Creighton leaders celebrate Sports Performance Center groundbreaking
On Nov. 13 at the Ruth Scott Training Center, Creighton University leaders, partners, donors and friends celebrated the groundbreaking of the Sports Performance Center, an approximately 50,000-square-foot facility for the University’s 300 student-athletes, coaches and staff slated to open in 2027.
Part of Creighton’s $300 million Fly Together initiative, the Sports Performance Center will feature approximately 10,000 square feet of new strength and conditioning space, an outdoor training area, a dining hall catering to the specific nutritional needs of student-athletes, areas for academic advising, sports medicine and psychology services, and gathering spaces. (Learn more about the Sports Performance Center, and see renderings, here.)
“Today is an exciting moment for Creighton Athletics and our University,” said Marcus Blossom, McCormick Endowed Athletic Director. “It is a moment that reflects our shared vision, our commitment to our student-athletes, and our determination to build not only for the present, but for the future, as we celebrate the home of this beautiful Sports Performance Center — the crown jewel of what will become Creighton’s Athletic Village.”
Speakers at the groundbreaking event also included Creighton President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD; Brad Schmidt, athletic performance head coach; women’s basketball student-athlete Elizabeth Gentry; and Tim Gallagher, owner of GLGR, the creative experience agency that is working with Holland Basham Architects and Creighton to design the Sports Performance Center.
Father Hendrickson: “The Sports Performance Center is more than a building. Its design and the activities that will take place there reflect the value of cura personalis, caring for the whole person. Or, in this case, caring for the whole student-athlete."
"This matters because the student-athletes who come to Creighton seek more than athletic achievement. They seek rigorous academics, spaces that inspire, and opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. The center will be a place where talent meets purpose; competition is paired with character, and every student-athlete can grow not just as an athlete, but as a person.”
“The Athletic Village that contains the Sports Performance Center will build on our mission, focusing on the holistic, multifaceted formation of our students.”
Marcus Blossom: “This is truly a student-athlete-centered facility. When I arrived at Creighton more than four years ago, one of our first steps was to ask our student-athletes how we could improve their experience.”
“Their feedback was clear and consistent. Among the many suggestions we received, two stood out above the rest: 1. A need for more dedicated weight-room and strength and conditioning space. 2. Enhanced dining and nutritional services to support their academic and athletic demands. We heard them — loud and clear. And we responded.”
“This facility will elevate our ability to recruit and retain top student-athletes from across the country, and it will set Creighton apart in ways that few of our peers will be able to match.”
Brad Schmidt, athletic performance head coach: “Until now, all 300-plus of our student-athletes have shared a single weight room in the McDermott Center. That often meant starting workouts at 5 a.m. or finishing late into the evening. This new facility is going to change that for students, for me as a coach, and for all of us in Creighton Athletics.”
“This carefully and purposefully designed space brings everything together: weight training, rehab, nutrition, academic advising, and sports psychology. Having all of these resources under one roof allows us to help our athletes balance the intensity of their sport with their academic responsibilities. It’s where we can foster the culture we want at Creighton.”
Elizabeth Gentry, women’s basketball student-athlete: “I’m incredibly grateful for the ways this new Sports Performance Center will support me to be my best self, in so many ways. And I’m so grateful to the supporters who make this all possible — also for us to train, travel and compete at a high level without missing out on academic opportunities. I’m excited to see the new Sports Performance Center turn priceless moments into something even bigger, for me, my teammates, and all Bluejays to come.”
Tim Gallagher, owner of GLGR: “This new building is no doubt going to help with recruiting and retention, but it’s really made for all 300 student-athletes. It’s a building where you can get help with academics, mental health, nutrition, recovery and fitness all under one roof. It’s also a place where students can study, socialize and celebrate together, a building truly dedicated to the mind, the body and the spirit.”
“Creighton already has an amazing campus, amazing academics and amazing teams. This is another feather in the cap.”
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How the Sports Performance Center will help meet the needs of Creighton's 300 student-athletes
Creighton launches Fly Together with the largest gift in the University's history
