GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina University Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert announced today a proposed indoor building on the Grady-White Boats Athletic Campus will be named the Isley Indoor Performance Center. The ECU Board of Trustees approved the name at its meeting on Friday morning.
"An indoor facility on our athletics footprint will be a powerful tool in recruiting for our coaches and be an essential space for our sport programs throughout the year," Gilbert said. "The investment by Van and Jennifer Isley makes this project realistic and we will begin looking at distinctive designs. We have had numerous individuals step up for the campaign to move this facility forward and strengthen our athletics department."
Van and Jennifer Isley made a $5 million investment to support the Pirates Unite Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence. It marked the largest one-time philanthropic gift in ECU Athletics and Pirate Club history.
"Our family is blessed to be able to give back to a place we cherish," Van Isley said. "Today is exciting because you begin to see the possibilities and the impact an indoor facility will have on all Pirate sport programs. I hope Pirate Nation will continue to invest in the campaign and push this project to the finish line."
The proposed 101,000 square-foot indoor facility will consist of a steel structure, a 120-yard synthetic turf football practice field, LED lighting, scoreboards, clocks, sound system and graphics.
The facility will reside on top of the current multipurpose turf field next to the existing football turf practice facility. All sport programs will have access to the facility to train.
Construction will begin when funding is complete. For more information about the Pirates Unite Campaign for Comprehensive Excellence, please visit
ecupirateclub.com/piratesunite.
