build it, they will come”

Greg Ianni, senior associate athletics director for facilities and sports management, is overseeing the project. Ianni said the new facilities have been a key recruiting tool for the 2008 class.

“We’ve got hard hats and the coaches give (recruits) and their parents a tour,” he said. “(The workers) have been great about clearing space.”

Fred Smith, a four-star wide receiver recruit according to recruiting Web site Rivals.com, said he has toured the building many times.

Smith has verbally committed to attend MSU this fall.

“It’s progressing very fast, which is nice to know that it will be done and will be there when I’m attending school,” said Smith, a football and basketball standout at Southeastern High School in Detroit.

Smith said the weight room is an impressive aspect of the renovations. The $2 million project, which will expand weight room facilities from 9,000 to 16,500 square feet, is scheduled to be completed in mid-September.

“(Facilities) play a big role,” Smith said of his process in choosing a school. “Having a nice weight room and having strength and conditioning opportunities (is important).”

Jamiihr Williams, a two-star linebacker recruit from Trotwood-Madison High School in Ohio, according to Rivals.com, said the additions will give MSU’s football program an edge over other schools’ facilities.

“They were about even, but I feel like by the time the new building is done it will bring them past the others,” said Williams, who has verbally committed to MSU.

Past and present

Skandalaris, who toured the building just before the glass walls were installed, said he is especially proud of the Hall of History, a portion of the facilities available to the public.

“It’s going to be great for MSU football and for fans to come and look at the history of our football program,” he said.

Dantonio said the creation of George and Sally Perles Plaza, a $1 million addition outside the building, also will attract fans to the building.

“It will be a great gathering place, not only on game days but throughout the week,“he said.

Skandalaris said although the new facilities will aid the football program, the improved direction for the program is more important than his donation.

“Money can build buildings,” he said. “But it can’t build football programs.”