Beginning of a New Era: Cal Poly Tennis Unveils State-of-the-Art Comerford Pavilion
11/6/2024 10:30:00 AM | General, Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Cal Poly Athletics officially unveiled the brand new, state-of-the-art Comerford Pavilion to the public during a ribbon cutting ceremony this weekend.
The completely donor-funded $8 million facility is the new home for the Cal Poly men’s and women’s tennis programs and is the cornerstone of roughly $10 million in improvements to the Ronca Tennis Center.
Hundreds of alumni, the lead donors on the project; Kevin and Carolyn Comerford; chair of the Cal Poly Athletic Director's Council John Ronca and his wife, Tracy, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong and the Cal Poly tennis teams were all on hand to celebrate the completion of the facility that will change the future of tennis at Cal Poly and help take the men’s and women’s programs to new heights. In addition, all six Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Famers from the tennis programs attended the ceremony — Hugh Bream, Andre Dome, Mike Giusto, Dan Lambert, Bob Zoller and Brittany Blalock Huang.
Gallery: Comerford Pavilion Ribbon Cutting
“The ribbon cutting ceremony was breathtaking,” Kevin Comerford said. “So much work went into the construction of the building and the celebration this weekend, both blew away every expectation I had. We were most proud of the student-athletes and their enthusiastic interactions with the community. That culture is what will catapult this program for years to come.”
“It was a great day for Cal Poly tennis to see current members of the team mingle with tennis alumni, the donors and community members, all in support of the tennis program and the dedication of the Comerford Pavilion,” said John Ronca, chair of the Cal Poly Tennis Facility Steering Committee. “The tennis center and tennis program through donor funding have been undergoing substantial upgrades, improvements, increased scholarship support and operational funding over the last 15 years, in a concerted effort to move the program to a higher level. With the recent substantial financial support by the Comerford family, as well as Kevin Comerford’s forward looking vision for the program, the Cal Poly tennis facilities and program have become the best in the conference, if not on the West Coast. We can’t thank the Comerfords and all our generous donors enough.”
The main floor of the two-story Comerford Pavilion is highlighted by the Noreen Martin-Hulburd & Chris Hulburd student-athlete lounge, which features a place for the team to gather and study, a fueling station and a team manager office to restring tennis racquets and store equipment. The bottom floor of the complex is also where the Paige Billingley Women’s Locker Room & Men’s Locker Room are housed. Each locker room features 12 private Hollman lockers for each player, a team meeting space, and restrooms and showers.
“The Comerford Pavilion gives our men’s and women’s tennis student-athletes a true home,” Director of Athletics Don Oberhelman said. “The facility will allow the programs to develop an even greater level of comradery and clubhouse culture as the student-athletes will not only train in this space, but eat, study, rest and recover there. This facility will help our coaches on the recruiting trail, assist with developing our players, and aid with keeping these talented men and women out of the transfer portal.
On the top floor, the Couch Family Viewing Terrace features 80 fixed stadium seats overlooking the courts providing a one-of-a-kind viewing experience for Cal Poly fans. The interior of the top floor of the facility also includes several unique areas. The Joe Cristiano Family Lounge has a gathering space for supporters, team meetings and coaches meetings. The Gillespie Family Conference & Recruiting Room provides some of the best views on campus of the Anderson Aquatic Center and Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex and features a space that will be utilized for recruiting Mustang student-athletes for all programs on campus and for meetings.
The Cal Poly tennis head and assistant coaches are already enjoying their brand-new workspace in the Bill Proll Men’s Coaches Office and Lee Burgunder Women’s Coaches Office, and supporters will also be able to enjoy snacks and beverages during matches in the Silva Ball Rally Alley.
In addition to the Comerford Pavilion, new NCAA Championship level lighting was recently installed around the Ronca Tennis Center, allowing the Cal Poly men's and women's tennis teams to host matches at night and NCAA Tournament matches in the future. The lighting will also lead to increased court availability and better equip the facility to serve the community and campus as a whole.
