Members of the Princeton University community gathered at the University’s new Meadows Neighborhood on April 25 to celebrate the dedication of athletics facilities made possible by a series of gifts to the Venture Forward campaign. The new state-of-the-art facilities support the University’s commitment to athletics and recreation.
The full day of dedications featured five ceremonies with ribbon-cuttings, “chalk talks” with six Princeton head coaches, tours of the Meadows Neighborhood, a convening luncheon, afternoon gatherings with related Athletic Friends Groups and a closing reception.
“In designing this athletic hub, we had the chance to innovate by incorporating elements that support achievement holistically, including sports medicine, nutrition and community-building,” President Christopher L. Eisgruber ’83 said at the luncheon. “I’m confident that these new fitness, training and competition spaces will greatly enhance the experience of our student-athletes, their coaches and all who cheer them on.”
The centerpiece of the new athletics hub is the Racquet and Recreation Fieldhouse, a 180,000 square-foot complex that includes athletic performance and sports medicine facilities, a student-athlete lounge, team locker rooms and coaches’ offices, and the new Wilkinson Fitness Center that is open to the entire University community. Since opening its doors on Nov. 4, the fieldhouse has been home to Princeton’s varsity squash, tennis, softball and women’s rugby teams as well as a base for numerous club teams and intramural sports. [Princeton University]
The Kentucky National Guard partnered with the University of Kentucky to support the reopening of Memorial Coliseum during a ceremony, April 26, 2025. The event marked the completion of an $82 million renovation, preserving the historic character of the facility while incorporating modern upgrades. The ceremony served as a tribute to legacy, service, and community, with the Guard playing a prominent role in honoring the building’s original dedication to fallen service members.
Originally dedicated in 1950 to honor Kentuckians who died while serving in World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts, Memorial Coliseum has long stood as a symbol of sacrifice and remembrance. Its reopening brought a deep sense of reflection and reverence, highlighted by the presence of the Kentucky Army National Guard’s 138th Field Artillery Brigade and the 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade.
Col. Mark Roland, a veteran and Gold Star father, addressed the crowd during the ceremony, offering a personal reflection on courage and sacrifice telling the story of how his son fell in battle, further highlighting the significance of the day. [DVIDS]
The Nevada athletic department has been one of the biggest public proponents of the proposed Grand Sierra Resort Arena, which will go before a final vote for approval Wednesday during the Reno Redevelopment Agency Board's meeting.
Wolf Pack athletic director Stephanie Rempe and university president Brian Sandoval have each called the $435 million arena "transformational" for Nevada athletics and the university. Rempe was asked during an appearance on NSN Tonight this week how it would transform the university.
"Well, there's a lot of things that it does for us," Rempe said. "Some of the things are the day-to-day stuff that people struggle with when we play at Lawlor, whether it's traffic or parking. There is the food and beverage experience that GSR will be aligned and be providing that will be exceptional. The in-game experience. Lawlor hasn't been touched in so many years. And so having a state-of-the-art sound system, video boards, all of that in terms of the game experience." [NSN]
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