Cincinnati on Thursday released renderings for its coming indoor facility, with a groundbreaking ceremony to come on May 23.
The 84,000-square foot facility comes at a price tag of $134 million, with $88 million already raised from its Day One campaign, named as part of UC's initiative to be competitive in the Big 12 from -- you guessed it -- day one.
Cincinnati noted that funding was spearheaded by Larry and Rhonda Sheakley, who provided the "largest single gift in UC history." However, the school is still soliciting naming rights opportunities, so perhaps the largest gift in school history to get a state-of-the-art indoor facility built is not enough to get your name on the building.
"These new facilities are essential for us to compete for championships in the Big 12 and immediately help us level the playing field as we enter our new conference," said AD John Cunningham. "I want to thank President Pinto, our Board of Trustees and, of course, our generous donors, led by Larry and Rhonda Sheakley, for leading this project as we all work together to provide our student-athletes with the resources needed to have the best experiences on and off the field. The start of this project and the success of the Day One Campaign are crucial to our future success. May 23 will be an exciting day."
The facility will hold a 120-yard field, which will provide a year-round practice space for Cincinnati football while also hosting other Bearcat teams. It will also hold offices, nutrition stations, a dining hall, weight room, training room, and mental health services.
The renderings indicate the as-yet-unnamed facility will be one of the best looking of its kind.
The facility is scheduled to open in time for the 2025 football season.