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Oregon plans new sports science facility named after Marcus Mariota (Photos)

Marcus Mariota hasn’t been gone from Oregon for long, but the program already plans to honor the Heisman Trophy winner.

Oregon announced Thursday that it is planning a new “sports science center” named after Mariota. The facility, which would be named the “Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Complex,” was presented to the university’s board of trustees on Thursday. According to the program, construction on the new facility would begin in January 2016 if the board approves the idea at a meeting next week.

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If approved, the new facility would add an estimated 29,000 square feet to the Casanova Center, Oregon’s football facility. A gift from Nike founder Phil Knight and his wife Penny, the project would also “refurbish the equipment room while transforming the existing locker room and storage space into a state-of-the-art sports science facility.”

Here’s what it will look like (more photos here):

(via Oregon athletics)
(via Oregon athletics)
(via Oregon athletics)
(via Oregon athletics)
(via Oregon athletics)
(via Oregon athletics)
(via Oregon athletics)
(via Oregon athletics)

“Thanks to the incredible generosity of Phil and Penny Knight and their commitment to the University of Oregon, we’ll be able to enhance our total commitment to the student-athlete experience with another world-class facility,” Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens said. “Marcus is the epitome of a student-athlete, and the Marcus Mariota Sports Performance Complex will be an outstanding tribute to his legacy.”

The new complex would be full of brand new technology.

From Oregon’s press release:

Among the new equipment will be 3D motion capture technology, to replace the subjective “functional movement screen” that Oregon and other athletic departments use to measure things like range of motion and identify possible inefficiencies. There will also be a neurocognitive center, which in part will help diagnose and treat concussion symptoms.

The facility will also have a boxing ring (don’t worry, Ducks fans, players won’t spar against one another) to encourage cardio workouts “like shadow boxing and hitting a heavy bag.”

And for the previously mentioned upgraded equipment room, the added space will “allow the equipment staff to feature Oregon’s wide array of jerseys, cleats and such” for recruiting visits. An “athlete fitting room” is also in the works.

If construction begins as planned in January, the goal for the project’s completion is Sept. 15, 2016.

Mariota, who threw for 10,796 yards and 105 touchdowns in his Oregon career, was selected No. 2 overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2014 NFL draft.

For more Oregon news, visit DuckSportsAuthority.com.

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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!