Cheyney University New Athletic Complex

A new home for a storied program.

Cheyney University, the nation’s first HBCU, has a basketball legacy few schools can match: a 1978 NCAA Division II men’s national championship, and a 1982 women’s team that reached the first NCAA Division I championship game. For more than 60 years, that history lived in Cope Hall. The new Athletics Complex gives the Wolves a purpose-built home for their next chapter, as the University grows enrollment and works toward a return to NCAA competition.

One gymnasium, many uses.

The design centers on a hardwood multipurpose gymnasium with three NCAA regulation courts. Retractable bleachers over the two flanking courts convert to stadium-style seating focused on the center court, creating a 2,500-seat competition venue on game day. When the bleachers are retracted, the same space supports team practice, volleyball, recreation, and campus events.

Everything athletes need under one roof.

The complex brings the full athletics program together in one building for the first time:

• • • The complex brings the full athletics program together in one building for the first time:
    • Training and weight room
    • Home and visiting team locker rooms
    • Athlete recovery room with plunge pools
    • Equipment room
    • Athletics offices
    • Ticket office and concessions
    • Multipurpose meeting room for 35 to 45 people, serving team functions and community events

A new campus hub.

A welcoming lobby and new entrance plaza connect the building, visually and physically, to the adjacent Student Center. Hardscape, seating, and landscaping make the plaza an active outdoor gathering space for students. The project also includes outdoor facilities: an NCAA-compliant, eight-lane, 400-meter track, field event areas, and a soccer field.

Status.

Ground was broken in fall 2026. The track is scheduled for completion in fall 2027, with the complex opening in 2028.