Cavalier Corner is the publication just for UVa sports fans!
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1033271
OCTOBER 2018 15 goal, and it's going to be dependent on a lot of things, just like any other project of that size, including weather and fundraising. There are just many factors that impact a project of that size. However challenging this project might be for the athletics depart- ment, "it has to happen," Williams said. "We obviously want to be competi- tive," she added. "We want to compete for championships, and over time if there isn't a re-investment in the facilities and in the programs, the results become appar- ent. Virginia athletics is uniquely positioned, in part because of the outstanding academic reputation of the University, to reset the standard for not only college athletics in general but college foot- ball in particular." Even with aging facilities, UVA has fared well in most sports. In the Directors' Cup competition, which measures schools' per- formances in NCAA championships, Vir- ginia has finished in the top 25 nationally in each of the past 12 years. The Cavaliers recorded their best Direc- tors' Cup finish in 2009-10, when they were third. Virginia posted three consecutive top- 10 finishes before placing 19th in 2016-17. In 2017-18, UVA finished 21st. "Craig [Littlepage] hired some phenom- enal coaches, and that's where it starts," Williams said of her predecessor as AD. "But at some point there's only so much great coaches can do without facilities and an operating budget to support their efforts. And that's where we are." Many UVA teams will be inconvenienced in the short term. But the coaches whose teams will be affected understand the long- term needs of the athletics department. "We have a unique and once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to push UVA into the forefront of college athletics with this new master plan," head women's soccer coach Steve Swanson said. ZGF Architects, which has an office in Washington, D.C., will design the new facilities. The football operations center will feature a locker room, position rooms, a team meet- ing room, an equipment room, coaches' and staff offices, as well as areas for strength and conditioning, sports medicine, sports nutrition and video operations. Most of the teams that use U-Hall, Onesty Hall and the Cage will be based in the new Olympic sports center. The building will in- clude coaches' and staff offices, team areas, locker rooms, practice and training areas, a video operations center, areas for strength and conditioning and sports nutrition, and an equipment room. "I can't stress enough the importance of the new Olympic sports complex to the suc- cess of our program," head wrestling coach Steve Garland said. "We want to win at the highest level, and a facility like that positions us to compete with the most successful programs in our sport. More specifically, this building will be a game-changer in terms of recruiting for our program, while providing the best pos- sible training environment for our current student-athletes. As an alumnus and former competitor here at UVA, I can tell you that this facility will be something we can all be proud of for years to come." The Olympic sports facility also will be home to the Center for Citizen Leaders and Sports Ethics. This center will be part of a new comprehensive student development program that will col- laborate with the University's academic departments and centers to provide educa- tional opportunities in such areas as career, leadership and personal development as well as community engagement and aca- demic achievement. The master plan also aims to better con- nect Central Grounds and North Grounds for pedestrians. It includes a connection from the Lambeth area and the Goodwin Bridge to a plaza and a pedestrian prom- enade in the athletics precinct. "I am so incredibly thankful to the Uni- versity, and to the Board of Visitors, for ap- proving the plan," Williams said, "because it is transformational for UVA. Now, it is time to make it happen." "This project will enhance the brand of the institution while signaling to everyone in college athletics that football matters at Virginia." HEAD FOOTBALL COACH BRONCO MENDENHALL "It is an honor and a privilege for us to represent the University and the Commonwealth. The facilities master plan is our path forward and we simply cannot do it without the support of our donors." — UVA ATHLETICS DIRECTOR CARLA WILLIAMS PHOTO COURTESY UVA If you are interested in making a dona- tion, please call the Virginia Athletics Foundation at (800) 626-8723 or go to VirginiaAthleticsFoundation.com.