Glendale Community College has quite a reputation and legacy in athletics.

Glendale Community College has quite a reputation and legacy in athletics. Adding to this legacy, GCC is renovating the Verdugo Gym into a state of the art athletic facility, complimenting the rest of the beautiful and growing campus and adding to the GCC experience, not only for over 300 student athletes, but the entire student body, faculty, staff, parents and community. Updates to the facility include new athletic offices, auxiliary gym, activity classroom, large lecture hall, men and women locker rooms, athletic training facility, weight room, and seismic upgrade to the interior of the existing gym.

Always taking a student-centered approach, Vaquero Athletics and this facility are all about student athlete development and experience. Since the 1970s, Jim Sartoris, former GCC Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, and current commissioner of the Southern California Football Association and member of the GCC Foundation, has created the philosophy of developing student athletes academically, socially and athletically, which has been the foundation of success as coaches and staff recruit and develop GCC athletes. The phrase “Once a VAQ, Always a VAQ” is constantly and consistently delivered with pride by our current and former students in passing and on social media due to their daily interactions with GCC Coaches, faculty, counselors and athletic support staff. Upgrading athletic facilities will allow future student athletes to not only be part of a rich tradition of success in competition and in the classroom, but give them a collegiate experience in a state of the art facility to learn, socialize, train and compete.

Chris Cicuto Associate Dean of Athletics

“My father, John Cicuto, retired from GCC two years ago after 43 years of dedication as an Assistant Football Coach under Jim Sartoris, a Head Football Coach and Athletic Director,” said Chris Cicuto, Associate Dean of Athletics. “From a personal level, I have been on this campus my entire life, so I’m a little biased when I say GCC is the best community college in the state. When recruiting, I would hear my father tell prospects: ‘What we lack in facilities, we make up for with a personal commitment to our students.’ Add the renovations and upgrades of Verdugo Gym to Sartoris’ pillars and Cicuto’s philosophies, I could not see why any high school college athlete would not want to attend Glendale Community College to be a Vaquero.”

In light of current events, the timing of a grand opening is unknown. The opening date, originally scheduled for late spring or early summer 2021, may be expedited since there are no students currently on campus. “We look forward to showing off the beautiful new facility to our wonderful alumni, community and future Vaqueros. We are so grateful that the Board of Trustees, Dr. Viar, and our vice presidents see tremendous value in athletics and the Vaquero experience by supporting this project. Most importantly, without the support of our community by approving Measure GC, none of this would be possible.”