James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center
Estimated Timeline
| Construction Start | June 2020 |
| Goal for completion | Spring 2022 |
Partners
| Architects and Engineering | HOK |
| Construction Manager | Parrish-McCall |
Estimated Budget: $85 Million
Funding
- Philanthropic Support
- UAA Investment Earnings
Unveiling August 2022
Project Notes
- This facility will serve as the new daily home for Florida football.
- Prominent and Visible Entrance. Florida’s new football training center will feature a prominent entrance that is sure to capture the attention of recruits and fans
- Team Locker Room & Meeting Areas. Florida’s football team will now be housed right next to its practice field, creating maximum efficiency.
- Weight Room. There will be a brand new state-of-the-art strength and conditioning space dedicated to the football program and adjacent to the indoor practice facility.
- Coaches Offices & Player Areas. Spaces for all of Florida’s football coaches and staff will allow for more face-to-face time with players and dedicated team and lounge space will be inviting for players and recruits alike.
- Enhanced Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Facility with Hydrotherapy. Florida’s training staff will have state of the art resources to treat the student-athletes to ensure the health and development of each student athlete.
- Future Opportunities. With the daily activities of the football program moving out of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, these spaces will be available for future development to benefit other student-athletes and fans. Plans for these spaces will be included with the full Facilities Master Plan announced at a later date.
- Renovation to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Locker Room. The UAA is moving forward with plans for significant upgrades to the current football locker room in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, which will serve as the game day locker room once the new center is built.
- Benefit all UF Student-Athletes. Front lower quadrant of the building will be for all student athletes featuring a dining hall and lounge, along with outdoor activities and amenities.
Project Updates
August 2020
Parrish McCall, the University Athletic Association’s construction partner for the James W. “Bill Heavener Football Training Center, is in its demolition and site clearing phases of the project. Demolition of McKethan Stadium is ongoing, and the Parrish McCall team is sorting materials as they clear the area for the construction phase.
Once the area is free of demolition materials and debris, installation and routing of underground utilities to serve the building will begin.
January 2021
Crews have begun pouring the cement to lay the foundation for the James W. “Bill Heavener Football Training Center.
February 2021
Another milestone was met at the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center as the construction team wrapped up the first major concrete slab pour. The team arrived at 2:30 a.m. to lay the foundation for the 142,000 SF state-of-the-art training center. In just a few short weeks, the team will begin erecting structural steel, and the facility will go vertical.
March 2021
Underground rough-in continues and the concrete sub is chasing the electrician and plumbing subcontract out of the building from east to west. On March 18, the loading dock and Hydrotherapy pit housekeeping pads and walls were poured. On March 25, roughly 15,000 sf south of the weight room was poured as well. On March 29, the steel erector mobilized and we received our first sequence on March 30, so steel erection could begin in the weight room.
April 2021
Steel erection continued. The steel structure is standing, girders and bar joists were installed and the second floor and roof deck will be on by the end of the month. The concrete sub continues their march west, chasing the underground subs out. Another large portion of the slab was cast on April 27. Preparations are being made for the next slab pour, the biggest one to date.
June 2021
The final ceremonial "topping off" beam -- signed by Coach Dan Mullen, Steve Spurrier and other dignitaries -- was set in place on June 8, 2021.
Read: The Topping Out Ceremony Watch: Topping Out Ceremony Photo Gallery
August 2022
Over the past year, the gleaming new showcase of Florida's football program has morphed from a long-standing vision into reality. The Gators finally moved into their new Heavener Football Training Center on Sunday, August 14.
November 2022
Donors got to tour the brand new Heavener Football Training Center at it's dedication on November 11, 2022.
