Maine Memo — February 17
Dear University of Maine community — the home turf of Black Bear Nation.
At 9 a.m., we are unveiling the $110 million athletic facilities master plan for Maine’s Division I program here at UMaine. To see it, go to goblackbears.com.
Over the next several years, we will build top-flight facilities, venues, and stadiums to benefit our student-athletes and the overall UMaine student experience, and to be a model of engagement and accessibility for the community and the state. We will focus even more on gender equity, ADA compliance, and community inclusion through thoughtful design and implementation.
When completed, this master plan will not just benefit our varsity athletes. It will provide our campus and the state with exciting, flexible space for a number of community events and academic pursuits. From high school athletic championships and STEM education fairs, to other statewide and community events for all ages, UMaine will be an even greater go-to destination.
This new chapter in Black Bear Athletics is made possible by a $90 million investment by the Harold Alfond Foundation — commitment that continues Harold Alfond’s leadership and legacy of support for education and athletics. It is part of the foundation’s $240 million grant to the University of Maine System, which also focuses on student success and retention, creation of a Maine College of Engineering, Computing and Information Science, and further development of the University of Maine Graduate & Professional Center.
We will be raising the initial $20 million match needed to get the athletics work done and do even more.
A press conference at noon today will be livestreamed: https://youtu.be/99oOgb9LlHM
Visit the website to view a new video celebrating Harold Alfond’s legacy of support for UMaine and its student-athletes. Enjoy the impressive video presentation of the plan renderings.
We’re about to make history in UMaine athletics.