Colorado University Athletics
Sustainable Excellence Dedication Gala A Success
BOULDER — More than 300 people gathered Friday night to celebrate the University of Colorado’s new athletic facilities at the Sustainable Excellence Dedication Gala.
Held in the Champions Center’s Indoor Practice Facility, the event was hosted by ESPN and CU alum Chris Fowler. Attendees had the opportunity to tour the facility, including the adjoining Legacy Hall and CU locker room and weight room facilities; as well as the chance to get one of the first public looks at the 108,000-square-foot facility that includes a 100-yard football field and state-of-the-art six-lane indoor track.
Also at the event, CU announced that its current fundraising numbers for the Sustainable Excellence Initiative had surpassed $94.2 million.
“We are obviously proud of this facility and what it will mean for our student-athletes,” CU Athletic Director Rick George said. “It lays the foundation for success for all of our teams, both athletically and academically. It is in every sense of the term a game-changer.
“But tonight was special because it was our opportunity to recognize and thank the people who made this possible, the people who have made a commitment to Sustainable Excellence and what it means to the Buffaloes. The people here tonight are the people who have stepped up and ensured that we will not only have a foundation for success for the near future, but for years to come. We wanted to have the opportunity to thank them, to recognize them and to let them share in our celebration of what is truly an extraordinary moment in University of Colorado history.”
Fowler, now ESPN’s lead college football and tennis broadcaster, said he was “blown away” after receiving a tour of the Champions Center.
“It’s beautiful on the outside and on the inside, it’s smart, it’s functional and it seems to serve a lot of purposes true to CU,” Fowler said. “What it says is that football is really important at CU. … It tells people loud and clear that football is really important here. We care about you, not just as a player, but as a student, as a person. The tools are in place for you to succeed and to have really lofty goals and no excuses, frankly. I see these facilities and I think they are as attractive and well-thought out and functional and modern and cutting edge as any I’ve seen anywhere. That includes the football hotbeds in the SEC, the Big Ten and anywhere else in this conference. CU is on par with that.”
Donors and guests were presented with gifts provided by Walters & Hogsett Fine Jewelers.
