CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

Arizona Athletics strives to be one of the nation’s top athletics departments through a championship experience in three areas; academics, athletics and personal development. To accomplish our athletic goals, it is crucial that we provide first-class facilities for both our student-athletes and fans. By contributing to the capital campaign, you are directly supporting our programs and our nearly 500 student-athletes as we compete in the Pac-12 and nationally. Your support makes a difference in producing a first-class experience for current and future Wildcats and we thank you for your commitment to Arizona Athletics.

“We’re excited to share details and renderings of the current facility projects and this landing page provides a comprehensive look in one convenient place. These five projects will address some long-standing needs, and at the same time, will improve the experience for virtually all of our student-athletes. I want to thank everyone involved in helping this come to fruition, as I know it’s been a long time coming. This is just the start of what we hope will be a transformational period for our facilities, but we’ll need the continued support of our fans and donors to address the remainder of our needs moving forward.”

- Director of Athletics Dave Heeke

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General

  • On September 28, 2018, the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) approved four athletics department facility projects as part of the UA's Capital Improvement Plan – the East side of Arizona Stadium, Hillenbrand Aquatic Center, Hillenbrand Softball Stadium and the Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center.
  • Project budget for the combined cost of the four projects is $66 million.
  • Projects will be funded through a combination of private donations and the newly implemented student fee.

PROJECTS

Arizona Stadium - East Phase I

Arizona Stadium - East Phase I

  • Project budget is $25 million
  • Construction currently under way and set to be completed by the start of the 2018 football season
  • New restroom and concession facilities
  • Lower concourse access from south end zone seating to new east side amenities
  • Renovating ZonaZoo seating, lower east side concourse, and gate entry
  • A second phase is anticipated to provide renovations including seating, additional concessions and restroom upgrades to other areas of the stadium. Construction is expected to commence in January 2019 and be completed in time for the 2019 football season.

Watch the construction live here!

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Hillenbrand Aquatic Center

Hillenbrand Aquatic Center

  • Project budget is $15 million
  • Construction is currently under way with an anticipated completion date in Jan. 2019
  • Rebuild and expand the 50-meter pool to 65 meters, including the old diving well
  • Increase the number of 25-yard short course lanes from 18 to 22
  • Replace and significantly upgrade the pump and plumbing infrastructure
  • New chemical and filtration infrastructure and storage
  • Starting April 1 with a goal of being completed by Jan. 1

Watch the construction live here!

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Hillenbrand Softball Stadium

Hillenbrand Softball Stadium

  • Project budget is $8 million
  • We have an incremental Hillenbrand Stadium project enhancements campaign goal of $2.7m.
  • We’re excited to have great momentum and have raised $700k (as of April 30), and we now need to raise an additional $2m.
  • The $700k (as of April 30) already raised has been used for affiliated project costs that have allowed us to advance the project and begin renovations on June 1, 2018.
  • The design phase is currently under way with an anticipated construction start date in June 2018 and set to be completed for the 2019 softball season
  • Renovations to press box and the seating map (For instance, the number of seats in rows may change.)
  • We will do our best to accommodate everyone with the same or similar seating as they may have had in the past.
  • We anticipate an increase in ticket prices to help support the renovation project.
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Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center

Cole and Jeannie Davis Sports Center

  • Project budget $18 million
  • Construction is currently under way with an anticipated completion date Dec. 2018
  • Located on the former site of Kindall-Sancet Stadium adjacent to National Championship Dr.
  • 90-yard field with a 10-yard end zone, and ceiling height of 65 feet
  • Full-width, climate-controlled multipurpose facility for each of Arizona's programs to utilize for training and conditioning amongst other opportunities, while also serving as a gameday hospitality area.
  • A monument honoring the two former Arizona Baseball coaching legends and the former Arizona Baseball stadium is planned. Design and details are still being finalized.
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McKale Center Locker Rooms

McKale Center Locker Rooms

  • Project budget $1.9 million which includes a new media interview/work area
  • Construction is currently under way with an anticipated completion date in Aug. 2018
  • Working in the lower concourse in the old academic and lab-space area
  • New locker rooms for men's golf, soccer, men's tennis, and women's track and field/xc
  • Remodeled locker rooms for women's swimming and diving and men's track and field/xc
  • Starting on March 26 with a goal of being completed by Aug. 1
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Future Projects

Future Projects

  • ICA will continue looking at future projects that would enhance our golf programs, soccer, tennis, and track and field, while looking at further upgrades to Arizona Stadium, Hi-Corbett and McKale.
  • We will continue to be aggressive in modernizing our facilities.
  • We have a lot we want to address and your support through Wildcat Club membership and attending our events goes a long way to making that happen.
  • For more information on the Capital Campaign and how to get involved please contact the Wildcat Club by phone at (520) 621-2582 or eMail at wildcatclub@arizona.edu.
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A CRITICALLY IMPORTANT STRATEGY FOR ARIZONA ATHLETICS

  • The capital campaign is essential for building new and renovating current facilities, while supporting our ability to upgrade and properly maintain current facilities with the goal of remaining competitive in the Pac-12 and nationally.
  • While some athletics departments spend lavishly on overdone facilities, our goal is to provide student-athletes with the amenities they need to maximize their potential, while remaining fiscally responsible in the process.
  • Strategically, we have been forward thinking in order to make significant down payments, while borrowing at historically low interest rates, which has allowed us to complete projects in a timely fashion.
  • Think of debt service the way you would a mortgage. Building and renovating facilities is done in much the same fashion.
  • In order to ensure the fiscal responsibility we require, we are shrewd when venturing into projects that require debt service in order to maximize the resources we have, while minimizing the amount of debt we must service.

QUESTIONS?

For more information on the Capital Campaign and how to get involved:

  • Call the Wildcat Club at (520) 621-2582
  • Email us at wildcatclub@arizona.edu
  • Click here

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CURRENT CAPITAL CAMPAIGN FUNDS USE:

  • McKale Center Renovation
  • Lowell-Stevens Football Facility
  • Richard Jefferson Gymnasium
  • Kasser Family Pool
  • Mary Roby Gymnastics Center
  • Eddie Lynch Pavilion
  • Jim Click Hall of Champions
  • Estes Family Strength and Conditioning Center
  • Kasser Sports Medicine Center

BENEFITS OF GIVING

  • It is the most important fundraising priority for Arizona Athletics as it improves recruiting, enhances the student-athlete experience and creates a superior fan experience.
  • Earn 2 priority points for every $100 of donations to Capital Campaign, compared to 1 point per every $100 for priority.
  • Donor recognition for gifts of $25K or more.
  • Gift can help increase gift club level and corresponding benefits each year.
  • Potential naming opportunities based on the amount of the gift.

WHY INVEST IN ATHLETICS FACILITIES?

Intercollegiate Athletics is highly competitive and the University of Arizona has seen the need to improve our facilities in order to:

  • Recruit elite-level student-athletes
  • Recruit and hire coaches and staff

The investment in our facilities enhances our student-athlete experience by providing them with championship-level locker rooms, first-class academic services and state-of-the-art training facilities.

We must enhance the value and facility amenities for our donors and season ticket holders.
Maintaining a high football and basketball season ticket renewal rate and attracting new season ticket holders and donors is critical to all 20 sports programs.

We need to continue to maximize the fan experience to ensure they will attend our games in-person rather than watch them on TV.