Board of Trustees Approve Chippewa Champions Alumni Center

The Central Michigan University Board of Trustees has approved the Chippewa Champions Alumni Center, a transformational project that will fill critical needs for the university community and support student success.

The building will become the new home of Advancement, Alumni Relations, Athletics and will include space that will serve as a welcome center. It will create an inspiring environment for students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff.

"I want to thank our Board of Trustees for making this project a reality, not just for Athletics, but for the entire university," Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Michael Alford said. "I also appreciate the support of our donors and campus partners because without their trust and investment in this project, it would not be possible. We generated substantial outside revenue this past year, and it is only the beginning. We will continue to fundraise for this project to move CMU forward."

The center will allow Advancement and Alumni Relations staff to host guests in a setting that showcases the opportunities available at CMU and paints a picture of how donor support has a direct impact on students. The space that will serve as a welcome center will be open year-round to greet campus guests, including prospective students and families.

The venue will fill a campus need for meeting and event space that will be available to faculty, students and staff.

"As we work to meet the aggressive goals outlined in our capital campaign, this project provided the platform needed to generate critical fundraising dollars," Vice President for Advancement Bob Martin said. "This project will give us a marquee location to rally the immense pride of our alumni and turn it into revenue that will support all of our colleges and student success programs."

Alford said the new facility also will improve Central Michigan Athletics' wellness program, which has been a recent focus of the department. The center will be the primary wellness facility and service all 480 student-athletes. This includes space for sports medicine, strength and conditioning and nutrition.

The wellness areas also will deliver state-of-the-art training experiences for students enrolled in The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions and the College of Medicine.

"We all want what is best for our student-athletes and this project helps us accomplish that," head softball coach Margo Jonker said. "Student-athlete wellness must be a primary focus for our department. Other elements of the project will help in recruiting, team development and alumni engagement. I have been fortunate to see the effects of other capital projects like the Indoor Athletic Complex and our softball stadium, and I know the lasting, positive impact this endeavor will have."

The Chippewa Champions Alumni Center will be located on the north end of Kelly/Shorts Stadium and be the primary home of CMU football. Included in the building will be team locker rooms, coaches' offices and meeting rooms. The program's current facility was built in 1972 and is one of the oldest in the Mid-American Conference.

"This project will allow our us to remain an elite program in the Mid-American Conference," football head coach John Bonamego said. "It will help us recruit outstanding student-athletes, provide them with excellent facilities while they are here and make our alumni proud when they come back. If you look at our tradition, from Herb Deromedi and Roy Kramer to the 1974 National Champions and Dan LeFevour, we have been synonymous with the best in our conference. The Chippewa Champions Alumni Center continues that."

The project also will include a new, freestanding video board at the south end of Kelly/Shorts Stadium, which will enhance the game day experience for all fans. The stadium sound system also will be replaced.

"The Chippewa Champions Alumni Center has student-athletes excited, but it's more than a place for them," women's basketball forward Reyna Frost said. "It's where alumni can come back to learn more about what is happening at CMU. It should help recruit athletes and other students. This is another way of showing we're about excelling.

The project will now enter design and development phase and a construction manager will be selected through a bid process. These steps will lead to the determination of the project timeline.

CMU alumni and friends interested in hearing more and contributing to the construction of the Chippewa Champions Center can contact the Chippewa Athletic Fund office at 989-774-6680.

Central Michigan University Athletics

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