IM West, formally known as the Men’s IM — the Women’s IM located in what is now IM Circle — is the largest recreational sports gym on campus. The 190,000 square-foot facility has four main gyms for basketball, volleyball and badminton, eight racquetball courts, two squash courts, a 15,000 square-foot turf field, an indoor pool and a 14,500 square-foot weight room. 

Rick McNeil, director of MSU Recreational Sports and Fitness, told The State News on a historical tour of the building that after almost 70 years of use, the building has done its job well. However, outdated mechanical equipment, old plumbing systems and a lack of sufficient storage space are the ultimate downfall of the building.  

"At the end of the day, this building has served its purpose, and the activity space is great," McNeil said. "But mechanical spaces, unfortunately, are not built to last forever."

Peeling paint, asbestos flooring and outdated equipment are only part of what needs to be replaced in the building. McNeil said the more serious concerns lie behind the walls, where cramped mechanical rooms turned storage spaces, decades-old pool filtration systems and failing plumbing infrastructure ultimately make the building unsustainable for the future.

McNeil attended MSU in 1988 in what is now the kinesiology program, and while he is adamant about the need for a new facility, most of his days as a student were spent in IM West. He has numerous fond memories of his time in the building, including playing racquetball with former head football coach Nick Saban and current head basketball coach Tom Izzo.

McNeil and Brian Fickies, assistant director of Rec Sports and Fitness, who joined for a small portion of the tour, both reminisced about IM West’s famous outdoor pool, which closed in 2018 due to deterioration and water leaks. 

In an obsolete press box overlooking the indoor pool, Fickies explained that at one point, students could look over and see the outdoor pool on one side, and the indoor pool on the other. 

The 50-meter outdoor pool was open to all students, with a diving board and a large grass area where students could sit in the sun. The pool was demolished in 2023 after inspections led to its closure.

"We calculated losing about 10,000 gallons of water a day," Fickies said. "Because of how old the pool was and the poor way it was built, the old drains had failed, and water was coming out nonstop."

Although outdated systems and closures are the classic story of IM West, the building was once famous for hosting in-person class registration before computers.

Through the late 1980s, at the beginning of each semester, thousands of students scrambled to reserve classes at The Pit in the turf arena, which once had dirt floors and served as a football practice space.

"Think of the intensity of Sparticipation, but for registering for classes," said Chuck Taylor, an MSU alumni who also studied in what is now the kinesiology program. 

Taylor, who was devastated to hear of the demolition plans, said that The Pit was something that all students either loved or hated. 

Rows of tables filled the arena, each representing classes within a department. Students carried a large registration book listing every course and collected limited notecards that indicated available seats. According to Taylor, students wouldn’t know whether a class still had open spots until they reached the physical table.

While IM West’s days are numbered, and students and alumni alike are upset by the building's demolition, McNeil said he hopes the legacy of the building being open and welcoming to all lives on.

One nod to IM West's inclusivity is the door to McNeil’s office, once owned by Dr. Harris Beeman, a former professor who was instrumental in the planning of IM West. 

"The door to this office is the largest door on campus," McNeil said, noting it is almost double the size of a normal door. "The message was that all students are welcome to come in any time, so he intentionally oversized the door."

McNeil has since stepped down from his position as director of Rec Sports and is now the project manager for MSU’s new Health and Wellness Center, which is set to open in April.