CSUB renovates locker rooms for women's athletics

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — The long-awaited process is finally complete. Thursday morning, California State University of Bakersfield Athletics revealed the new women's locker rooms for six sports: Soccer, swim & dive, golf, beach volleyball, softball, and track & field. It happens to be completed on the year the U.S. celebrates its 50th anniversary of the signing of Title IX, which prohibited sex-based discrimination in any education program that receives federal government funding.

"I think it's incredible,” CSUB Athletic Director, Kyler Conder said. “I think this is the kind of thing that's a game-changer for our programs."

"Having a locker room means much more than just anything,” CSUB women’s softball player, Samantha Martinez said. “It's where we can bond as a team outside of our sport and how we can be here and have something to call our own."

Still in the school's physical education building, the renovation provides an extra 500 square feet of space.

"This is a really nice facility,” CSUB women’s soccer coach, Sebastian Vacchio said.

"We have showers so when we have long games like this, we can easily shower and be accessible to go to class, not having to worry about anything,” Martinez said. “We can just have somewhere to store our stuff."

CSUB believes this new addition to the athletic program can better the recruitment process for bringing in more athletes.

"I think this puts us up to par with the rest of the conference as far as facilities, maybe the top of the conference when it comes to a locker room and spaces like this," Vacchio said.