TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati Athletics Department announced on Monday the official naming of the new indoor facilities as the Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility and Sheakley Athletics Performance Center.
In appreciation of Larry and Rhonda Sheakley's generous support, the new state-of-the-art facility will bear their family's name.
The building will be the permanent home of Cincinnati Football and will be introduced with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 11.
Nearly two years after the groundbreaking ceremony, the $134 million Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility and Athletics Performance Center is set to transform Cincinnati Athletics and will be one of the premier facilities of its kind in the country. Recruiting top-tier student-athletes while retaining and developing current talent is the lifeblood of any college athletics program. This new facility has the potential to alter the trajectory of Bearcats Football and the athletic department as a whole and will provide student-athletes and staff with all of the tools necessary to elevate the program to new heights.
"Larry and Rhonda Sheakley have proven time and time again that they are deeply invested in the development and elevation of our athletics programs," University President Neville Pinto said. "Their unwavering generosity and belief in the power of college athletics continue to shape the future of our student-athletes, both on and off the field. We are grateful for their continued support and for their role in making the Sheakley Athletics Performance Center and the Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility a reality."
"Larry Sheakley's vision, generosity, and love for his hometown have shaped the trajectory of UC Athletics in ways that are hard to overstate," said Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham. "His belief in what this program could become—and what it could mean for the city of Cincinnati—has been at the heart of everything we've built. And Rhonda has been right there with him every step of the way, offering her own support and belief in what UC can accomplish. From helping push the move to the Big 12, to making the Indoor Practice Facility and Athletics Performance Center a reality, their impact has been game-changing."
The 84,000 square-foot Indoor Practice Facility features a 120-yard football field equipped for multiple sports. The field will provide an all-weather home for Cincinnati football practices and year-round workouts and have direct access to the Performance Center's weight room, training room and performance nutrition fueling stations.
The field will feature WiFi access and a remote-operated camera system for football as well as a scoreboard, cutting-edge sound system and a built-in Catapult technology system.
The 96,000 square-foot Performance Center features three levels that will provide nearly everything a student-athlete needs to get competition and practice ready in one place, including offices for the football program. Spaces will also be allocated to nutrition, recovery, mental health services, equipment, and more. There will be an athletics-only dining hall that will be open to all student-athletes as well, giving every team at Cincinnati a state-of-the-art place to refuel.
About Cincinnati Athletics:
The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics competes at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics with the vision to reach Next Level Success for all 18 varsity teams and more than 450 student-athletes. The Bearcats have a proud athletics history, winning eight national championships and 118 conference titles. The Cincinnati men's basketball team is among the 15 winningest programs all-time, while the football team became the first non-Power Five program to compete in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Jordan Thompson, NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Major League Baseball legend Sandy Koufax are among the several luminaries who have competed as Bearcats.
In 2023, the Bearcats entered a new era as a Power Four School when they officially joined the Big 12 Conference, positioning Cincinnati among the nation's premier athletics programs.
Off the field, UC student-athletes continue to find success, as well, collectively posting a 3.48 GPA in the fall of 2024 with 83 percent earning spots on the Honor Roll.
Under the leadership of Director of Athletics John Cunningham, and supported by more than 150 full-time staff members, UC Athletics' mission is to connect our community, enhance our university and impact the lives of student-athletes as they prepare to change the world on and off the field.
For more information visit gobearcats.com.
In appreciation of Larry and Rhonda Sheakley's generous support, the new state-of-the-art facility will bear their family's name.
The building will be the permanent home of Cincinnati Football and will be introduced with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 11.
Nearly two years after the groundbreaking ceremony, the $134 million Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility and Athletics Performance Center is set to transform Cincinnati Athletics and will be one of the premier facilities of its kind in the country. Recruiting top-tier student-athletes while retaining and developing current talent is the lifeblood of any college athletics program. This new facility has the potential to alter the trajectory of Bearcats Football and the athletic department as a whole and will provide student-athletes and staff with all of the tools necessary to elevate the program to new heights.
"Larry and Rhonda Sheakley have proven time and time again that they are deeply invested in the development and elevation of our athletics programs," University President Neville Pinto said. "Their unwavering generosity and belief in the power of college athletics continue to shape the future of our student-athletes, both on and off the field. We are grateful for their continued support and for their role in making the Sheakley Athletics Performance Center and the Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility a reality."
"Larry Sheakley's vision, generosity, and love for his hometown have shaped the trajectory of UC Athletics in ways that are hard to overstate," said Cincinnati Director of Athletics John Cunningham. "His belief in what this program could become—and what it could mean for the city of Cincinnati—has been at the heart of everything we've built. And Rhonda has been right there with him every step of the way, offering her own support and belief in what UC can accomplish. From helping push the move to the Big 12, to making the Indoor Practice Facility and Athletics Performance Center a reality, their impact has been game-changing."
The 84,000 square-foot Indoor Practice Facility features a 120-yard football field equipped for multiple sports. The field will provide an all-weather home for Cincinnati football practices and year-round workouts and have direct access to the Performance Center's weight room, training room and performance nutrition fueling stations.
The field will feature WiFi access and a remote-operated camera system for football as well as a scoreboard, cutting-edge sound system and a built-in Catapult technology system.
The 96,000 square-foot Performance Center features three levels that will provide nearly everything a student-athlete needs to get competition and practice ready in one place, including offices for the football program. Spaces will also be allocated to nutrition, recovery, mental health services, equipment, and more. There will be an athletics-only dining hall that will be open to all student-athletes as well, giving every team at Cincinnati a state-of-the-art place to refuel.
About Cincinnati Athletics:
The University of Cincinnati Department of Athletics competes at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics with the vision to reach Next Level Success for all 18 varsity teams and more than 450 student-athletes. The Bearcats have a proud athletics history, winning eight national championships and 118 conference titles. The Cincinnati men's basketball team is among the 15 winningest programs all-time, while the football team became the first non-Power Five program to compete in the College Football Playoff in 2021. Olympic gold medalist volleyball player Jordan Thompson, NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and Major League Baseball legend Sandy Koufax are among the several luminaries who have competed as Bearcats.
In 2023, the Bearcats entered a new era as a Power Four School when they officially joined the Big 12 Conference, positioning Cincinnati among the nation's premier athletics programs.
Off the field, UC student-athletes continue to find success, as well, collectively posting a 3.48 GPA in the fall of 2024 with 83 percent earning spots on the Honor Roll.
Under the leadership of Director of Athletics John Cunningham, and supported by more than 150 full-time staff members, UC Athletics' mission is to connect our community, enhance our university and impact the lives of student-athletes as they prepare to change the world on and off the field.
For more information visit gobearcats.com.