When completed, the 9,000 square foot project will also create additional space for the Office of Academic Services for Student Athletes as well as UD’s other nationally-recognized athletics programs.
The Cronin Athletics Center is named for Tom and Mike Cronin, whose generosity allowed the University of Dayton Division of Athletics move forward with the project. Tom is the President and CEO of Dayton Freight, a company he founded in 1981. Mike is the Executive Vice-President of Dayton Freight. The Cronins and Dayton Freight are long-time supporters of UD Athletics.
The Cronin Athletics Center was first built as UD’s first recreational facility for the student body in 1976. When the University opened the $4 million RecPlex in a location more central to student housing, its use was taken over by Athletics in a planned reuse of the facility in 2005.
Since then smaller projects (refurbishing of the Collins Gym, creation of a basketball practice gym and work on the facade to bring it up to University standards) began the process of turning it from a recreational facility into a training facility for student-athletes.
“We’re extremely happy to be able to publicly recognize the support of Mike and Tom Cronin of UD athletics with the naming of the Cronin Athletics Center,” UD Vice-President and Director of Athletics Tim Wabler said. “They’ve been very supportive of this project from the beginning – when we gave our basketball teams a court on campus to utilize and when renovated the Collins Gym. Across the board, our athletics program has never been more successful, and their support has positively impacted every one of our 17 intercollegiate sports.”
In the last four years, Flyer teams have won 19 conference championships. Individually, 12 UD coaches have been named conference Coaches of the Year. Sixteen Flyers have won Atlantic 10 track, cross country or golf championships since 2007-08. In addition, 26 student-athletes have earned “best in conference” awards.
In the last ten years, UD has invested $35 million in its athletics facilities ($29 million coming from private donations and corporate support). The on-campus home for every Flyer varsity team has been either newly constructed of renovated in that time;
Baujan Field (soccer) Frericks Center (volleyball) Graul Tennis Complex (tennis) Welcome Stadium (football) UD Softball Stadium (softball) Woerner Field at Time Warner Cable Stadium (baseball) University of Dayton Arena (basketball)
With competition venues up to, and some cases exceeding industry standards, attention was turned to areas that address the supporting needs of student-athletes and programs:
Donoher Basketball Center (completed 1999) Jerry Von Mohr Field (completed 2004) Riggs Academic Center (completed 2010) Cronin Athletics Center Office Complex (completion 2011) Cronin Athletics Center Training Room/Locker Room Project (completion TBD)
Dayton Freight is an LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) regional carrier in 11 Midwestern states with 40 Service Centers and more than 2,750 employees. It has been a corporate partner with UD athletics for more than 10 years. A number of Dayton graduates work for the company, and Dayton Freight has a management training intern program that many UD undergraduate students, including several student-athletes, have participated in. Dayton Freight is a major sponsor of the Greater Dayton YMCA’s “Olympic Festival” that is hosted by UD athletics every summer.
For additional information about this project or to inquire about naming opportunities within the Cronin Athletics Center, please contact Brian Tracy, Director of Development for Athletics at 937-229-3999.