In August 2022, the University of Florida celebrated the opening of the James W. “Bill” Heavener Football Training Center, just ahead of the upcoming season. The center serves as a world-class, 140,000-square-foot indoor training facility and day-to-day home for Florida football student-athletes and staff.
The impressive building includes two floors of high-performance training spaces for student-athletes, finished with modern amenities aimed to support the university’s efforts to recruit and retain top talent.
The first floor of the training center features a two-story weight room with a running track overlooking the strength and conditioning space, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows that offer views into the adjacent indoor practice field. A sleek and spacious locker room includes plush recliners for each athlete and is strategically located next to the weight room and practice fields for maximum efficiency. Recovery spaces include a sports medicine clinic, cryotherapy rooms, sauna, steam rooms, float tanks, hydrotherapy plunge pools, and additional rehabilitation spaces.
To prep for game days, the center includes a virtual reality space for game simulation and an all-team auditorium with stadium seating. The building also features conference rooms and offices with state-of-the-art technology, including a team meeting space with carpeting featuring yard lines to practice plays displayed on the room’s projector screen. Staff offices overlook a nearby practice field.
The facility also has a dining hall, lounge spaces, a barber shop, and a game room. Its aesthetic details include light wooden ceilings and large wall-running windows that add natural light and warmth throughout the center.
Behind the building is an outdoor pool providing a luxurious and spa-like environment, featuring palm trees and lounge seating. The outdoor space also includes basketball and volleyball courts and multi-purpose lawn.