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University of Colorado: Champions Center

  • 03/01/17

University of Colorado: Champions Center

The Champions Center is the exciting new home of the University of Colorado’s (UC) football program, Olympic sports and athletic department. Breaking ground in 2014, the largest renovation in the history of both Folsom Field and the Dal Ward Athletic Center was designed, constructed and ready for occupancy in just 14 months. Designed by Populous, the building is a seamless extension of the unique and historic architectural heritage integrated throughout the Boulder campus.

Integrated into the design, fans can now experience the exciting atmosphere of Folsom Field from the new indoor end zone club, or choose between one of the 40 private loge boxes or 500 club seats. The Champions Center also showcases new hospitality club spaces including a northeast corner terrace seating area, offering dramatic views of the Flatirons.

The 380,000-square-foot Champions Center contains amenities for student athletes to train, develop and study. It connects more than 10 collegiate sports teams and the university’s athletic administration in one unified complex and features the country’s first-ever net-zero indoor practice facility. The indoor practice facility prominently includes a full-size 100-yard artificial turf football field and 300-meter competition track, along with two levels of underground parking.

In addition, the Champions Center features one of the NCAA’s first truly integrated sports performance centers, the result of a partnership between the CU School of Medicine and Boulder Community Health. Open to the public, it includes doctor’s and trainer’s offices, hydrotherapy, rehabilitation space, MRI and other imaging services.

The final component of the Champions Center project, the Dal Ward Athletic Center, features state-of-the-art facilities, new locker rooms, lounge spaces and strength training to be utilized by the Olympic sports teams. The Herbst Academic Center for student-athletes was also expanded, and now offers a dedicated space for the Leadership Development Program so students can conveniently learn and study in the same building they train.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

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