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Between Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) legislation, potential athlete revenue sharing, and a 14-year trend of underinvestment in infrastructure1, collegiate athletics budgets are more strained than ever.
Whether you’re an athletics director, coach or facilities leader, you’re likely feeling this pressure. Reduced state funding and fluctuating enrollment have further tightened public and private collegiate budgets, adding to the challenge of securing funds for critical athletics investments.
Collegiate athletic departments are experiencing immense financial pressure from countless angles. When athletic departments are able to overcome these headwinds to launch a capital project, we have found your success hinges on the first 20 percent of the project: the planning, design and preconstruction phases. Choices made during these early stages have the greatest impact on the entire capital improvement and renovation process. Your team needs early access to reliable information to make critical decisions, align stakeholders, identify cost-saving opportunities, reduce risk and incorporate design resiliency — components that are essential to your facility’s success.
Whether you’re conceptualizing, master planning or vetting feasibility, it’s never too early to involve a partner who can equip you with the information you need to be confident in your decisions.
As you prepare to go to the board and make this investment a reality, consider these watchouts to ensure you stay on track and meets your needs:
The First 20% Makes or Breaks Your Athletics Capital Project: 3 Watchouts to Protect Your Collegiate Athletics Investment
Don't lose sight of: Essential Code or Infrastructure Costs
According to the Center for the Built Environment (CBE), over 60 percent of your building costs are spent in costs typically unseen related to code compliance, accessibility improvements (ADA), system modernizations, and life safety enhancements. While renovations tend to be driven by fan, alumni or player-facing features, addressing deferred maintenance ensures long-term compliance and operational sustainability.
OVERSIGHT RISK: Requesting additional funds from the board can delay project timelines and harm stakeholder trust.
HOW WE CAN HELP:
- Feasibility studies
- Constructability analysis
- Laser scanning and conditions modeling
- Flexible design solutions
- Building lifecycle assessment
IDEAL TIME TO TAKE ACTION: Initial planning and conditions assessment stage
CASE STUDY: A 40-year-old basketball arena for a large, public university allocated upwards of 15 percent of the renovation budget for unforeseen code costs. Through laser scanning and early conditions assessments, the team avoided additional funding requests and stayed within the allocated budget. Life safety upgrades are especially important in high-traffic facilities like arenas, stadiums and ballparks. Don't lose sight of: Unique Project Elements
Unique project elements – like historically significant buildings – introduce infrastructure challenges that need to be considered. Noise and vibrations can be detrimental to the operations of adjacent facilities if the full scope of potential disruption isn’t realized.
OVERSIGHT RISK: Collegiate leaders and athletic departments often face challenges relaying construction activities to the greater campus community. Developing a disruption avoidance plan tailored to the specific needs of the campus and supported by continuous communication is essential.
HOW WE CAN HELP:
- Structure and infrastructure assessments
- Informed project scheduling
- Permitting
- Disruption avoidance planning
IDEAL TIME TO TAKE ACTION: Feasibility and validation planning stage
CASE STUDY: The redevelopment of Northwestern University’s Ryan Field involved noise and vibration mitigation strategies to minimize community impact. Planning included multiple truck routes, adherence to noise ordinances, and strategic placement of vibration monitoring devices. Collaborative efforts with stakeholders ensured effective solutions, maintaining campus operations and strong relationships with neighbors. Don't lose sight of: Cost Escalation in Phased Construction
Construction costs increase by an average of 3-4 percent annually and uniquely impact sports construction. While you may think phasing is the best way to avoid operational disruptions, it’s crucial you consider the cost implications and potential risks. Using an accurate cost basis, accounting for appropriate escalation, and aligning expenditure timing should all be factored into your early budget planning. Exploring alternative execution plans could save you time and money while achieving the same, if not better, results.
OVERSIGHT RISK: Reduced purchasing power, budget overruns and project delay.
OPTIONS TO MITIGATE:
- Comprehensive cost analysis
- Early purchasing of long lead items
- Value analysis workshop
- Risk mitigation plan
- Cost escalation calculation and forecasting
IDEAL TIME TO TAKE ACTION: Initial budgeting and financial modeling stage