Miami reveals plans for huge football center; Radakovich talks prominent booster John Ruiz

The Miami Hurricanes, criticized for years for their facilities being behind other major college sports programs, officially announced on Wednesday its plans “to build a new football operations center,’’ what the university calls its “forever home” for Hurricanes football.

The facility will encompass more than 172,000 square feet, with the overall project exceeding 215,000 square feet, according to a UM release. UM said the complex will house the “best necessities and amenities” in areas that include sports medicine, strength and conditioning, nutrition, sports psychology and personal branding.”

“We’re excited about moving forward with this,’’ UM athletic director Dan Radakovich said Wednesday on WQAM. “This is going to provide our football program with a state-of-the-art complex that will give us everything we need all in one building. ...We’re looking to make sure that this building really creates an atmosphere that prospective student-athletes really know and understand that the University of Miami is committed to having an incredible football program.”

The university has partnered with Arquitectonica and HOK to design the project, “which includes a seven-story football operations building, canal bridge connecting to the existing Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility, a parking garage with 555 spaces and a ground-level dining center to serve all UM student-athletes.”

Some highlights

▪ The “centerpiece” of seventh floor, a 7,500-square-foot rooftop terrace with views of campus and Miami skyline that includes digital media lab and Name, Image and Likeness suite and multipurpose gymnasium.

▪ Third-floor athletic training and medical facilities with hydrotherapy, state-of-the-art recovery spa that includes saltwater float tanks, red light therapy, meditation room and relaxation lounge

▪ Fourth-floor auditorium, team meeting rooms and “primary recruiting lounge and recruiting reception area.”

▪ Fifth-floor locker rooms and fitness center for coaches and staff.

UM said the “expansive first-floor lobby will be open to all UM campus visitors” and will house the team locker room, equipment room, nutrition center and dining hall. “In addition, there is a second-level recruiting corridor featuring an immense, 360-degree digital experience showing the past and present of Hurricanes football.”

UM will soon reveal its fundraising campaign for the project, expected to exceed $100 million.

NIL and John Ruiz

WQAM host Joe Rose asked Radakovich how he feels about Miami attorney and prominent Hurricanes booster John Ruiz, who is vocal on social media and as of this past June told the Miami Herald he had signed “about 115 athletes” to a combined Name, Image and Likeness payroll of “somewhere around $7 million” for the year to promote his companies LifeWallet and/or Cigarette Racing Team.

The new era of college sports began in July 2021 when Florida was one of several states to allow college athletes to accept sponsorships and earn money for their name, image and likeness.

“I’ve gotten a chance over this first year to get to know John a bit and I would agree with you he loves the University of Miami,’’ Radakovich said. “His sons played baseball here. He’s a graduate. I mean, he has the the good of the university at heart. He’s also a really good businessman.

“And as we talked a little while ago about name, image and likeness and being able to get a return on the investment, I would think that as he looks at his businesses and how he has utilized student-athletes to help further his business operations with Life Wallet and other parts of his his corporate structure, it has been very positive for John. So I think as long as those things continue to move forward, he will continue to be a really big force as it relates to name image and likeness, [and] not just for the University of Miami — he has student athletes all over the country. He is absolutely getting that return on the investment.

“When that ceases,’’ Radakovich said, “then I think you’ll see a fundamental shift in how all this works.”