Construction for the Alan and Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance and the Sports Center Annex is well underway on the American University campus. The facilities will be up and running in the spring 2026 semester, offering a new space for student-athletes and the entire AU community to thrive.

The design of a new athletics center was addressed as early as the 2011 campus plan, when the site area and early building designs were included. “The need has been evident for quite some time,” said David Bierwirth, Associate Director of Athletics for External Relations. “Bender has been a great home, but the space and services needed to compete and excel at the highest levels required a new, state of the art facility like Meltzer Center.”

The Meltzer Center, sometimes referred to as the CAP, will provide new facilities for many of the department’s Division I athletic programs. The building will include a multi-purpose competition and practice court, a three-mat wrestling training center, hospitality and team meeting spaces, and a production studio for ESPN+ broadcasts. New sports medicine and strength and conditioning rooms will provide more resources and opportunities for student-athletes to achieve excellence.

The Sports Center Annex (SCAN) will provide resources for student-athletes and the broader student body, including a wellness hub, a shared lounge and kitchenette, classrooms, and a film room. An outdoor terrace will overlook Reeves Field and Greenberg Track, which are also being renovated. Both centers will house new coaches’ offices and locker room spaces.

The spaces will reinforce AU Athletics’ emphasis on academics, life-skills, and building community in addition to athletics performance, Bierwirth said. “It reflects the ethos of our university and the fact that our goal is to ensure each student-athlete also grows intellectually and socially during their time as an Eagle.’ That holistic approach we hold here at American University, this new development really reflects that.”

Staff and student-athletes took part in breaking ground for the facility on March 1, 2024. In the 14 months since then, Davis Construction has made tremendous progress. In early April, the crew finished drywalling in the SCAN building and began drywalling in the CAP, with the next step being electrical wiring and lighting. The brick exterior of the building will be complete soon as well. “Over the last four or five months,” Bierwirth said, “the building has taken shape such that you can now visualize the various areas and spaces that we’ve talked about on paper.  It’s really coming to life.”

The new facilities, he said, will help the university’s athletic programs meet the increasing standards of Division I athletics. As athletic facilities around the country raise the bar, American’s new facilities will rise with them.

The CAP and SCAN buildings will also form a natural bridge between American University Athletics and the broader university population. “It’s going to touch on every single student that comes to American, whether they compete inter-collegiately, on our club teams, intramurals or recreationally,” Bierwirth said.

The additional facilities will create more opportunities for not only varsity athletes but club sports and recreation as well. The addition of gym space in the CAP and an outdoor, turf surface, will allow for more practice space availability throughout the athletic department. Additionally, the broader American community will have access to the study and wellness spaces in the SCAN building, furthering their opportunities to excel in the classroom and beyond.

The new athletic buildings have progressed significantly thanks to the support of donors who support the mission of American University Athletics. The generosity of Alan and Amy Meltzer, Jack Cassell, and the Bender family has tremendously helped the vision for a new facility to become a reality. There have been several other donors to the project and the department continues to work with alumni and friends on continued support for the building. 

The Athletic Department’s Giving Day in February was an incredible success, bringing more than $400,000 to the university’s varsity teams and Champions Fund. As the Meltzer Center and Sports Center Annex approach completion in the coming months, the department is continuing to work toward its fundraising goals. “This new space certainly adds to our operational expenses as we build out the programming, staff and equipment needed to operate at our peak,” Bierwirth said. “Every naming gift to the building and increased annual donations are vital to making sure we have the funds to take full advantage of the Meltzer Center and support our students.”

If you would like to donate to the Champions Fund, please click here.