Facility Friday: Rays Stadium Renderings, Audi Field

The Tampa Bay Rays unveiled renderings of a proposed stadium in Ybor City, Fla. At an estimated cost of $892 million (including the ballpark and related infrastructure), plans call for seating for 28,216, and a unique translucent roof. Kansas City-based firm Populous provided designs for the facility. — Tampa Bay Times

Tampa Bay’s future ballpark. https://t.co/d1hyjfsnxK
#RaysUp pic.twitter.com/jPDlNDD6cs

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) July 10, 2018

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on Monday to celebrate the opening of Audi Field, the new home of MLS club D.C. United. The soccer-specific venue has a seating capacity of 20,000, and becomes the league’s 19th sport-specific venue. The club begins play in the new stadium on Saturday, when the United welcome Vancouver Whitecaps FC. — The Washington Post

Ribbon's cut. Stage is set.

@AudiField is ready for @dcunited. #UnitedAtHomehttps://t.co/e6Ae69VkLA

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 11, 2018

The University of Colorado Denver celebrated the opening of it’s new Lola and Bob Salazar Student Wellness Center on Wednesday. The 85,000-square-foot facility offers students space to lounge, study and exercise. Notable features include a three-court gymnasium, a six-lane pool, group fitness studios, weight and cardio training space and a 38-foot climbing wall. The school showed off the space in a video tour. — ucdenver.edu

Northwest Florida State College broke ground this week on an indoor practice facility to host the school’s baseball and softball programs. The 10,000-square-foot space will feature five all-purpose tunnels with safety netting, artificial turf and LED lighting. — Northwest Florida Daily News

The new football operations facility at the University of South Carolina is still under construction, but it already has a name. The $50 million project will be dubbed the Cyndi and Kenneth Long Family Football Operations Center, the school announced in a video. When complete, the facility will feature recreation space for video games and basketball, a barber shop, a movie room and a two-story weight room with direct access to the practice fields. — The State

Today is a special day! @CoachWMuschamp, @RayTannerSC and all of us express our gratitude to a special family whose generosity has given our new home a name! pic.twitter.com/ugrS5GLQfG

— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) July 11, 2018