Carey Center Q&A
Answered by Colgate University Vice President and Director of Athletics Yariv Amir '01
Q: What is the Carey Center named after?
- The naming of the 97,250 square-foot facility recognizes the lead project donor, Chase Carey ’76, his wife, Wendy; and their children, Steve ’12 and Tara ’13. This project is also supported by the significant philanthropic investment of several additional donors to provide funding for spaces that will benefit all 25 Division I athletics teams.
Q: When is construction for the Carey Center expected to begin?
- Demolition and site work began in March of 2026.
Q: What companies will work with Colgate to realize the vision of the Carey Center?
- Robert A.M. Stern Architects and Grace Design Studios have partnered with Colgate to develop the project. Consigli will serve as the general contractor.
Q: Where will the Carey Center be located?
- The Carey Center will be constructed at the previous site of the current University building and grounds facilities. Reid Athletic Center will remain in operation until the Carey Center is complete. Colgate’s buildings and grounds department will relocate to a new site located on Randallsville Road.
Q: How will the student-athlete experience be improved by this new facility?
- Six of Colgate’s varsity sport programs will call the Carey Center home, while student-athletes from Colgate’s other 19 athletics teams will use the facility on a day-to-day basis. For basketball and volleyball student-athletes, a dedicated practice gym, expanded locker rooms, and new office space will provide increased room and comfort for daily operations. For programs such as football, field hockey and softball, upgraded locker rooms, offices, and meeting spaces will enhance the overall student-athlete experience. For the broader athletics community, a relocated and expanded academic center, an upgraded nutrition area, a redesigned Hall of Honor, new multimedia and production spaces, and improved equipment areas will significantly build upon the current offerings in Reid Athletic Center.
Q: Will the Carey Center be used for campus events beyond athletics?
- Yes, Colgate envisions the Carey Center as a location for community gatherings of all sizes, from hosting speakers or concerts, to other ceremonial events that take place over the course of a college academic year. The Carey Center’s location will also allow it to play an important role for staging and preparation of the University’s commencement activities, which take place at Andy Kerr Stadium.
Q: How will the fan experience improve at the Carey Center?
- A shared basketball and volleyball arena will feature a 1,650-seat facility, featuring one suite and two premium seating areas. It will have a center hung video board and a state-of-the-art lighting and sound system, as well as in-house video production capabilities for the video board and live event streaming. Additionally, the practice gym will be on the concourse level of the arena, making it an ideal space for pre- and post-event receptions for arena events.
Q: How will the Carey Center streamline operations for different programs?
- Currently, many operations teams within athletics are spread out between different facilities. The Carey Center will allow for many of these to be brought together in one building. The Carey Center will also be home to football program operations. Current football program activities are distributed among Reid, Huntington, and Sanford Field House. A football locker room, new offices, and meeting spaces will be located in the western wing of the Carey Center, creating a true football center that will be unique within the Patriot League and will better support football student-athletes. Additionally, the current separation of sports medicine and strength and conditioning staff will be joined in a more modern strength and conditioning center in the Carey Center. The facility will be 75% larger than the current space in Huntington which allows for larger teams to work out at once, as well as host more student-athletes throughout the day and evening, thus creating more efficiency and fewer demands on athletes’ time.
Q: When is construction expected to be completed?
- The construction process is estimated to take 20-24 months with completion expected during the Spring 2028 semester.
Q: How will the center change the landscape of the current athletics area?
- Construction of the Carey Center is the first step in building the athletics neighborhood, which will include a quadrangle and Raiders Walk that connects Huntington Gymnasium, Sanford Fieldhouse, Carey Center, Class of 1965 Arena, and the athletics fields beyond them. The quad will be an active space where practices can occur for varsity and club teams, as well as intramural competition and physical education classes.
Q: What other teams and programs will benefit from these improvements?
- Beyond the six teams that will have their home base within the Carey Center, student-athletes from all other sports will use the facility daily, specifically new strength and conditioning space, the athletics training room, the nutrition area, and the academic center.
Q: I have noticed that the tennis courts are in different moved locations in some of the renderings. When and where are they moving?
- The location of the Joseph W. Abrahamson Tennis Courts does not need to change for the construction of the Carey Center. The Carey Center has been purposely situated to allow the courts to remain in their current location for the time being with plans to move them to an alternate location after completion of the Carey Center as part of development of the athletics quadrangle. The current tennis courts will not be removed until new courts at an alternate location are completed.
Q: Will parking in and around the athletics facilities be addressed during the Carey Center project?
- Event parking is certainly tight currently around athletic facilities. During the construction phase of the Carey Center, existing parking spots on the north and west side of Reid Athletic Center will not be impacted, but parking around the current Buildings and Grounds site, as well as along the south side of Reid will not be available. Carey Center plans do include an expansion of the current lot adjacent to Tyler’s Field to make up for the spots that will eventually be lost surrounding Reid. Additional parking expansion is being considered as part of this athletics project and other capital projects in planning and underway across campus.
