UCF athletics director Danny White couldn’t have asked for a better backdrop for a groundbreaking.
The tiny sounds of a steel drum emanated from a small patch of sandy beach placed next to Spectrum Stadium Saturday morning, greeting a small group of boosters and alumni. A lifeguard chair, surfboards, beach balls and tiki torches provided the little extra touches for the beach theme.
A year from now, this tiny plot of sand will give way to McNamara Cove, which will feature a 600-foot lazy river, pools and sand volleyball courts.
“This is another step in the growth of our athletics department,” White told a crowd of about 40 people attending the groundbreaking. “McNamara Cove will create the most exciting tailgating experience in all of college football. I don’t think there is anything close.
“We’ll introduce cove-gating in the fall of 2020 for our fans. I know people are really excited about that.”
It’s the next phase in the $30 million Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village, which included the Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership and the Garvy Center for Student-Athlete Nutrition. In addition to an over-the-top tailgating experience, UCF has said athletes will get a chance to regularly use McNamara Cove.
“So many of our facilities are aimed at our student-athletes coming together,” White said.
Construction on the cove will begin after the football season and is slated to be completed by the 2020 football season. The cove costs will be covered by a $1 million donation from Tom and Stacey McNamara. UCF officials said no student fees or public funds will be used for the cove.
“This is a cove. It’s a little smaller than I thought it would be,” Tom McNamara joked to the crowd. “It’s got a little room for improvement.”
“Athletics, in general, has been an integral part of our relationship with UCF as well as the other academic means that we’ve given to the school,” said McNamara, who met his wife Stacey at a UCF football game.
While the school is offering 250 all-inclusive membership packages to the cove, the facilities will also provide an unusual recruiting tool.
“I think it speaks just to the uniqueness of our program and the uniqueness of this university and the experience that our kids have here,” UCF coach Josh Heupel said. “I don’t think anybody else has anything like it in college football. It’s a cool perk and amenity for our current student-athletes and it’s great for recruiting as well, and then on game day it’s the most unique tailgating experience in college football.”
