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James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center

The physical manifestation of Shenandoah Athletics’ “21 sports, one team.” The culmination of a 25-year-old dream.

The New Athletics & Events Center:

A student-­first facility for Shenandoah’s student-athletes.

The James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center is now the largest space in 70 miles! The 77,000-square-foot indoor athletic facility serves the university’s 21 athletics teams, the entire university community, and the local and regional communities. Our dream for this facility is to serve the unmet needs of our community. We’re starting to fulfill that dream by hosting all of the major Apple Blossom events—and that’s just the start. We envision this space hosting major lectures, concerts, sit-down dinners for a thousand people, indoor graduations for local high schools or community colleges, festivals, and more.

A New Age in Athletics

Wilkins Athletics & Events Center Ribbon Cutting and Court Dedication

It's a Great Day to be a Hornet!

Come Experience A New Age of Hornet Athletics

The James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center is the new home of Shenandoah’s basketball, volleyball, and track and field teams. Shenandoah is now one of only two schools in the ODAC with NCAA-certified indoor track and field facilities. The facility includes batting/throwing cages for baseball and softball, hitting cages for SU’s golf teams, and it will be an indoor practice/conditioning space for outdoor sports during poor weather.  

Welcoming Bridget Lyons

Bridget LyonsI can't wait to get started working with a dedicated group of coaches, staff and student-athletes. The opening of the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center makes this a very exciting time to be at Shenandoah University, and I look forward to building upon the strong athletics and academics traditions already in place."   —Bridget Lyons, New Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
  View the Athletics Calendar

Come See It For Yourself

Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival events are coming to The James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center. The university and festival announced that events previously held at the Tolley Dental Tent on the Winchester Medical Center campus are moving to the Athletics & Events Center. The venue will also host Shenandoah’s first indoor commencement ceremony in May 2018, and many other community events are being scheduled!
Tracy FitzsimmonsImagine a facility that allows the university to host major lectures, concerts and indoor graduation. Imagine that same facility can serve the unmet needs of our community — a place where you could have a sit-down dinner for a thousand people. You could have indoor graduations for local high schools or the community college. Where festivals, not-for-profit organizations, companies could host major events. This is the kind of gift that impacts broadly across the entire Northern Shenandoah Valley.” —Tracy Fitzsimmons, President of Shenandoah University
Attend An Event

Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival at Shenandoah University

About the Facility

The New Athletics & Events Center Includes:

  • A 200-­meter, six­-lane competition track with eight sprint lanes and throwing, sand pit and pole vaulting areas
  • A wooden basketball and volleyball playing surface
  • Inclement weather practice space for all teams
  • A curtain system to accommodate multiple practices simultaneously
  • A university and community events location with area for a stage and seating capacity for 5,000 people
  • Home and away locker room facilities, concession stand and satellite athletic training area
  • Additional parking spaces

More Athletics Projects at Shenandoah:

Sprint Field at Shentel Stadium also saw a facelift this year with FieldTurf XTHD-57 featuring permanent, inlaid lines for field hockey, football, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse and men's and women's soccer.
 
A new parking garage beside the facility is set to be completed in early May 2018—just in time for graduation!
 
The university is in the preliminary planning phase for a baseball/softball complex!

Thank you to James R. Wilkins, Jr.

Naming The James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center

One of the university’s most ardent supporters, James R. “Jimmy” Wilkins, Jr. is a member of the university’s board of trustees and co-chair of the Athletics & Events Center Steering Committee. Wilkins’ father, James R. Wilkins, Sr., was chairman of the College Project Committee which pushed for university’s move to Winchester in 1960, and served as chairman of the board of trustees for almost 30 years. The 77,000-square-foot indoor athletic facility serves the university’s 21 athletics teams, the entire university community, and the local and regional communities.

Construction Progress