Regents Approve $67.5M Privately Funded Capital Projects at UNO for Omaha Athletics

The University of Nebraska System Board of Regents has approved the next phase of the Athletics Campus Masterplan located south of Center Street, which includes the development of two transformative projects that will be privately funded, modernizing the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s athletic facilities and elevating Omaha Athletics as a rising national power among NCAA Division I programs.

The projects — a state-of-the-art Omaha Athletics Training Facility and a new Omaha Athletics Baseball and Softball Clubhouse — would represent a fully philanthropic, $67.5 million investment in the holistic student-athlete experience.

• Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., University of Nebraska System President: “These projects are powered by visionary philanthropic leadership, a committed community, and responsible financial stewardship that ensures long-term sustainability. Omaha Athletics is clearly a program on the rise. Now, it will have the facilities that match that trajectory and reflect the high standards of the University of Nebraska System and the community it proudly represents.”

• Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, UNO Chancellor: “These projects embody the Maverick mindset and spirit of service of Howard Hawks that inspire us to stay on the cutting edge for the benefit of our university, our community, and our state. Omaha deserves a successful NCAA Division I public institution that competes on its behalf on a national stage and shares our story with the world. That all starts with creating facilities that place us alongside national powerhouses.

• Adrian Dowell, UNO Vice Chancellor / Director of Athletics: “This is a pivotal moment for the future of Omaha Athletics, one that this community will look back on as a turning point when our institution became a national competitive force. These new projects, and our entire capital footprint, are the result of decades of commitment from coaches, student athletes, fans, and vision of transformative philanthropic leaders in our community, like Howard Hawks, whose family has propelled Omaha Athletics forward. This is their victory as much as it is ours. Once completed, these projects will give us a competitive edge to recruit, develop, retain, and graduate exceptional talent.”

Project Highlights

Omaha Athletics has achieved unprecedented success over the past four years. Maverick teams have competed in 17 conference championship games, captured 11 conference titles, and made eight NCAA tournament appearances. This includes the Men’s Basketball program’s first-ever conference titles and March Madness appearance earlier this year and Softball’s three consecutive conference championships and NCAA tournament appearances.

With this momentum comes the need for infrastructure that will help Omaha Athletics sustain its success, build on it, and elevate its national competitiveness. Additional funds for the project will be secured in the coming months.

Once completed, the Baseball, Softball, Basketball, Volleyball, and Hockey programs will have a dedicated hub on UNO’s campus, allowing Sapp Fieldhouse’s continued use for Olympic sports programming.

Omaha Athletics Training Facility

Conceptual rendering of the Omaha Athletics Training Facility’s exterior. Photo: Omaha Athletics.

Located just east of Baxter Arena and connected by an elevated skywalk, the Omaha Athletics Training Facility will be the new hub of Maverick Athletics.

Designed as a centralized hub for Omaha Athletics, the facility will combine modern practice courts, student-athlete areas, strength and performance spaces, mental health and nutrition zones, academic support, and community event areas, replacing much of the current programming taking place in Sapp Fieldhouse and elevating the student-athlete experience at UNO. The facility will also house athletic and academic partnerships, such as Biomechanics and Health and Kinesiology.

The addition of the Omaha Athletics Training Facility will allow Baxter Arena to be used more strategically by increasing operational efficiencies and cost effectiveness with the addition of new revenue generating event opportunities. It will eliminate the current need of frequent and costly conversions of Baxter Arena’s main floor for Hockey, Basketball, and Volleyball practices and games. Also included in the facility is the ability to flex one of the two gyms for competitions and events. In alignment with UNO’s strategic core pillar of community engagement, the facility is intentionally designed to serve not only student-athletes, but also the broader Omaha community, creating new opportunities for shared events and collaborative partnerships that strengthens the connection between campus and city.

Timeline: Initial scheduled construction beginning in 2026; occupancy by 2028.

Key Features:

• Two practice courts, including a flex-use 1,300-seat competition court.
• Locker rooms and lounges for the men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball programs.
• Integrated strength and conditioning, sports science, hydrotherapy, nutrition, and mental health zones for eight sport programs.
• Dedicated academic and life-skills spaces for tutoring and career development.
• Event-ready design with direct Baxter Arena access via skywalk.

Size: 75,000+ total square feet.

Project Cost: $55 million

Omaha Athletics Baseball and Softball Clubhouse

Conceptual rendering of the Omaha Athletics Baseball and Softball Clubhouse’s exterior. Photo: Omaha Athletics.

Tucked into the hillside at Maverick Park overlooking Connie Claussen Field and Tal Anderson Field, the new Baseball and Softball Clubhouse will become the daily home base for Maverick Baseball and Softball.

Purpose-built to support team operations, recovery, and culture, the two-story clubhouse will bring student-athletes, coaches, and staff under one roof for the first time in school history—enhancing performance, streamlining logistics, and completing the vision for a unified athletics corridor at Maverick Park.

Timeline: Initially scheduled construction beginning in 2026; occupancy by 2027.

Key Features:

• Sport-specific locker rooms and team lounges.
• Athletics Training and Sports Medicine area.
• Meeting spaces, coaches’ offices, pitching and batting cages, sports science, and equipment storage.
• On-site amenities adjacent to Maverick Park competition venues.

Size: 19,000+ total square feet.

Project Cost: $12.5 million

Institutional Impact

A demonstration of the UNO Pitching Lab housed in the Health Science Collaborative. Photo: UNO Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications.

These projects reflect the core pillars of UNO’s Strategic Framework and mission as a Carnegie Doctoral Research and metropolitan university of distinction:

• Educating All Learners: With a focus on wellness, academics, and life skills.
• Pragmatic Research and Discovery: Supporting interdisciplinary excellence in athletics and academics.
• Community Partnerships: Offering spaces for public events and engagement.
• Workforce and Economic Development: Positioning Omaha Athletics as a pipeline of talent, leadership, and visibility for the region.
• These facilities will amplify what’s already working: a strategic, student-first model rooted in academic excellence and community engagement.

What Coaches are Saying

The Omaha Men's Basketball team celebrates its 2025 Summit League conference championship game victory over St. Thomas in Sioux Falls in March 2025. Photo: Omaha Athletics.

Matt Buttermore, Volleyball Head Coach: “For our team, having dedicated practice space, state-of-the-art performance areas and our own spaces all connected to Baxter Arena is transformational. This project gives our student-athletes the daily environment they deserve, one that supports elite training, academic success, and holistic development. This places our program in rare company nationally, including among power programs. It’s a foundational step toward competing with anyone, anywhere.”

Jamie Carey, Women’s Basketball Head Coach: “This facility is a true game changer for our program and for every student-athlete at Omaha. The integrated training, academic, wellness and development spaces show a commitment that aligns with the biggest names in college basketball. It sends a powerful message to recruits and our current players that we’re building the infrastructure on and off the court to position our team for success for years to come.”

Chris Crutchfield, Men’s Basketball Head Coach: “Our recent March Madness success proved what this program is capable of and this new facility is going to elevate that momentum even further. Having premier practice courts, performance spaces and student-athlete resources all under one roof puts us in the same conversation as the nation’s top programs. This is a game-changing investment that will help us recruit, develop and win at a championship level for years to come at my alma mater.”

Mike Gabinet, Hockey Head Coach: “Having world-class student-athlete development and wellness spaces directly connected to our primary home and practice facility at Baxter Arena is a massive advantage for Omaha Hockey and gives me incredible pride as an alum. The ability for our players to access integrated strength, physical therapy, nutrition, mental health and academic resources now without leaving the area surrounding Baxter Arena is the kind of infrastructure you see at national powers. This project will elevate our daily standards and help our student-athletes reach their full potential on the ice and beyond.”

Mike Heard, Softball Head Coach: “This clubhouse is going to redefine what daily life looks like for Omaha Softball. Having our own locker room, meeting spaces, recovery areas and year-round indoor hitting and pitching areas is an absolute game changer. It gives our student-athletes the resources and environment to continue to be one of the top programs in Division I. This investment shows that Omaha and our community are committed to maintaining our championship standard and our team couldn’t be more energized.”

Evan Porter, Baseball Head Coach: “The new clubhouse at Maverick Park is a once-in-a-generation leap forward for Omaha Baseball. For the first time, our players, coaches and staff will share a true home. Finishing this facility puts us on par with the top programs in college baseball. It gives me tremendous pride as an alum to see how far we have come as a program since my days competing at Seymour Smith Field. Our new clubhouse will immediately impact how we train, how we operate and how we recruit.”