Miami athletics unveils plans for new football practice facility

Miami athletics continued its unveiling of new items Friday afternoon by announcing its plans for a new indoor practice facility for the football team. The announcement took place at the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach.

President Julio Frenk, Head Coach Mark Richt and quarterback Brad Kaaya were among those in attendance. The lead donors of the project are billionaire real estate developer Jeffrey Soffer and his family. According to Forbes, Soffer has a majority ownership in the Fontainebleau. He and his sister, Jackie, own Turnberry Associates, a leader in real estate development and property management.

The Soffer family will donate $14 million toward the project. Earlier this year, Mark Richt and his wife, Katharyn, pledged to donate $1 million toward the facility. Of the $34 million needed for construction, donors have pledged $24 million so far.

Carol Soffer, Jeffrey’s mother and longtime Canes supporter, will have her name on the new practice facility.

“The football indoor practice facility will bring a new dimension to the University,” Soffer told Hurricane Sports. “It will have a lasting impact on student-athletes now and in the future.”

The new facility will be built to cover the south side of the Greentree Practice Fields. The team will be able to practice, rain or shine, and no longer worry about lightning delays. The facility will be 81,000 square feet and have two practice fields, a strength and conditioning center, office space for all football coaches, position meeting rooms, a video center, a recruiting suite and more. It will connect to the Hecht Athletic Center and the Schwartz Center for Athletic Excellence.

Construction will start once the $34 million quota is reached. To find out more about the facility or to donate, visit HurricanesFootballFacility.com.