DAVIS, Calif. -  UC Davis announced today that a new landmark student-athlete performance center will be constructed on campus to benefit its intercollegiate athletics teams and other campus programs.

The development of the new center and expansion of health care services in Davis is part of a renewed commitment to the health of UC Davis students and the Davis community overall. The UC Davis Student-Athlete Performance Center will include training facilities, a sports medicine center, a home for academic support and the Aggie EVO System, athletic offices for multiple sport programs, and a multi-purpose natural grass practice field. The facility will be comprised of approximately 38,000 square feet of new building construction.  In addition, 16,000 square feet of existing space in the Bob Foster building will be renovated, and a new practice field will be built adjacent to the Center.

"This collaboration between UC Davis Athletics and UC Davis Health is a strong example of how we work together for the benefit of our students," Chancellor Gary S. May said. "I'm proud of the University's commitment to investing in health care services and sports medicine in Davis."
 
Approximately 90 percent of the expected $40M required for the construction project has been secured from a variety of sources. A generous gift by Bruce and Diane Edwards – the largest in UC Davis Athletics history – served as the lead private contribution. Bruce Edwards is a member of the Class of 1960 who played football and ran track for UC Davis.  Other seven-figure contributions were made by Bruce and Marie West and Mike and Renee Child, devoted supporters of UC Davis who have served in a number of volunteer leadership positions with Intercollegiate Athletics and the UC Davis Foundation. In addition, multiple six-figure gifts were made during the quiet phase of fundraising.
 
As part of the expanded partnership between UC Davis Athletics and UC Davis Health, Aggie Stadium will be renamed UC Davis Health Stadium on August 1, 2019 for a period of 20 years. UC Davis Health will also become the exclusive health category advertiser and provider of healthcare services to student-athletes in the performance center. In addition, UC Davis Health is evaluating ways to provide additional medical services to students, faculty, staff, and the Davis community overall from within the Performance Center footprint and other Davis community locations.
 
"We are pleased to partner with our generous donors, UC Davis Health, and campus administration to construct a facility that will have a transformational impact. The Student-Athlete Performance Center will help us meet existing programmatic needs, enhance the quality of services that we are able to provide our student-athletes, and further propel the overall upward trajectory of our athletics program," said UC Davis Athletics Director Dr. Kevin Blue.
 
"As the top-ranked health system in the Sacramento area, it's important that we reaffirm our focus on taking care of our family, including our students, faculty, staff and the Davis community," said David Lubarsky, Vice Chancellor of Human Health Sciences and CEO of UC Davis Health. "This is the first step toward an increased profile for UC Davis Health on the Davis campus and in the Davis community.  We're going to be expanding our commitment to services on our campus through an enhanced sports medicine practice and other health services, not just for student athletes, but for students and any active adults in the Davis area."

 In the last year, the UC Davis sports medicine program has been expanding, including the hiring of Jeremiah Ray, MD, as Head Team Physician for all 25 intercollegiate athletic teams.  Dr. Ray is one several UC Davis Health physicians practicing sports medicine, including Dr. Cassandra Lee (Head Orthopedic Surgeon), Dr. Richard Marder (Director of Sports Medicine Services), and Dr. Jeffrey Tanji (Co-Director of Sports Medicine) leading a team of more than a dozen other sports medicine physicians.
 
Last December, UC Davis Health medical residents began participating in first electives for college sports medicine.  The program has now evolved into a full-time fellowship, training physicians to become the next generation of cutting-edge sports medicine doctors.  Ultimately, Dr. Ray's goal is to have both undergraduate and graduate programs involved in sports medicine, conducting research, executing high-quality studies and publishing data that informs athletics programs at other universities.

The UC Davis Student-Athlete Performance Center will create several ancillary benefits for the university. For example, its multi-use auditorium will be used for undergraduate instruction. The Cowell office building, currently occupied by Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA) staff and coaches, will become available for other university functions, providing much needed office space within the central campus corridor. In addition, the weight room within the performance center will be made available to UC Davis Club Sport teams for use outside of ICA training hours.

The project will break ground in early 2019, starting with construction of the practice field. Construction will begin on the Performance Center buildings upon completion of fundraising.

The tradition of tailgating before football games will continue. Several new options for tailgating are being evaluated, and more information will be available for fans in the coming months.
 
About UC Davis Health
UC Davis Health harnesses the power of an entire university's nationally-ranked resources and research to tackle the most pressing health care issues facing the world today. UC Davis Health's clinicians and researchers include partners working in the world's best School of Veterinary Medicine, the nation's best School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, one of the nation's best Colleges of Biological Sciences, and one of the nation's best Colleges of Engineering – all from within one of the top five 'Best Public Universities' in the entire United States.  As the region's only academic health center, UC Davis Health is focused on discovering and sharing knowledge, and providing the highest quality of care. UC Davis Health is a hub of innovation that encompasses UC Davis Medical Center, UC Davis School of Medicine, The Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing at UC Davis and UC Davis Clinical Care Network.