SHAH BASKETBALL COMPLEX

Wake Forest University Alum ('80, JD '83), Board Member and Generous Donor Ben Sutton cut the ceremonial ribbon on the four-level, 87,000 square foot Sports Performance Center bearing his name surrounded by family, friends, fans and an overwhelmingly appreciative Athletics staff on Sept. 13, 2019.

The Sutton Sports Performance Center was a project 10 years in the making. Sutton, Bob McCreary and former Wake Forest Athletic Director Ron Wellman ventured across the country, examining facilities at Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama to examine what was needed to ensure the facility matched or surpassed anyone else in the country.

"We're very lucky and fortunate for all the people who have been so generous to support those projects," Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said back in Sept. 2019. "What a difference it's made in our program. Our players have always got a world-class educational experience at Wake Forest. Now they're able to have a world-class athletic experience. I've always said that facilities reflect commitment."

Clawson said the new Sutton Sports Performance Center and McCreary Field House clearly show football is important to Wake Forest.

"When you look at our business school and our libraries, there's no question that those things are really important at Wake," he said following the ribbon-cutting ceremony. "Now we have the facilities commitment that says what we do here is important and it matters. It's reflected in recruiting. We have jaw-dropping facilities."

Everything is centrally located in the more than 100,000 square foot facilities built with 725 tons of steel, a half-million bricks and 5,000 cubic yards of concrete.

The four-level, 87,000 square-foot Sutton Sports Performance Center is connected to McCreary Football Field House, making it easy for players to move quickly from practice fields to the weight rooms to team meetings. Less time getting from place to place makes a difference in already tight schedules.

In addition to strength and conditioning facilities dedicated for football and men’s and women’s basketball, there is a strength and training area shared by men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, track & field, men’s and women’s golf, field hockey and volleyball.

Convenient access to sports science technology for evaluation and performance metrics puts a priority on quality over quantity in the training rooms. When they begin their strength training workouts, athletes sign in electronically to see what lifts are on their personalized plan. They check off each exercise after completing it. A video camera records the workout and uploads it to the cloud where coaches review and give feedback on how to boost the efficiency and effectiveness of time spent training. Enhanced sports medicine and training resources, including an expanded hydrotherapy area for football and a cryotherapy chamber for basketball, help speed recovery.

The Basketball Complex features a camera-based sports system providing live streaming, video and analytics to basketball athletes and coaches. The Noah Shooting System measures shots from anywhere on the court and gives instant feedback for shot arc and depth, allowing players to correct their shot in real-time. The space also includes 6,000 square feet of dedicated strength and conditioning for men’s and women’s basketball and easy access to basketball sports medicine facilities and the cryotherapy chamber.

The Christian McCreary Nutrition Center helps fuel proper diet around the clock, with foods marked for either pre-workout or recovery. In addition to meeting nutritional needs, athletes from all sports socialize, study and relax in the Nutrition Center. Special features include a smoothie bar, gluten-free area and soft seating.

The four-level, 87,000 square foot facility provides strength and conditioning facilities for all of Wake Forest's student-athletes. Preliminary site work began in October 2017 and was completed in September, 2019.  The facility connects to McCreary Field House and the Miller Center. The Sutton Sports Performance Center provides more than 10,000 square feet of dedicated strength and conditioning equipment for football. There is also space for strength and conditioning equipment for men's and women's Olympic sports.

The fourth floor has over 18,000 square feet for football coaches offices, team meeting rooms and a heritage area.