University of Colorado: Champions Center

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 .

Featured

  • concentric silhouettes of a human head

    How Physical Space Shapes the Mind: Designing for Better Learning Outcomes

    Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience increasingly suggests that the way a room is designed can influence memory, focus, or even a student's sense of belonging.

  • Different Starting Points, Same End Goal

    Higher education campuses can enhance student experience by implementing mobile credentials to streamline building access, on-campus payments, and access to other amenities. This enables students to connect to their campuses through the technology they use most: their mobile devices.

  • sapling sprouting from a cracked stone

    Lessons in Resilience: Disaster Recovery in Our Schools

    Facility managers play a pivotal role in how well a school weathers and recovers from a crisis. Whether it's a hurricane, a flood, a tornado, or a man-made event, preparation determines resilience.

  • Construction Begins on East Austin CTE-Focused High School

    The Del Valle Independent School District recently announced that construction has begun on a new CTE-focused high school in Austin, Texas, according to a news release. Del Valle High School will measure in at 473,338 square feet and have the capacity for 2,400 students.

Digital Edition