From pickleball’s growing popularity to post-Nationals basketball hype, the University of Florida has seen a growing demand for on-campus recreational sports sites in recent years.
The Flavet Outdoor Recreational Complex can meet it.
Interim President Kent Fuchs proposed the complex in response to the demand during his tenure as president. The project has been in the planning stages ever since and is intended to be fully functional by early 2026.
The plan includes six pickleball courts, two sand volleyball courts, three table tennis courts and lawn space, adding to the six existing tennis courts. The complex will be located on Flavet Field, near Tolbert residential area and fraternity row.
Marty Dempsey, RecSports director of facilities and operations, said one of the initiative’s main goals was to replace facilities from the Broward Outdoor Recreational Complex, which was torn down to make room for the Honors Village.
“We were very committed to making sure that the student voice was heard loud and clear and was the biggest driver in what we put into the final design,” Dempsey said.
RecSports wants the complex to offer more than sporting grounds, he said. Its design includes a shaded pavilion, green space, lawn games and hammocks for UF’s athletic and non-athletic students alike.
“We are hoping that the whole area creates almost a Central Park vibe in the middle of campus,” he said.
While the complex is the only current RecSports initiative underway, Dempsey said other in-demand facility plans may develop in the future.
Elly Beshears, a 21-year-old UF economics senior, has played beach volleyball for two years and serves as a social chair for the UF Beach Volleyball team.
“I’m super excited about that [the new complex], especially since sometimes it gets overcrowded at Southwest,” Beshears said. “You try and get a court available, showing up with your friends, but then you can’t get on one. With this initiative, sporting facilities will be made more readily accessible to the UF community.”
Jennifer Kennymore Royer, interim director of GatorWell Health Promotion Services, said the facility would have a positive effect on UF students’ holistic development.
“Physical well-being is an important aspect of overall well-being and has the potential to impact many aspects of well-being, including stress management and social connection,” Royer said.
The complex is projected to cost $6 million. It’s funded through the President’s Office and the Capital Improvement Trust Fund, a special fund used by Florida public universities to help finance construction and maintenance projects. The money comes from student tuition fees.
Jenna Cohen, a 21-year-old UF alumna and former treasurer of the UF beach volleyball team, said building the complex on UF’s main campus will help students get more involved with sports. “I feel like a lot of people got closer to outdoor activities when there was the one right by Broward, versus there only being courts that’s basically accessible only by bus or car,” Cohen said.
Connor Griffiths, a 22-year-old UF first-year medical student and former vice president of the UF table tennis club, said the only facility for table tennis is at Southwest Recreation Center.
“Having somewhere else on campus that has tables would be awesome,” Griffiths said. “It’s nice that they’re spread out, too. Everyone that lives kind of in that area could have tables nearby.”
Contact Swasthi Maharaj at smaharaj@thealligator.org. Follow her on X @s_maharaj1611.
