University of Houston Athletics
Houston Athletics Facility Updates
2/7/2018 12:00:00 AM | General
HOUSTON -- Thanks to the generosity of Cougar Pride members, three new privately funded facility updates are underway as Houston Athletics facilities continue to reach Tier One levels. Construction on the Dominic & Ellen Ng Academic Center for Excellence, Cougar Den (a new student-athlete dining area and lounge) and the conversion of an outdoor football practice field from turf to natural grass are currently in progress.
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"We cannot thank our Cougar Pride members enough for their support of our student-athletes, on and off the field. Their support affects the lives and futures of more than 400 student-athletes on a daily basis," Houston Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman said. "We are especially appreciative of Dominic and Ellen Ng as our academic center will provide student-athletes a valuable resource in their pursuit of a degree from a Tier One university. These upgrades will touch our sport programs on both the academic and athletic sides as we continue to compete for championships while continuing our upward mobility on the academic side."
Dominic & Ellen Ng Academic Center for Excellence.
- Complete renovation of more than 9,000 square feet of existing Academic support space on the second floor of the Athletics/Alumni Center with a new clean modern architectural approach.
- Open floorplan with new glass entry area and reconfigured areas for student-athlete tutoring and group study complete with technology driven furniture amenities.
- Redesigned classroom placement to service small and large groups.
- New offices for student-athlete services personnel.
- The project is expected to be completed in August prior to the start of the fall semester.
Cougar Den
- Located in the northeast corner of the Athletics/Alumni Center's first floor, the 4,000-square foot student-athlete dining area and lounge will provide a striking entrance to the facility for both student-athletes and potential student-athletes.
- Dining area of Cougar Den will provide seating for approximately 100 student-athletes with a buffet service line and food staging area, giving Houston student-athletes the ability to stay properly nourished while training for their competition seasons.
- A soft-seating area with the ability to accommodate up to 20, the lounge area of Cougar Den will provide student-athletes with a location to decompress. The area will include multiple TVs and forms of entertainment that will also be used for a welcoming point for potential student-athletes.
- Construction is expected to be completed in June.
Field One Conversion
- With the newly-completed Indoor Practice Facility giving the Houston Football an additional synthetic turf field, the east field of the Houston Football Outdoor Practice Facility is being converted to a natural grass field to give student-athletes a continuous natural surface when training outside.
- The USGA sand-based field and TIF 419 playing surface is from King Ranch and will be installed by Athletic Field Specialist.
- The change will give the program two synthetic turf field and two natural grass fields.
