Indiana University Taps Ecore for Fitness Center Flooring, Sees Strong Return
Ecore Athletic helped transform IU’s student rec center into a more inclusive environment, driving higher engagement, the sides say
Indiana University (IU) selected Ecore Athletic, a leading manufacturer of performance flooring and athletic surfaces, as its flooring partner for the recent renovation of its Student Recreational Sports Center on the school’s flagship Bloomington campus. The university is seeing positive early results from the change, including increased student engagement at the facility.
Driven by student demand for more strength and functional training areas, the renovation included the installation of Ecore Athletic’s Performance Beast Plus flooring system, paired with Modzilla 32 ShockPad tiles. IU chose Ecore’s flooring solution for its high durability, impact absorption and brand-customizable design, all of which are critical elements for a facility that sees over one million visits annually.
“The Ecore floor allows us to take the impact of any activity, protect the subfloor and keep students focused on their well-being – not on whether the floor is holding up,” said Nick Horton, IU’s director of service operations.
A key aspect of the installation includes 16 custom lifting platforms, each featuring IU’s logo inlaid directly into the surface. These platforms are in near-constant use, underscoring rising student interest in strength training.
“There was some concern early on that 16 platforms might be too many,” said Brady Bowdoin, assistant director of personal training and wellness at IU. “It turns out 16 is not enough.”
In addition to performance upgrades, the renovation focused on improving space utilization and inclusivity. Former racquetball courts were converted into open training zones outfitted with turf and rubber flooring (another move in line with fitness industry trends). The result has been broader student engagement and increased diversity in facility users, IU reports.
“One of the biggest changes is our user group,” Bowdoin said. “Before, it was mostly traditional gym-goers. Now, we’re seeing students from all backgrounds using the space. What we thought might deter some users has made the space more welcoming.”
Ecore, which upcycles waste rubber into high-performance flooring solutions, has worked with top athletic, wellness and commercial fitness facilities including GymNation and East Bank Club.
Ecore’s Performance Beast Plus product is a 10.5mm performance flooring system featuring a 2.5mm wear layer fusion-bonded to an 8mm vulcanized composition rubber (VCR) base, and is slip-resistant to reduce injury risk in heavy-use zones.
Underneath, Modzilla ShockPad tiles provide an additional layer of impact absorption and subfloor protection with 32mm interlocking tiles that float over existing flooring. The IU team chose the Modzilla underlayment in part because they needed to float the new flooring over an existing court.
“This project is a great example of what can be accomplished when manufacturers, dealer partners and facility leaders are all aligned,” said Ryan Clavenna, Ecore Athletic’s territory representative.