UM Considers $150M Athletic Facility Project

ANN ARBOR,MI-The University of Michigan’s Athletic Department is looking to make some new additions to its popular arena property. The Big 10 school is looking to start a $100-million to $150-million capital campaign to build new facilities for its athletes.

Jason Winters, chief financial officer of the athletic department, tells GlobeSt.com $150 million would be his best guess.

“It could be higher or lower, depending on what we come up with what we want to do,” he says.

Under consideration, he explains, is construction of new stadiums for the baseball and softball teams, a new academic support center, and indoor field house, expansion of the tiny locker rooms for the football team and a practice gymnasium for basketball and wrestling teams that would connect to the famous Crisler Arena.

“We’ve been going through a master planning process over the last 12 months, and this campaign should help us get the resources we need and also renovate other buildings,” Winters says.

The plan is now being finalized for what could be raised, he says. First, the campus has to find out how much funds it can acquire from a short list of donor possibilities, Winters adds.

The academic support center would probably be the first priority, he says. The center would serve as a resource for student athletes. It would likely be built on State Street.