Oklahoma State Cowboy wrestling, the nation’s most dominant collegiate program at any level in any sport, will soon have a training center equivalent to its rich heritage.

Bolstered by a leadership gift from Susan and AJ Jacques and the generosity of additional donors, that vision is on the cusp of becoming reality.

OSU has a goal to raise $20 million in private fundraising for the facility, which will be constructed on the north side of the OSU Athletics Center. To date, over $13.8 million has been committed.

“We have done a lot of work to get to this point and we are excited for this new era of Cowboy wrestling,” OSU head coach David Taylor said.

Blaire Atkinson, president of the OSU Foundation, praised the 17 major gift donors and their families who stepped up to push beyond the fundraising goal’s halfway point

“We appreciate the generosity of our donors, especially AJ and Susan and our early supporters, who believed in this vision from the start and answered the call. Their investments will help provide a top-tier facility for our student-athletes as they pursue their dreams and strive to continue the tradition of one of the nation’s most storied programs. This will be a hallmark of The Code Calls campaign.”

The new wrestling training facility will bear the name of the greatest American wrestler of all time — former Cowboy head coach John Smith.

The John W. Smith Wrestling Training Facility will enhance the day-to-day development of the current Cowboy squad and will also benefit those competing as part of the Cowboy Regional Training Center.

The facility is expected to encompass more than 16,000 total square feet, with over 10,000 of that space dedicated to six mats. The new amenities will also feature grandstand seating, meeting rooms and coaches’ offices, as well as a strength and conditioning area.

“Since Coach Taylor’s hiring, he has created strong momentum and injected a tremendous amount of energy into our program. The next step for Cowboy wrestling to continue hanging banners in Gallager-Iba Arena is this new training facility,” OSU Athletic Director Chad Weiberg said.

“I am proud the facility will bear John Smith’s name, honoring his legacy with Oklahoma State wrestling while providing future generations of Cowboy wrestlers with a world-class place to train and develop. The generous support of our donors has gotten us to this point, but we need everyone who is passionate about our program to answer the call so we can make this facility a reality.”

In its history, the Cowboy wrestling program has won 34 national titles, the most by any NCAA team across all sports at any level. OSU has also produced 500 All-Americans and 148 individual national champions. Both totals are the most of any program in the country.

Additionally, OSU has produced 41 Olympians, who have combined to win 20 gold medals.

Construction is expected to begin once full funding is secured.  The Cowboys will host Nebraska at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13 and a ceremonial groundbreaking celebrating progress will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14 on the north side of Gallagher-Iba Arena.

To learn more about making a major gift supporting the John W. Smith Wrestling Training Facility, contact Matt Grantham, Associate Athletic Director of Development, at mgrantham@osugiving.com.

John W. Smith Wrestling Training Facility Major Gift Donors

Cornerstone Donors

• AJ and Susan Jacques
• Vicki and Jim Click
• Nancy and Bruce Smith
• Glynda and Mike Pollard
• Anonymous

Major Gift Donors 

• Mindy and Cory Baze
• Dana and Danny Baze
• Beth and Mark Brewer
• Angie and Brian Callahan
• Debi Golden
• Sharon and Robert Keating
• Janice and Ron King
• Ann and Jim McKeller
• Lynne and Brian Rayment
• Ginny and Bob Sherrer
• Jane and Lon Winton
• John Yeaman

Frequently Asked Questions