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23 September 2025
Front Office Sportsstadium
Sep 23, 2025Front Office Sports
Major League Baseball owners on Monday unanimously approved the $1.7 billion sale of the Rays to a group led by Patrick Zalupski. A much more difficult road lies ahead, though, as the Florida developer and his partners will need to solidify the team’s uncertain future in the Tampa Bay area.
Three months after the Zalupski deal first came to light, he will take over the franchise from Stu Sternberg, who held the team for just shy of 20 years. During those two decades, the Rays went to the playoffs nine times and reached two World Series, typically with payrolls at or near the bottom of the league. The team, however, is now starting from scratch on a new venue after Sternberg earlier this year walked away from a deal to build a $1.3 billion ballpark in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Zalupski’s ownership group will also include Union Home Mortgage CEO Bill Cosgrove, Heartland Dental founder Rick Workman, DEX Imaging CEO Dan Doyle, Augusta National Golf Club chair Fred Ridley, and Ken Babby, founder and CEO of Fast Forward Group, which operates two minor-league teams. Babby is expected to be the team’s CEO.
Sternberg and his partners will initially retain a minority stake of about 10%, but a full divestment is expected later. Closing on the Zalupski deal is expected later this week.
That group is expected to look on both sides of Tampa Bay for a long-term stadium site, though the Hillsborough County side closer to the NFL’s Buccaneers and NHL’s Lightning is likely more preferable. In St. Petersburg, where the Rays have been based since their inception, the club continually struggled as one of the least attended in MLB.
A news conference is expected in the coming days in which the new owners will outline their vision in more detail.
In the meantime, repairs continue on the hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field, and the 2026 MLB schedule contemplates the Rays getting back there after playing this season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the Yankees.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, for his part, has been steadfast in his support for the No. 11 media market, but also confirmed last week at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit that the team will be operating with a “blank slate” on a new stadium. He lauded the incoming owners, though, and the opportunity in front of them.
“The situation in Tampa has a lot of promising developments,” he said. “The sale to a group that has huge, deep roots in Tampa would be a definite positive. … Things are looking up in Tampa and are headed in the right direction.”
The core of the Rays baseball operations staff, including president Erik Neander, is expected to stay in place. The two leaders on the club’s business side, co-presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld, will conversely shift to advisory roles.
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Bears Hit Another Speed Bump For New $5B Stadium In SuburbsEven after forging a plan to pay for their own stadium on team-owned land, the Bears are facing new obstacles in their suburban stadium push.
Six weeks after the NFL team detailed a revised vision to build a domed stadium and mixed-use development in Arlington Heights, Ill., a state legislator has filed a new bill that threatens to delay or revise the plan.
The proposed legislation from state representative Kam Buckner, who is from Chicago and has firmly opposed the team’s intended move out of the city, contains several potentially impactful measures, including:
“Building up our state’s economy and securing long-term prosperity is about putting our money where it will do the most good, not spending it on magic beans and hoping for the best,” Buckner said.
The latest legislation, entitled the Stadium Transparency and Responsible Spending (STARS) Act, potentially creates a further time crunch around the Bears project. The team has said that the overall stadium cost, already more than $5 billion, rises by more than $10 million per month. It’s not likely that the bill will be approved in the state’s fall legislative session, but Buckner intends for this to be at least the start of a broader conversation around the stadium financing.
Notably, the Bears have already backed off a prior ask for direct state funding for the stadium, in the wake of significant opposition from Gov. J.B. Pritzker and other key leaders. Instead, the team seeks $855 million in public support toward infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Pritzker has said the Bears should pay off outstanding debt on Soldier Field, the team’s current home, from a 2003 renovation before any legislation related to the Arlington Heights project is considered. That debt stands at more than $534 million.
The Browns grappled with somewhat similar issues in recent months, facing repeated maneuvers from the city of Cleveland to block a planned move to suburban Brook Park, Ohio, before reaching a $100 million settlement earlier this week.
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16 October 20252 min readBears Hit Another Speed Bump For New $5B Stadium In Suburbs
Front Office Sports
16 October 2025
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Cleveland Takes New Shot At Blocking Browns’ $2.4B StadiumThe city of Cleveland is digging further into the playbook in its ongoing attempt to stop the Browns’ planned move to suburban Brook Park, Ohio.
City officials are appealing a recent Ohio Department of Transportation decision that cleared the way for the NFL team’s planned $2.4 billion domed stadium and mixed-use development next to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.
That decision—in which ODOT said that concerns were heard and addressed about the stadium’s proposed height of 221 feet above ground—was reached in error, according to the city. The department granted the permit to the Browns after relying in large part on an independent aviation consultant it hired. That consultant’s findings concurred with those of the Federal Aviation Administration and the team’s aviation experts.
The stadium’s height will remain at the same level, but it will have a series of lights on the roof to aid airplane traffic.
“ODOT’s decision is not supported by reliable, probative, and substantial evidence, and is not in accordance with the law,” lawyers for Cleveland’s Department of Port Control wrote in a lawsuit that represents the appeal of the Browns permit decision.
The lawsuit, filed in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, is now set to not only resurrect a matter seemingly settled, but also bring it in far greater public view than before.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has long opposed the team’s planned move from the downtown Huntington Bank Field, and he has attacked the plan on multiple fronts. A separate lawsuit citing Ohio’s Modell Law has been largely mooted amid recent changes to state law, but the city contends the law’s provisions still apply to the Browns. The city is also challenging components of the team’s lease at the current facility.
The Browns, however, intend to have a formal groundbreaking early next year in advance of a projected stadium opening in 2029.
While the stadium issue continues to play out, the Browns’ revolving door at quarterback continues to spin. The team traded Joe Flacco, the opening day starter, on Tuesday to the Bengals, along with a sixth-round draft pick, in return for a fifth-round pick.
Flacco had been benched in favor of Dillon Gabriel, while the Bengals have had their own issues at the position. Star quarterback Joe Burrow continues to deal with a toe injury, and his backup, Jake Browning, has lost three straight games. Rookie Shedeur Sanders could be elevated to No. 2 on the Browns’ depth chart behind Gabriel with the move.
The difference in rookie contract value between a fifth-round pick and a sixth-round one this year, however, was less than $200,000 over four years. That means the biggest financial impact for the Browns in the deal will be shedding the remainder of Flacco’s $4.25 million salary.
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08 October 20253 min readCleveland Takes New Shot At Blocking Browns’ $2.4B Stadium
Front Office Sports
08 October 2025
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Bears Want $855M In Public Money For Suburban StadiumThe Bears officially have a new site for their planned stadium and intend to pay for much of the project themselves, but there could still be plenty of public money involved.
The NFL team has released a new economic impact statement for its proposed domed stadium and mixed-use development, just weeks after detailing its intent to abandon a downtown location and build instead on land it owns in suburban Arlington Heights, Ill. The reworked model again affirms the Bears’ plan to fund the stadium itself entirely, a building slated to cost $2 billion.
The statement, however, also details a price tag of more than $5 billion for the entire development, slightly higher than the prior project of $4.7 billion, and calls for $855 million in public-sector investments in infrastructure.
That latter figure represents the newest and most specific ask in the team’s long and winding journey to build a next-generation venue in the No. 3 U.S. media market. The sought-after contribution from taxpayer dollars—targeted primarily for improvements to nearby roads and rail lines—is a sizable change from the even split contemplated in the prior, downtown plan, one that ran into firm resistance from Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
The new split, a 17% contribution of the total cost from public money, much more closely resembles the 29% funding from the District of Columbia in a recently approved stadium and mixed-use development for the Commanders.
As has increasingly been the case, time is of the essence for the Bears. The team says that construction costs continue to escalate by more than $10 million per month—not surprising given broader inflationary and tariff fears across the economy.
The Bears also want to see state legislation passed that would freeze property-tax assessments on any large-scale project in the state and allow them to negotiate payments with local taxing authorities. That issue has been at the heart of a situation with Arlington Heights that Bears executives say is progressing but not resolved.
“We are urging state leaders to pass the Mega Project legislation, which creates a fair, predictable framework for property taxes that applies to any large-scale investment in Illinois,” the Bears said. “With this certainty, we can move forward ensuring this once-in-a-generation project becomes a reality.”
The team also released a new set of stadium renderings that have a close similarity to the downtown proposal. The updated design, however, takes advantage of the greater space that the 326-acre property at the former Arlington International Racecourse allows.
Front Office Sports
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02 October 20253 min readBears Want $855M In Public Money For Suburban Stadium
Front Office Sports
02 October 2025
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Nycfc’S New $780M Queens Stadium Comes With Jab At Red BullsMajor League Soccer’s NYCFC is drawing much closer to ending the itinerant nature that has dominated its entire existence, but the development of its new stadium is also coming with a bit of shade toward a regional rival.
The club held a hard-hat tour on Wednesday of its forthcoming Etihad Park in Queens, N.Y., providing media a first look at the construction for the forthcoming $780 million venue, to be located next to Citi Field, home of MLB’s Mets. The privately financed 25,000-seat venue, solidified in April 2024 and set to open in 2027, will at last give the club a true home of its own after playing its first 14 seasons at Yankee Stadium, Citi Field, and Sports Illustrated Stadium—and not being the primary tenant in any of them.
“We were resolute in our mission, right from when we first came here in 2013. We were going to be in New York City, for the city, the five boroughs,” NYCFC CEO Brad Sims tells Front Office Sports, shortly before the playoff-bound club was dominated Wednesday night by Inter Miami CF at Citi Field in a 4–0 rout that included two goals and an assist by superstar Lionel Messi.
“That definitely made it harder, but here we are now, standing in the skeleton of a stadium that will be a cathedral of soccer. … Everybody knows there’s light at the end of the tunnel now,” Sims says.
Drawing in part from other recently opened MLS venues such as Energizer Park in St. Louis and Geodis Park in Nashville, as well as several venues in Europe, Etihad Park will lean heavily in to established soccer culture. That includes a dedicated supporters’ section and a focus on fan proximity to the field, but there will also be some technology nods to next-generation venues such as the Sphere in Las Vegas, which has hosted several sports-related events, in part through immersive LED screens.
There is also a significant local element to Etihad Park, as the venue will be part of a larger mixed-use development in the Willets Point area.
“One of the key design pieces is that we want to be authentically New York and integrate into this new neighborhood that’s being built. We didn’t want a spaceship that just looks like it just landed right in the middle of the neighborhood,” Sims says.
Was that a dig at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., the more futuristic-looking home of the New York Red Bulls, a key NYCFC rival?
“You can draw your own conclusions,” he says.
NYCFC, meanwhile, does not have a direct role in the ongoing proposal by Mets owner Steve Cohen and his partners, including Hard Rock International, to develop Metropolitan Park, an $8 billion casino and entertainment complex next to Citi Field. The soccer club, however, will directly benefit from the year-round destination that is contemplated in that project. Cohen is seeking a coveted gaming license to make that a reality, and a decision is expected in December.
“We’re in favor of anything that the residents of Queens, and especially this immediate area, are in favor of, and anything that’s going to make this area better,” Sims says. “There’s a great discourse going on with the community and the community leaders, and the Mets have done a great job listening to the feedback and working that into their proposal.”
Front Office Sports
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26 September 20253 min readNycfc’S New $780M Queens Stadium Comes With Jab At Red Bulls
Front Office Sports
26 September 2025
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Rays $1.7B Sale Approved, Stadium Plans Now Loom LargeMajor League Baseball owners on Monday unanimously approved the $1.7 billion sale of the Rays to a group led by Patrick Zalupski. A much more difficult road lies ahead, though, as the Florida developer and his partners will need to solidify the team’s uncertain future in the Tampa Bay area.
Three months after the Zalupski deal first came to light, he will take over the franchise from Stu Sternberg, who held the team for just shy of 20 years. During those two decades, the Rays went to the playoffs nine times and reached two World Series, typically with payrolls at or near the bottom of the league. The team, however, is now starting from scratch on a new venue after Sternberg earlier this year walked away from a deal to build a $1.3 billion ballpark in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Zalupski’s ownership group will also include Union Home Mortgage CEO Bill Cosgrove, Heartland Dental founder Rick Workman, DEX Imaging CEO Dan Doyle, Augusta National Golf Club chair Fred Ridley, and Ken Babby, founder and CEO of Fast Forward Group, which operates two minor-league teams. Babby is expected to be the team’s CEO.
Sternberg and his partners will initially retain a minority stake of about 10%, but a full divestment is expected later. Closing on the Zalupski deal is expected later this week.
That group is expected to look on both sides of Tampa Bay for a long-term stadium site, though the Hillsborough County side closer to the NFL’s Buccaneers and NHL’s Lightning is likely more preferable. In St. Petersburg, where the Rays have been based since their inception, the club continually struggled as one of the least attended in MLB.
A news conference is expected in the coming days in which the new owners will outline their vision in more detail.
In the meantime, repairs continue on the hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field, and the 2026 MLB schedule contemplates the Rays getting back there after playing this season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the Yankees.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, for his part, has been steadfast in his support for the No. 11 media market, but also confirmed last week at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit that the team will be operating with a “blank slate” on a new stadium. He lauded the incoming owners, though, and the opportunity in front of them.
“The situation in Tampa has a lot of promising developments,” he said. “The sale to a group that has huge, deep roots in Tampa would be a definite positive. … Things are looking up in Tampa and are headed in the right direction.”
The core of the Rays baseball operations staff, including president Erik Neander, is expected to stay in place. The two leaders on the club’s business side, co-presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld, will conversely shift to advisory roles.
Front Office Sports
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23 September 20253 min readRays $1.7B Sale Approved, Stadium Plans Now Loom Large
Front Office Sports
23 September 2025
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Daily Digs: Unc Breaks Ground On Stadium Expansion, Hilliard'S $110M Athletic Complex, And More!RMF Engineering, alongside University of North Carolina Charlotte, McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture, and SLAM, celebrated the groundbreaking of phase one of the Jerry Richardson Stadium Expansion. The expansion project, set to add 20,000 square feet, will increase the stadium’s capacity by approximately 20% to around 20,000 seats.
The $70 million expansion includes a new tower above the existing press box that will feature a training room for athletes, a new press box for broadcasters, as well as new premium seating, including seven luxury suites, loge boxes, ledge seating, an indoor private club, and a terrace. On game days, the space will offer fans state-of-the-art amenities, while on non-game days, fan areas will convert into team meeting and dining space to ensure students have resources needed for recovery and optimal performance. The new tower provides student athletes with year-round dining access and allows Charlotte Athletics to host additional community events.
RMF Engineering is leading MEP engineering for the stadium expansion. Barton Malow is the construction manager. McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture was the lead designer in collaboration with SLAM.
The additional seating is projected to generate nearly $2 million annually, more than doubling UNC Charlotte’s ticket revenue. Completion is expected in spring 2027.
After years of planning and construction, Hilliard is planning to open its new community recreation center to the public for normal operating hours Sept. 19.
The Well is a $110 million undertaking mostly funded by the city raising income taxes from 2% to 2.5% in November 2021, said Anastasia Maynard, the facility manager at a media preview event Sept. 15. The total price tag also includes the Hilliard Athletic Complex, which includes more than 20 sports fields.
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The Waukesha Common Council is set to review the city’s proposed 2026–2030 Community Investment Program (CIP) tonight, which outlines key infrastructure and facility projects planned over the next five years.
A huge project includes a new building at the Mindiola Sports Complex that would provide permanent restrooms, concessions and indoor rental space — a big step up from the portable toilets currently on site.
“The CIP is a long-term plan that outlines major capital needs for the city such as infrastructure, facilities, equipment, and vehicles. Along with street reconstructions and vehicle replacements, one key project being considered is a new building at the Mindiola Sports Complex to provide restrooms, concessions, and a rentable indoor space. Currently, the complex only has portable restrooms,” the city posted on Facebook.
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19 September 20253 min readDaily Digs: Unc Breaks Ground On Stadium Expansion, Hilliard'S $110M Athletic Complex, And More!
Athletic Business
19 September 2025
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$3.8 Billion Commanders Stadium Deal Approved Despite Late DramaThe Commanders are officially returning to the District of Columbia after local legislators made a second and final vote to approve public funding for a $3.8 billion venue at the grounds of RFK Stadium. The initial glide path to secure the deal, however, hit significant turbulence on Wednesday.
Following an initial approval on Aug. 1 and the run-up to the second vote required in D.C. rules, the council again certified the stadium plan Wednesday evening by an 11–2 margin. The vote now paves the way for the construction of a domed venue and mixed-use development at the site of the team’s former home, with the new stadium targeted for a 2030 opening. Public money will represent about $1.1 billion in the project in a bid to reinvigorate a long-neglected area.
“An NFL stadium by itself is not a good investment. … But we’re talking about a bigger vision for the city and where we’re going to be in 50 years,” said council member Charles Allen. He was an initial skeptic on the deal who cheered the subsequent improvements to the framework to build “the most transit-friendly stadium in the NFL.”
That vote, however, only happened after frenetic last-minute negotiations early Wednesday between council leaders and the Commanders. Several council members sought to have a series of amendments passed that would have more substantively changed the deal agreed to last month.
In particular, the Commanders could have been on the hook for significant financial penalties for missing development milestones, in some cases reaching $10 million per year, with few, if any, carveouts for outside circumstances. Another potential amendment that failed would have seen land under team control clawed back by D.C. if undeveloped by 2050.
The team wrote a letter to the council on Wednesday morning that it was “presented with a list of unworkable and impractical new last-minute demands … which we simply cannot agree to as it jeopardizes the deal.”
The discord was largely resolved during a lengthy, closed-door meeting that delayed the start of the council hearing by two hours, and the financial penalty element in particular was later formally rejected by the council. The amendments approved late Wednesday were more technical in nature, relating to matters such as covenants around environmental standards and the routing of some stadium fees to community reinvestment.
“Today is a historic day for D.C., the Commanders organization, and our fans,” team owner Josh Harris said in a statement. “With the council’s approval, we can now move forward on the transformative RFK project that will bring lasting economic growth for our city.”
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a big advocate of the stadium deal, also cheered the eventual passage.
“This is the final step in securing our future at the new RFK Stadium,” Bowser said. “Our businesses, our people, our project. Now, let’s get to work.”
The Commanders are now firmly part of a fast-growing stadium development wave across the NFL. In addition to projects for the Bills and Titans that are well into active construction, teams such as the Bears, Broncos, and Browns are all actively pursuing new venues, and others, such as the Eagles, are considering ones as well.
Front Office Sports
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18 September 20253 min read$3.8 Billion Commanders Stadium Deal Approved Despite Late Drama
Front Office Sports
18 September 2025
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Commanders’ $3.8B D.C. Stadium Nears Key Council VoteThe Commanders’ planned return to the District of Columbia is up for another vote Wednesday, and this time, the proposed $3.8 billion project is expected to face far less drama.
The Council of the District of Columbia initially approved about $1.1 billion in public funding on Aug. 1 for a domed facility and mixed-use development on the grounds of RFK Stadium, the NFL team’s former home. Now, that measure is back for a second and final vote as a result of local rules requiring the multistage process to approve legislation.
D.C. council chair Phil Mendelson reiterated Tuesday that he believes he still has the necessary votes to complete the Commanders’ stadium funding. The first reading of the bill passed by a 9–3 vote, but only after considerable debate and significant modifications to the original proposal, and a similar sentiment is expected this time. In this second reading of the bill, a straight majority of “yes” votes among the 13-member council, amounting to seven votes, is required for passage.
Expected changes to the bill include establishing further clarity around specific milestone dates within the broader redevelopment of the RFK Stadium campus.
“We can focus on the negative, that the Commanders are supposedly ne’er-do-wells, or we can focus on the positive, the reality, which is that this is a very attractive development opportunity,” Mendelson said.
In addition to the forthcoming amendments, the second vote will include the return of Ward 8 council member Trayon White, who was previously expelled from the council following an indictment on bribery charges. White then won a special election to reclaim his seat and was sworn back into the legislative body.
The Commanders are set to contribute at least $2.7 billion toward the stadium and are responsible for all cost overruns. The team and District leaders are aiming for a 2030 opening for the new venue.
The team is also part of a fast-growing stadium development wave across the NFL. In addition to projects for the Bills and Titans that are well into active construction, teams such as the Bears, Broncos, and Browns are all actively pursuing new venues, and others, such as the Eagles, are considering ones as well.
Front Office Sports
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17 September 20252 min readCommanders’ $3.8B D.C. Stadium Nears Key Council Vote
Front Office Sports
17 September 2025
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Construction Begins On $130 Million Utas Stadium RedevelopmentWork is officially underway on the main construction phase of the $130 million redevelopment of UTAS Stadium in Launceston, marking a major milestone in Tasmania’s journey towards entering the AFL.
Jointly funded by the Australian and Tasmanian Governments, who are each contributing $65 million, the project aims to transform the historic York Park venue into a modern, elite-level stadium while continuing to serve the local community.
Tasmanian firm Fairbrother has been awarded the contract to deliver the extensive works, which will include the construction of a new Centre West Stand, a revamped Eastern Stand, and significant upgrades to amenities for players and fans.
Stadiums Tasmania CEO James Avery said the commencement of this stage signals the most significant progress yet in the redevelopment timeline, ensuring the project remains on track and within budget. He emphasised the importance of creating a venue that meets the needs of both professional sport and community use.
During the 2026 AFL season, the stadium’s capacity will temporarily drop to around 9,000 while work progresses. Once new seating areas are completed in 2027, that number is expected to increase to approximately 17,000.
Demolition of the existing Centre West Stand begins the week commencing 15th September 2025.
Despite the ongoing construction, the venue will continue hosting major events including Hawthorn’s AFL games, AFLW fixtures, and Tasmania Football Club VFL matches.
Fairbrother Chairman Craig Edmunds said his company was proud to play a leading role in such a landmark Tasmanian project. He highlighted the economic benefits for the region, saying the redevelopment would support local jobs and showcase Northern Tasmania’s construction capabilities.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our people, subcontractors, and suppliers to be part of something that is both professionally rewarding and significant for the state,” Edmunds said.
The project is scheduled for completion in October 2027, positioning UTAS Stadium as a key piece of infrastructure for the future of elite sport in Tasmania.
The Main Works package includes:
Austadiums
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16 September 20252 min readConstruction Begins On $130 Million Utas Stadium Redevelopment
Austadiums
16 September 2025
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University Of Kansas Unveils $400M Stadium RedevelopmentThe University of Kansas has officially unveiled the extensively redeveloped David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, following a $400 million renovation project delivered by Turner Construction.
Serving as the centrepiece of the university’s wider Gateway District development in Lawrence, the stadium has been transformed through a combination of partial demolition and structural rebuilding. The revitalised venue now features upgraded press boxes, new club and premium suites, modern concessions, retail areas, and a purpose-built fan experience zone.
A striking new entrance at 11th and Mississippi Street now provides a gateway to the campus and the wider community.
Kansas Director of Athletics Travis Goff praised the contractor’s commitment in meeting the project’s challenging schedule. “We are so grateful to Turner Construction for their incredible efforts on the transformed David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium,” Goff said.
“It was inspiring to watch the countless Turner employees work tirelessly regardless if it was snowing or a blistering 100-degree heat. They completed the job on time, on budget and in a first-class fashion.”
Designed as more than just a football venue, the stadium will operate year-round as a hub for conferences, entertainment, dining and retail. This includes a new 55,000-square-foot conference centre — an amenity the university highlights as long overdue in the region.
The redevelopment also extended to the Anderson Family Football Complex, with Turner carrying out renovations and expansions to the team’s offices and training facilities, originally built by the contractor in 2008.
This latest project further strengthens Turner’s long-standing partnership with the University of Kansas, which spans more than two dozen initiatives.
Jason Brown, Project Executive at Turner, reflected on the magnitude of the construction effort. “Together, they worked around the clock, safely logging more than 1.6 million work hours,” he said.
“Their tireless commitment and craftsmanship have helped create a destination that will serve KU fans, students, and the community for generations to come.”
Stadia Magazine
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05 September 20252 min readUniversity Of Kansas Unveils $400M Stadium Redevelopment
Stadia Magazine
05 September 2025
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Daily Digs: Unc Charlotte'S $70M Stadium Expansion, Wisconsin'S $285M Indoor Practice Facility, And More!Charlotte Athletics broke ground on the Jerry Richardson Stadium Expansion on Wednesday, Aug. 27, marking the start of a highly anticipated transformation to the stadium.Director of Athletics Mike Hill, University Chancellor Dr. Sharon L. Gaber, and Congressman and UNC Charlotte alumnus Richard Hudson spoke to the gathered dignitaries and Niner Nation before the trio was joined by former State Representative Jason Saine, and two members of the University's Board of Trustees, Dr. Sasha Weintraub, and Larry Shaheen for the ceremonial groundbreaking, which fittingly took place with pickaxes instead of shovels."What an incredible day for Charlotte Athletics, for our University, and our community," Hill said. "The response to our expansion plan has been nothing short of tremendous. Today, those plans begin to take shape. Over the next two seasons, with as little interruption to the game-day experience as possible, our team will be hard at work delivering something truly special."
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Wisconsin Athletics announced the naming of its indoor practice facility – the Kellner Family Athletic Center, in honor of Ted ('69) and Mary ('68) Kellner and their family on Thursday. The new facility, currently under construction, represents the largest capital project in Wisconsin Athletics' history at a cost to build of $285M. "The University of Wisconsin-Madison has been such a major part of my family's life, teaching us lessons and allowing us to be part of something bigger than just sports," said Ted Kellner. "To now be able to make a life-changing impact on current and future student-athletes, who will be tomorrow's leaders in society – we couldn't be more proud to support and humbled by the honor."All 23 varsity sports will utilize the Kellner Family Athletic Center, which will include a 120 yard indoor turf field, strength and conditioning center, 305 meter training track, student-athlete dining hall, sports medicine center, locker rooms, coaching offices and student-athlete well-being spaces. The facility will be adjacent to the Stephen M. Bennett Student-Athlete Performance Center, where student-athletes receive academic advising, tutoring, career support, mental health services and post-graduate preparation
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The Savannah Chatham County Public School System hosted a ribbon cutting earlier Thursday for a new athletic facility and police annex.
The school district says this is part of their commitment to creating a safe supportive space where students can thrive.
The new police annex includes administrative offices conference and training space as well as command operations support.
Deputy Police Chief Rodriguez told WTOC that being right across the street from groves high school is a good feeling incase there ever was an emergency at the school.
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30 August 20253 min readDaily Digs: Unc Charlotte'S $70M Stadium Expansion, Wisconsin'S $285M Indoor Practice Facility, And More!
Athletic Business
30 August 2025
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Daily Digs: Penn State Opens Indoor Sports Complex, Houston'S $130M Football Operations Center, And More!With the return of all 800-plus varsity student-athletes for the fall semester, Penn State Athletics officially opened the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex Monday. The facility, designed by DLR Group, provides varsity student-athletes across all 31 varsity sports with a centralized location for performance dining, wellness and recovery and academics. In addition to the Morgan Academic Center, the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex is now home to the newly completed Performance Dining Center and Wellness and Recovery Center.
Greenberg’s Performance Dining Center, located on the upper level, features a state-of-the-art dining center with a full-service commercial kitchen producing meals tailored to the fueling needed for varsity athletes to perform at the highest level. The dining spaces include quiet study areas, small team meeting rooms, a large communal gathering area and a sports lounge.
The lower level of the Greenberg Indoor Sport Complex houses a comprehensive athletics medicine and recovery suite. The space features prehabilitation, rehabilitation and recovery areas. Among the equipment available for student-athletes to utilize are a hydrotherapy pool, red light beds, dry float beds, hyberbaric chamber, massage chairs and therapy, saunas and zero gravity chair.
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The University of Houston kicks off the 2025 football season with the unveiling of its new Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center. DLR Group and architectural partner Page designed the 158,000-square-foot transformation. The $130 million project is multifaceted, comprising of an all-encompassing football development facility, new in-stadium premium hospitality offerings, a rooftop terrace, and a new videoboard. The three-story facility strategically frames the west end of TDECU Stadium, which creates an elite in-stadium gameday experience for all.
UH gave Eyewitness Sports a detailed look at the beautiful new Memorial Hermann Football Operations Center.
T.J. Meagher, Senior Athletics Director for Facilities, oversaw the construction of the $130 million facility, designed by DLR Group, which was finished ahead of schedule and on budget with two things in mind: the student athlete and efficiency.
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Pickleball continues to dominate the sports’ world. Following the opening of two hit Houston pickleball destinations, Drop Shots HTX and Solarium, a new pickleball facility has made its debut. As the city’s first dedicated indoor pickleball venue, Pickle Mania at Lyric Market offers seven climate-controlled courts, tournaments, professional-led clinics, and more.
Founded by Houston husband-and-wife team, TK and LaTonia Kent, Pickle Mania is the city’s newest pickleball destination. Located inside Downtown’s Lyric Market, the venue provides access to the market’s full bar and restaurant offerings.
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Athletic Business
stadium
27 August 20253 min readDaily Digs: Penn State Opens Indoor Sports Complex, Houston'S $130M Football Operations Center, And More!
Athletic Business
27 August 2025
stadium