Jason Wolf

jwolf@tennessean.com

The massive, state-of-the-art “Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Center,” bankrolled by Nike co-founder Phil Knight, was unveiled online by the University of Oregon on Thursday afternoon.

The 30,000-square-foot venue, named after the school’s 2014 Heisman Trophy winner and Titans’ second-year quarterback, combines “sports performance, sports science, sports medicine and technology in one efficiently designed space,” according to a release from the school.

It also came with an initial estimated price tag of $19.2 million, according to the Daily Emerald.

“My mom just sent me the text,” Mariota said after Titans practice Thursday. “I’m going to look at it right now. I heard it’s pretty ridiculous.”

Mariota won the Heisman in 2014 after passing for 4,454 yards, 42 touchdowns and just four interceptions, and running for 770 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Ducks reached the national championship game but lost to Ohio State.

He passed for 2,818 yards, 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while winning three of the 12 games he started in his rookie season with the Titans. He also ran for 252 yards and two scores and caught a touchdown.

“The goal of this project was to create one space where we could utilize the most state-of-the-art technology to improve student-athlete wellness and emphasize our commitment to the health and safety of our student-athletes,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said in a release. “Thanks to the incredible generosity of Phil and Penny Knight, we now have a world-class facility that is going to take the student-athlete experience at the University of Oregon to a level not previously seen anywhere on the collegiate level.”

Greg Skaggs, Oregon’s director of athletic medicine, took part fact-finding trips to NASA and Australia to research the facility’s construction.

“We focused on creating a space that would allow us to objectively measure a student-athlete’s development and readiness,” Skagg said in the release. “This data will give us the best opportunity to individualize training to maximize performance and prevent injury.

“Unlike other university performance centers, this facility is designed to make real-time interventions into a student-athlete’s training program and well-being.”

Mariota was aware of the project and all it entailed

“It’s pretty awesome what they’re able to do with that stuff,” he said. “I heard about the details, but to actually see it will be kind of crazy.”

The man the facility is named after might have to wait for some time.

“Probably next year,” Mariota said. “I was going to try to go back during the bye week (Titans are off Dec. 4), but it depends on if they’re playing well or not, because that’s going to be the week of the Pac-12 championship game (Dec. 2). I haven’t really decided yet.”

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