In 1999, the University of Connecticut began the transition to NCAA Division I-A football competition. As part of the transition, the athletic department needed to make significant upgrades to nearly every program’s facilities.
To compete in the tough collegiate football recruiting game, UConn recognized the importance of having an on-campus football presence (its stadium is 30 miles away). The site selected placed the building within a valley on campus flanked by numerous athletics buildings, and given the natural topography of the site and the facility’s need to be the foundation for the future of UConn football, the facility was likened to a rock within the valley’s stream. Brick, metal panels and expanses of glass, along with a total of 17 different roof planes, allow the building to glisten in certain areas and retreat in others, mimicking the various edges, angles and textures imagined in the "rock in a stream" concept.
The Husky football team now trains, conditions, practices, studies, eats and relaxes under one roof. Among other elements, the project features an indoor practice facility with a 120-yard-long playing surface, an 18,000-square foot strength and conditioning area, meeting rooms with state-of- the-art video capabilities, large locker rooms and coaches’ offices, a strength training facility, a memorabilia display and an academic support area.