Anthony P. Tippins Family Training Facility

The $12.3 million Anthony P. Tippins Family Training Facility is located adjacent to Allen E. Paulson Stadium and serves all 17 NCAA-sponsored athletic programs. The transformative project, which opened in summer of 2023, benefits the needs of all 430-plus student-athletes while also creating new revenue-generating activities for the department.

The facility features a 91,300-square-foot practice area, highlighted by a fully-covered 120-yard regulation synthetic turf football field. It also features a 30-yard practice area for supplemental drills. An advanced netting system was installed to further enhance training opportunities for the student-athletes, particularly in football, baseball, softball, men's soccer, women's soccer and women's track and field.

The facility has an interior height of 65 feet that allows for a variety of practice drills (not inclusive of live punting). The practice field has a 20-foot buffer outside the sideline perimeter that provides a safe space to conduct live play workouts.

The north and south sides of the structure are outfitted with tailgating suites that are utilized on game days. The south side suites and are positioned to have a close-up viewing of the Eagle Walk pre-game. The north side of the structure also has tailgating suites. In an effort to further enhance the fan experience at Paulson Stadium, turnkey tailgating was introduced on the practice field for the 2023 football season.

A fully-integrated lightning protection system was installed in the open-sided facility to afford year-round training. The facility design also allows for natural ventilation.

Cameras were installed throughout the facility that comprise a state-of-the-art filming system. Other amenities include full protective padding at all interior vertical surfaces for enhanced player safety, restrooms, equipment storage and an audio system.

Goodwyn, Mills, Cawood, Inc. (GMC) was the project architect and supported the project from both their Atlanta and Savannah offices in Georgia. Brassfield & Gorrie was the general contractor. Other members of the project team included Maxwell-Reddick & Associates civil engineers, Method Engineering Group M/E/P, Tharp Engineering structural engineers and Wood Environmental for geotechnical consulting.

A generous gift from the Anthony P. Tippins Family jump-started the project and the remaining costs were covered through fundraising and donations.