This rendering of UTSA’s upcoming basketball and volleyball training facility was provided by Populous.

Athletics

12/19/2024
2 minute read

12/19/2024
2 minute read

Building the NEST

UTSA breaks ground on state-of-the-art basketball and volleyball training facility

By Sean Cartell and Shea Conner

The term “game-changer” gets thrown around haphazardly these days, but it’s hard to deny that an incredible new facility coming to UTSA will be just that.

UTSA Athletics broke ground on its 53,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art basketball and volleyball training facility on December 18, 2024. Currently referred to as the Roadrunner NEST (Nurturing Elite Sports Talent), the building is expected to open in November 2026.

The new facility will increase UTSA’s competitive edge in recruiting and retaining the nation’s best student-athletes and coaches. The Roadrunner NEST will house the daily operations of the UTSA men’s and women’s basketball programs and its volleyball program. It will feature two full-sized NCAA practice courts, locker rooms and a team lounge for each program, a weight room, an athletic training and hydrotherapy space, team meeting rooms and coaches’ offices for each of the three programs.

The facility will be completed at a cost of more than $35 million and will be located next to the Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence on Barshop Blvd. The basketball and volleyball training facility is part of a partnership with Bexar County and the City of San Antonio, each of which is investing $5 million to the project. The architect for the project is Populous. Skanska USA Inc. is the construction firm.

Dignitaries who took part in the groundbreaking ceremony included:

Taylor Eighmy — President, UTSA
Lisa Campos — Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, UTSA
Grant Moody — Bexar County Precinct 3 Commissioner
Manny Pelaez — San Antonio District 8 City Councilman
Gene Dawson — President, Roadrunner Foundation
Veronica Salazar — Executive Vice President for Business Affairs and Chief Enterprise Development Officer, UTSA
Karen Aston — Women’s Basketball Coach, UTSA
Austin Claunch — Men’s Basketball Coach, UTSA
Carol Price-Torok — Volleyball Coach, UTSA

Explore the following slideshow, which includes photos from the groundbreaking ceremony at the UTSA Main Campus in addition to renderings of the Roadrunner NEST courtesy of Populous:

Taylor Eighmy speaks to a crowd — Taylor Eighmy speaks to the many guests at the groundbreaking ceremony at the Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence.

Taylor Eighmy speaks to the crowd — Eighmy speaks at the groundbreaking ceremony while Rowdy and UTSA cheerleaders look on.

Lisa Campos smiles from behind a podium — Lisa Campos smiles at a group of student-athletes while speaking at the ceremony.

Lisa Campos speaks to a large crowd — Campos addresses the crowd at UTSA's Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence.

Gene Dawson and Taylor Eighmy shake hands — Gene Dawson shakes hands with Eighmy before stepping behind the podium.

Gene Dawson speaks to the ceremony's attendees — Dawson speaks to the ceremony's attendees.

Grant Moody waves to the crowd in attendance.

Moody and Eighmy share a handshake at the ceremony.

Manny Pelaez speaks in front of a large group of UTSA student-athletes.

April Ancira laughs from her seat at the groundbreaking ceremony — Alumna and longtime UTSA Athletics supporter April Ancira '03 enjoys the groundbreaking ceremony.

Moody, Campos, Eighmy, Salazar, Dawson and Pelaez with UTSA's basketball and volleyball players — Moody, Campos, Eighmy, Veronica Salazar, Dawson and Pelaez pose for a photo with UTSA's basketball and volleyball players.

10 people dip their shovels into a mound of dirt — Pelaez, Dawson, Karen Aston, Campos, Salazar, Eighmy, Moody, Carol Price-Torok, Austin Claunch and Rowdy dip their shovels in the dirt.

10 people put up the "Birds Up" hand sign — Pelaez, Dawson, Aston, Campos, Salazar, Eighmy, Moody, Price-Torok, Claunch and Rowdy put their "Birds Up" during the groundbreaking.

The UTSA men's basketball team puts shovels in a dirt mound — Claunch and the UTSA men's basketball team put their shovels in the dirt where the Roadrunner NEST will be built.

Rendering of the facility exterior — Rendering: Facility exterior

Rendering of the main lobby — Rendering: Main lobby

Rendering of the basketball/volleyball practice courts — Rendering: Practice courts

Rendering of a locker room — Rendering: Locker room

Rendering of the athletic medicine space — Rendering: Athletic training/medicine space

Rendering of the hydrotherapy space — Rendering: Hydrotherapy space

Rendering of the fuel bar — Rendering: Fuel bar

Rendering of the weight room — Rendering: Weight room

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