About the Building
Hurt Gymnasium, completed in 1950, is a two-story building named in honor of the late, great Edward P. Hurt, who served as an esteemed head coach of Morgan State’s football, basketball and track teams. Hurt Gym was the home of Morgan’s men’s basketball team from 1950 until Talmadge L. Hill Field House opened in 1974. The gymnasium holds broad historical significance. It was the venue for the first interracial college basketball game played in the U.S. south of the Mason-Dixon Line, which took place February 12, 1952, when the Bears hosted the Loyola College Maryland Greyhounds.
Purpose
Hurt Gymnasium is a state-of-the-art athletic facility on the vibrant campus of Morgan State University. It is tailored to facilitate a wide range of intramural and recreational sports activities. With modern amenities and versatile spaces, it provides an ideal setting for students and staff to engage in physical activity and sports programs.
About Edward P. Hurt
Edward P. (“Eddie”) Hurt, a legend at Morgan State College, served as the head football coach from 1930 to 1959. During his 29-year tenure, Morgan State’s football teams won 14 CIAA Championships and had a record of 173 wins, 47 losses and 17 ties. That record included 54 consecutive games without a defeat, from 1932 to 1939, one of the longest unbroken streaks in football. Under his leadership, 
from 1929 to 1947, Morgan State’s basketball teams also excelled, consistently placing among the top in the CIAA and winning four CIAA titles, including three in consecutive years: 1931, 1932 and 1933.
In track and field, Hurt’s teams achieved remarkable success, producing eight individual NCAA championships, 12 National AAU champions in individual events, six national AAU relay champions and an Olympic champion, George Rhoden, who also set world records in the 400-meter dash and as a member of Jamaica’s 4 x 400-meter relay team. From 1929 to 1970, Morgan State won 13 track and field championships, under Coach Hurt’s tutelage.
In addition to coaching, Hurt served as an instructor of mathematics, as acting head of the Physical Education Department, as professor of Physical Education, and as athletic director at Morgan until his retirement. His contributions were widely recognized, and he received numerous awards and accolades.
Hurt began his coaching career at Virginia Theological Seminary and College, where he was an assistant coach in 1921 and became head coach in 1925. Under his leadership, the basketball teams there won two CIAA championships.
Coach Hurt’s impact was significant, and he was honored posthumously with the 2011 American Football Coaches Association Trailblazer Award, which recognizes early leaders in the football coaching profession at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He was also inducted into the USA National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1975 and the HBCU Hall of Fame in 1978. Morgan State’s gymnasium was named in his honor in 1952, and the school holds the Eddie Hurt Invitational track meet annually. He was named Coach of the Year in 1949 by the Washington Pigskin Club and was recognized on the Outstanding Coaches of All-Time list by the University of Texas in 1950. Hurt was also a member of the United States Olympic Committee from 1960 through 1972 and was awarded the U.S. Olympic Committee Service Award in 1964.
Facility Amenities
The recently renovated Edward P. Hurt Gymnasium now offers a range of advanced amenities designed to meet the athletic and performance needs of our Bears athletic programs and intramural and club sports, as well as accommodate the routine fitness experience for the entire Morgan community — students, faculty and staff.
Fitness Center
Key upgrades include a completely reconditioned and modernized fitness center, which is now equipped with the latest exercise equipment, including free weights, circuit training stations, Star Trac Exercise Bikes, Elliptical Crosstrainers, E-TC Treadclimbers and more. Whether you’re looking to improve your strength, endurance or overall fitness, the new fitness center caters to all needs.
Basketball Court and Gym
The gymnasium’s indoor basketball court and gym areas have been resurfaced with high-density, shock-absorbing maple hardwood flooring, providing a durable and functional space with classic aesthetics for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike.
Locker Rooms and Classrooms
In addition, the gymnasium now boasts three renovated and reconfigured classroom spaces, offering flexible environments for academic and athletic instruction. The locker rooms have also been completely overhauled, featuring all-new finishes and prominent Morgan Bears branding. Both the men’s and women’s locker rooms are equipped with 112 new lockers (56 each), providing ample space for students and athletes.
The All-New Hurt Gym — Between the Hallowed Walls
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Administrative Offices (7)
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Classrooms (3)
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Conference Room (1)
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Dance/Gymnastics Room (1)
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Fitness Center (1)
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Gym (1)
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Locker Rooms (4) — 2 for Men and 2 for Women
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Pool (1)
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Showers (10)
Rich Legacy, Engineered for Tomorrow
As a centerpiece of Morgan’s rich history and bearing the name of its legendary coach, Edward P. Hurt, the Hurt Gym has been a landmark for generations of Morganites since its opening in 1950. Today, the facility bears the unique distinction of seamlessly aligning its historic past while embracing the latest innovation and modernization. The external façade of Hurt Gym retains its venerable appeal, while its interior has been retooled and upgraded to meet all of the facility specifications of today — and the years to come.
All existing mechanical systems have been upgraded, including electrical, plumbing, fire protection, and life safety systems. Energy-efficient smart lighting with @Enlighted controls, IAQ system improvements, TZ smart lockers, and automation system improvements represent several of these latest in technology features. Maximizing the building’s efficiencies includes new facility management systems: Desigo and Navigator. Together these two systems enable improved energy consumption, system performance, and sustainability.
In addition to its technological advances and efficiencies, the new Hurt Gym boasts new wall finishes, athletic equipment, and furniture, ensuring a modern, comfortable, and efficient environment for all. After 75 years of service to the Morgan Community and an extensive renovation, Hurt Gym is ready for its next 75 years.
Activities
Upon its reopening, Hurt Gymnasium will host an Open Gym in the basketball arena every weekday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Open Gym activities include soccer, basketball and volleyball. In addition to the Open Gym, various Intramural tournaments will also take place in the arena. These will include 3-on-3 co-ed basketball tournaments, 5-on-5 basketball tournaments, soccer tournaments, dodgeball tournaments, volleyball tournaments and regularly scheduled skills competitions, including “Who Can Make the Most Shots in 30 Seconds”-style tournaments. This area is also available on Saturdays from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m.
The Fitness Center and Swimming Pool will be open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. These areas will also be available on Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., when there is not a home football game taking place. Faculty and staff workouts are available in the Fitness Center from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Group Exercise classes will also be scattered throughout the weekly schedule. The dance studio will host group fitness classes (specific times TBD).
Activities-At-A-Glance
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Acrobatics and Tumbling Practice
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Aquatics
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Cheerleading Practice
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Dance
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Fitness Center
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Intramural and Recreational Sports
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Program-specific Locker Rooms
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Wrestling
Budget and Finance
Renovation Project Partners
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Siemens (General Contractor)
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Mahogany, Inc. (General Contractor)
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Maryland Clean Energy Center (General Contractor)
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AC Power (Electrical)
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Kent Mechanical (Mechanical Contractor)
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Edwards and Hill (Furniture Vendor)
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SPI-AVI (Audiovisual Contractor)
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Caton Communications (Communications Cable Contractor)
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KCI (MEP Project Management Company)
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Morgan Physical Plant, EZ Doesit Contracting (Misc.)
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Securitas/VIS Solutions (Access Control-Security)
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BISM (Blind Industries and Services of Maryland)
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JANUS Contractors
MBE/Local Hire/Economic Impact
