Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility Opens at UC, Giving Bearcats New Edge in Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati held its ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Sheakley Indoor Practice Facility and Athletics Performance Center on June 12, 2025, completing a two-year build on the Clifton campus.

The project now supplies Bearcats teams with an all-weather practice option that coaches say directly supports year-round preparation in a city where outdoor conditions can shift quickly. Athletic director John Cunningham called the finished space top-level for the Big 12 and the country, noting it raises the standard for how student-athletes train and recover in Cincinnati.

Connected Spaces for Daily Use

The indoor practice area covers 84,000 square feet and includes a full 120-yard field built for football and other sports. It links directly to the 96,000-square-foot performance center that houses a weight room, sports medicine and training areas, plus nutrition stations. Three levels inside the performance center also contain football offices, meeting rooms, an equipment room, locker room, player lounge, dining hall and a content studio.

The dining hall serves every UC team, giving non-revenue sports the same access as football. Local athletes no longer need to leave campus for meals or recovery work, cutting travel time on busy Cincinnati streets between classes and practices.

Coaches See Immediate Benefits

Head football coach Scott Satterfield said every part of the building was planned to help players grow, recover and prepare. He described the overall result as one of the finest facilities in the country and credited donors Larry and Rhonda Sheakley along with other supporters for turning the project into reality. The 210,000-square-foot total complex now stands ready for daily use by Cincinnati student-athletes across multiple programs.

With the indoor field and connected performance areas in place, teams can maintain consistent schedules regardless of weather. The facility also provides new meeting and recovery options that keep athletes on campus longer each day.

Coaches and staff continue to integrate the spaces into weekly routines. Student-athletes can now move from practice directly into weight work or nutrition without leaving the complex, a change that supporters expect will show up in preparation quality over the coming seasons.

Details on the opening and facility specs come from the University of Cincinnati news release published at uc.edu on June 12, 2025.