CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — Barton Malow team members recently celebrated two notable milestones that will help advance the University of Virginia’s (UVA) master athletics plan. First, team members marked the topping out of UVA’s new $80 million Football Operations Center and then took a quick walk to celebrate the groundbreaking on the site of the nearby campus Olympic Sports Complex.

This “doubleheader” ceremony featured various speakers, including Virginia Athletic Director Carla Williams, Virginia Head Football Coach Tony Elliott, Virginia Women’s Rowing Head Coach Kevin Sauer, and Virginia Discus Thrower Ashley Anumba, among others. The milestones attracted a crowd of more than 100 student-athletes, donors, university staff, and members of the design and construction teams.

The final beam of the 90,000-square-foot Football Operations Center was raised with signatures from each member of the UVA football team, emphasizing the excitement surrounding the new facility from both current athletes and prospects alike.

“This building is going to change the lives of our current student-athletes and future student-athletes immensely,” Elliott said. “The new facility will provide our student-athletes with an experience that is second to none. The new facility is going to create a place where our student-athletes can prepare efficiently and effectively develop so they can perform at a high level; [where they have] the ability to have safe, efficient access to nutrition, sports medicine, strength, and conditioning; [and where] student-athletes [can] truly bond and grow as teammates and friends. We are so excited about the new facility and the direct impact that it’s going to make on our programs and give us the ability to reach our full potential.”

As the name suggests, the Football Operations Center will primarily serve the university’s football program, while the Olympics Sports Complex will offer training and support spaces for student-athletes across a variety of Olympic sports.

“We’ve got 800 [athletes in] over 27 sports, and we want to make sure that all of them have an opportunity to reach their maximum potential here,” Williams said. “Having the best facilities in order to do that is a great start. And it’s not just a facility that’s going to help them athletically it’s going to help them with their academic support career development, professional development, and leadership development. It’s a holistic approach to student-athletes.”

The expected completion dates for the Football Operations Center and Olympic Sports Complex are spring 2024 and fall 2025, respectively.