Groundbreaking for John Madden Football Center Set for Saturday
4/26/2023 1:33:00 PM | Football
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- A groundbreaking ceremony for the $30 million John Madden Football Center will be held Saturday afternoon following the annual Spring Game at Mustang Memorial Field Presented by Dignity Health French Hospital Medical Center.
The Spring Game kicks off at 11 a.m., while the 1 p.m. groundbreaking ceremony begins at Mustang Memorial Plaza adjacent to the football stadium.
Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong and director of athletics Don Oberhelman will welcome Virginia Madden (John Madden's wife) and their sons, Mike and Joe Madden, along with numerous other Cal Poly football supporters for the ceremony.
In addition to President Armstrong and Mike Madden, speakers will include Ted Tollner and Gil Stork, who were teammates of Madden and survivors of the 1960 plane crash that was a seminal moment in Madden's life. Mustang head football coach Paul Wulff and football student-athlete Josh Ngaluafe also will speak at the ceremony.
Madden, who played football and baseball at Cal Poly in the late 1950s before embarking on a long coaching and broadcasting career in the National Football League, passed away in December 2021 at age 85.
Saturday's one-hour spring game features the offense versus the defense rather than the old Green vs. White format. Four quarters, each with eight minutes running time, will be played.
The new facility will help bring to life John Madden's vision for the future of Cal Poly football. It will be built in the south end zone, where the bleachers have already been removed. The main floor will provide student-athletes with a locker room, strength and conditioning area, athletic training and therapy, lounge space and a fueling station, multi-faceted outdoor space and equipment space. The second floor will be home to coaches' offices, meeting rooms, conference rooms and outdoor patios.
Architect for the project is Populous Architects, from the Bay Area, which has many former Cal Poly architecture students working on the project, including former Mustang track and field athlete Michael Lockwood, the partner in charge.
Contractor for the project is PCL, from Los Angeles, which has completed over 200 athletics projects -- most recently the Wasserman Football Performance Center at UCLA.
The project, announced at halftime of Cal Poly's Oct. 1 Big Sky Conference football game against Sacramento State, is planned for completion in 2024.
Support for the project is still needed, and naming opportunities are available. Please contact Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development Ashley Offermann at 805-440-9792 or aofferma@calpoly.edu or Associate Athletic Director for Development Jenna Tognazzini at 805-756-0275 or jtognazz@calpoly.edu to discuss making an impact in Mustang Athletics!
The Spring Game kicks off at 11 a.m., while the 1 p.m. groundbreaking ceremony begins at Mustang Memorial Plaza adjacent to the football stadium.
Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong and director of athletics Don Oberhelman will welcome Virginia Madden (John Madden's wife) and their sons, Mike and Joe Madden, along with numerous other Cal Poly football supporters for the ceremony.
In addition to President Armstrong and Mike Madden, speakers will include Ted Tollner and Gil Stork, who were teammates of Madden and survivors of the 1960 plane crash that was a seminal moment in Madden's life. Mustang head football coach Paul Wulff and football student-athlete Josh Ngaluafe also will speak at the ceremony.
Madden, who played football and baseball at Cal Poly in the late 1950s before embarking on a long coaching and broadcasting career in the National Football League, passed away in December 2021 at age 85.
Saturday's one-hour spring game features the offense versus the defense rather than the old Green vs. White format. Four quarters, each with eight minutes running time, will be played.
The new facility will help bring to life John Madden's vision for the future of Cal Poly football. It will be built in the south end zone, where the bleachers have already been removed. The main floor will provide student-athletes with a locker room, strength and conditioning area, athletic training and therapy, lounge space and a fueling station, multi-faceted outdoor space and equipment space. The second floor will be home to coaches' offices, meeting rooms, conference rooms and outdoor patios.
Architect for the project is Populous Architects, from the Bay Area, which has many former Cal Poly architecture students working on the project, including former Mustang track and field athlete Michael Lockwood, the partner in charge.
Contractor for the project is PCL, from Los Angeles, which has completed over 200 athletics projects -- most recently the Wasserman Football Performance Center at UCLA.
The project, announced at halftime of Cal Poly's Oct. 1 Big Sky Conference football game against Sacramento State, is planned for completion in 2024.
Support for the project is still needed, and naming opportunities are available. Please contact Senior Associate Athletic Director for Development Ashley Offermann at 805-440-9792 or aofferma@calpoly.edu or Associate Athletic Director for Development Jenna Tognazzini at 805-756-0275 or jtognazz@calpoly.edu to discuss making an impact in Mustang Athletics!
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