Syracuse University approves new football wing and Olympic sports center

Syracuse Orange student-athletes will soon have access to upgraded practice and rehab facilities. The Lally Athletics Complex, SU’s new hub for training and recovery, will continue construction with two major additions: a new football operations center and shared space for all ‘Cuse athletes.

The new football wing was first announced in a campus-wide email sent earlier this month, with plans to be completed in December 2024. The current Iocolano-Petty Football Complex will gradually be demolished as the new football operations center is built. This portion of the project will add increased sports medicine space, a larger team cafeteria and nutrition space, a new locker room, position meeting rooms, and coaches’ offices. Additionally, there will be new space dedicated specifically for recruiting visits.

The “One Team” Olympic Sports Center will be at the center of the complex, between the Melo Basketball Center and the football wing. This space will feature an additional sports medicine center, lounges, and food options accessible by all Orange student-athletes.

“Syracuse University is committed to excellence in every aspect of the student experience,” Chancellor Kent Syverud said. “For our student-athletes, that means providing them with the kind of environment that supports excellence on and off the fields of play. That’s the aspirational vision for the Lally Athletics Complex and it’s exciting to see it move forward with the support it deserves.”

SU held a ribbon-cutting ceremony back in February for a new entranceway, but the remainder of Phase 1 will directly impact the resources available to Orange players across every sport.

Once these athletic upgrades are completed, Phase 2 will focus on academic enhancements such as a support program, tutoring space, career counseling, and mental health services.

(Ed note: We plan to look at the facilities for ACC football programs this summer, which should highlight how important this project is for the Orange.)