Carneys Point, NJ. – As the fall semester is winding down and we prepare for the spring term, there will be some noticeable changes in the Dupont Field House as a floor renovation project is underway. Through the support of the Salem Community College administration and the leadership of Director of Athletics Dr. Bob Bunnell, a new basketball playing surface is being installed in the Dupont Field House located in Davidow Hall.
"Replacing the basketball floor is quite literally a game-changer for our athletic program", says Bunnell. The current floor has been in the Field House since Davidow opened in 1991. It served the College exceeding well over the decades, but it was clearly time for a new surface".
Davidow Hall opened in the Fall of 1991, named in honor of Sol and Jean Davidow, who were longtime College benefactors. Mr. Davidow was a local businessman and the first chair of the Salem Community College Foundation. The current floor is the original surface that was installed when the fieldhouse was built.
This floor has quite a history with some very notable people having set foot in the Field House. Country music super stars such as June Carter Cash and the Carter Family, Tammy Wynette, Roy Clark, Jo Dee Messina, Collin Raye, Patty Loveless, Bill Anderson, Joe Diffie, Toby Keith, Jerry Reed and Ricky Van Shelton all played the Dupont Fieldhouse. The most notable of all, the legendary Johnny Cash once appeared in the Field House and entertained a packed house. Other notable music groups to play were The Dovells, The Drifters, The Platters and Lou Christie. What would list of classic "oldie" artists be without none other than Jerry Blavat, "The Geator with the Heater", who has entertained twice in the Field House. Former New Jersey Governor Christie Todd Whitman was the keynote speaker at the 25th annual Commencement in the Field House in 1997.
The floor is being replaced with a Mondo Advance product, that will look like a basketball woodgrain surface, with a green apron surrounding the court, emblazoned with "Mighty Oaks" on each end line. A Salem "S" at midcourt, and two logos of the Mighty Oaks mascot, Alex the Acorn, on each quarter court, will complete the new look.
The excitement and energy can be felt throughout the athletics department as our coaches and student athletes continue to see the steps that Salem Community College is taking to provide them with a top- notch collegiate facility. The floor project begins just one and half years after the installation of the Mannington Mighty Oaks Athletic Training Center, a 2021 upgrade of the baseball field at Carneys Point Recreation Complex, and the recent development of a Salem soccer complex at Oldmans Township School.
"The new floor continues the facility progress that we've made at SCC since the reinstatement of athletics in the fall of 2019", Bunnell stated. "President Mike Gorman and the Senior Staff's commitment to developing a strong athletic program has been evident in many ways, and this floor project is a most public example of that commitment. It means so much to our 90-plus student-athletes, and to all of us who are working to build a championship atmosphere for our student-athletes".
"Our team and staff are very excited about the installation of the new gym floor. Our athletic department has done a phenomenal job of making improvements to take SCC Athletics to the next level," said Mighty Oaks head men's basketball coach AJ Williams. " This will be huge and we can't wait to practice and play on it".
The project should take approximately six weeks to complete, and is being done by Classic Sport Floors of West Berlin, NJ. It should be ready as the Mighty Oaks men's basketball team open the second semester portion of their schedule against Ocean County College Tuesday, January 12, 2023 at 6:00PM.
