Howard L. Hawks Training Facility (UNO)

[skinzfan23]

Shatel: Building $55 million athletic facility is win for UNO, Howard Hawks' legacy

UNO basketball — and the athletic department overall — is looking to add a game changer.

The university has plans to build a $55 million athletic training facility next to Baxter Arena, The World-Herald learned.

The building would have practice courts and locker rooms for men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball, and serve as the home of the athletic department.

UNO said the two-story 75,000-square foot facility includes:


» Two large practice gyms and room for three practice courts — meaning men’s basketball, women’s basketball and volleyball could practice at the same time.

» A 1,300-seat capacity at one court, where one of the teams could play a game while UNO hockey and basketball or volleyball share Baxter Arena. Not having to flip the ice would also be a cost-saving measure.

» Locker rooms and player lounges for both basketball programs and volleyball as well as a film room, academic center, training/weight room and a sports medicine space.

» Offices for athletic administration in 15 of the Mavericks' 16 sports. Hockey would remain at Baxter.

» A skywalk connecting to Baxter.

[Brad]

That's awesome. Hockey has a heck of a facility but it will be nice to get Basketball and Volleyball new facilities.

[Louie]

I go to the UNO gym to work out, so I’m hoping this opens up the Sapp fieldhouse for more rec space!

[WorldStreet]

That's awesome. Hockey has a heck of a facility but it will be nice to get Basketball and Volleyball new facilities.

Definitely. Hopefully this goes through for the basketball teams and volleyball team. In addition to having a more suitable capacity, part of why the experience of going to volleyball matches at a place like DJ Sokol is so much better than Baxter and even CHI is that the crowd is so close to the action instead of further away in the middle of a hockey floor.

[BIGO88]

I saw that there also looking to add a joint clubhouse for the baseball and softball teams.

[omaha79]

are there any renderings of this?

I'm intrigued by the 1300 seating for one of the courts that could allow a team to play at the new facility while hockey is at Baxter.

But, i'm also interested to see if that would somehow start to morph into a permanent home for some of the teams. I don't know if I'd be on board for men's basketball for that. At some point, you need to grow men's basketball enough to where they can draw a few thousand a game and that will only ever be at Baxter. A.D. has said that men's basketball must inch towards revenue generation. That's his baby. So, if you started capping available seats at 1,300, you'd be tied into low ticket sales perpetually. And, a practice facility certainly wouldn't foster a D-1 environment even at the Summit League level.

Every Summit League school has men's basketball facilities of at least 2,500 except UMKC and they are not a model for the league. Denver is at 2,500, but the rest are minimum 3,500 (NDSU) and after them, it goes to 5,000 capacity.

I'd be ok if UNO men play one of these NAIA buy games at the 1,300 seat facility like York, Doane, or Mid American Christian. No one goes to those; however, any league game has to be at Baxter, IMO. And, especially if they ever have sights set on moving to the Missouri Valley or another higher mid major league as has been rumored in the past.

I'd probably see the women's teams being ok playing at the 1,300 max facility just based on sheer realities of ticket sales and less need for them to be revenue generators.

[omaha79]

For anyone that can't get behind the paywall for The World Herald. The Gateway comes to the rescue....

https://www.unothegateway.com/news/uno- ... b1b04.html

The interesting thought I have with this is that's a lot of parking lost for this and suite holder parking as well. I wonder how they will make that up? My guess is it will just move more of the general parking across the creek near the baseball/softball facility. But, guessing that event/staff lot might become suite parking and the event staff will be the ones hoofing it across the creek.

[F0R_L1F3]

https://www.unomaha.edu/news/2025/12/re ... letics.php

Some renderings and videos can be found here of what it'll look like.

[Brad]

https://www.unomaha.edu/news/2025/12/re ... letics.php

Some renderings and videos can be found here of what it'll look like.

This was approved today. Their "Omaha Mavericks" Facebook page is also full of renderings on several different posts.

Looks like a great facility!

[BRoss]

[S.O.Boy]

What is going in South of the stadiums?

[Brad]

What is going in South of the stadiums?

South of Caniglia Field?
South of Tal Anderson Field and Connie Claussen Field?

In addition to the Biomechanics Research Building Louie mentioned, the $67.5M athletic facilities for Baxter Arena and Maverick Park has started construction too. I know they started the part near Baxter, but not sure if they started on the part by the ball fields yet.

[Louie]

What is going in South of the stadiums?

South of Caniglia Field?
South of Tal Anderson Field and Connie Claussen Field?

In addition to the Biomechanics Research Building Louie mentioned, the $67.5M athletic facilities for Baxter Arena and Maverick Park has started construction too. I know they started the part near Baxter, but not sure if they started on the part by the ball fields yet.

Just drove by and there has definitely been some dirt work south of the ball fields.

[S.O.Boy]

South of the baseball & softball stadiums. Next to the old Chili Greens.

[Brad]

South of the baseball & softball stadiums. Next to the old Chili Greens.

Judging by the very large surcharge on the east side of the Baxter Arena, they are using the land south of the softball stadium as a borrow pit for the soil used in the surcharge.

[S.O.Boy]

South of the baseball & softball stadiums. Next to the old Chili Greens.

Judging by the very large surcharge on the east side of the Baxter Arena, they are using the land south of the softball stadium as a borrow pit for the soil used in the surcharge.

That makes sense.

[Brad]

Regents Approve Naming of New UNO Training Center for Howard L. Hawks

https://www.unomaha.edu/news/2026/08/re ... -hawks.php

The University of Nebraska Board of Regents on Thursday approved the naming of a new $55 million training center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in honor of Regent Emeritus Howard L. Hawks, who passed away in 2024. An intermediate design report for a $12.5 million baseball and softball clubhouse project also received approval by the regents.

The two projects, part of the third phase of Omaha Athletics’ Campus Masterplan, represent a $67.5 million privately funded investment in the holistic student-athlete experience at UNO. Located south of Center Street, the projects will modernize UNO’s athletic facilities and elevate the university as a rising national power among NCAA Division I programs.

The Hawks Family is among a group of donors, all of whom generously funded these facilities.

[omaha79]

I'm really excited for this. This is an absolute game changer for Omaha athletics. Hopefully, it ends in a conference upgrade in the long run.

[TitosBuritoBarn]

Can I just say how incredibly realistic those renderings look.

What a time to be alive!