The new home for Creighton women’s volleyball and basketball programs, D.J. Sokol Arena seats 2,950 for both sports. The larger facility in which it is located, Wayne and Eileen Ryan Athletic Center, includes coaches’ offices, locker rooms, ticket offices, athletic training spaces, meeting rooms and a media workroom. Located adjacent to the soccer stadium, the athletic center features team facilities and coaches’ offices for Creighton’s men’s and women’s soccer teams. The arena will also be used for other campus and community events, including campus assemblies, coaching camps/clinics, concerts and speakers.
The building’s design matches the campus’s prevalent collegiate gothic style. The arena was specifically designed to recall the great traditions of collegiate athletics — strong rivalries played out on a grand but intimate stage, with fans loudly cheering on their respective teams.
The building has also been designed with the campus’s future in mind. As the university relocates current athletics venues from the heart of campus, additional sports, including baseball and softball, will be headquartered in the building. A student fitness center and indoor field house is being designed for the site to the east of the Ryan Center, and practice baseball and competition softball fields are planned to the north.