By Roxanne Donovan
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) has opened its $40.4 million Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence (RACE), the university’s latest milestone in a multi-tiered project that will enable the success of student-athletes and provide state-of-the-art recreational facilities to the San Antonio community. Kansas City-based Populous was the architect of record for the project, working with local architects at MarmonMok.
UTSA is dedicated to building an urban serving and community-engaged university, and the Populous-designed 
Roadrunner Athletics Center of Excellence will help fulfill that commitment. In addition to providing a world-class recreational resource for the San Antonio community, the RACE facility will serve as the central hub of UTSA Athletics, helping to attract the most competitive Division I student-athletes.
“This is a transformative moment for UTSA, and we were honored to be involved with the RACE project, not only because it sets the course for the future of UTSA Athletics, but because it will also help enrich the San Antonio community,” said Populous Associate Principal Austin Welsh. “Previously, facilities were spread throughout the campus and even off-campus. RACE provides the opportunity for student-athletes to optimize every minute of their day.”
The center spans more than 10 acres near the southwest corner of the UTSA Main Campus. The nearly 95,000-SF facility features multiple practice fields (one synthetic turf field and one field with natural grass), academic spaces, a sports medicine center, strength and conditioning facilities, locker rooms, meeting rooms, a student-athlete lounge, and office space for coaches and administrative staff.
“At UTSA, student success is at the core of everything we do. We are committed to providing all of our students, including our student-athletes, with the very best environment to enable them to achieve their full potential,” said Lisa Campos, UTSA vice president for intercollegiate athletics and athletics director. “Just as UTSA is becoming an exemplar in academics and research, UTSA Athletics is increasingly gaining national recognition. RACE will have a long-lasting impact in further propelling UTSA’s stature as a Division I competitor.”
The project featured an efficient design that concentrated on athletes use and experience, maximizing useable space with column free interior, extensive use of concrete and glass to provide natural light and views of campus while reflecting the environment of surrounding structures and topography.
Upcoming phases of the project will include the addition of a covered pavilion over the synthetic turf practice field and the construction of a facility at the university’s Park West Campus.
Joeris General Contractors served as the construction firm and Project Control served as the project manager for the RACE facility.
RACE is another foundational project in UTSA’s broader strategic vision to achieve national standing as a premier research enterprise and model Hispanic thriving institution. For more information about the UTSA RACE facility, visit their website.
