Posted: May 21, 2024

Pat Connaughton Foundation Helps Give R. John Buuck Field House Needed Renovations

MEQUON, Wis. – The R. John Buuck Field House is getting renovated this summer with help from the Pat Connaughton Foundation, Catalyst Construction, Three Leaf Partners, and the CUW Student Government Association. There will be three key aspects to the renovations this summer, adding a fresh coat of paint on the walls, new bleachers, and new flooring throughout the field house. The renovations will create a safer and more refreshing experience for the student-athletes, staff, and spectators inside of the R. John Buuck Field House.

"I am pleased to announce that we have begun renovations of the R. John Buuck Fieldhouse, said Director of Athletics Dr. Rob Barnhill. "The fieldhouse serves thousands of students, staff, faculty, and guests annually. Over the last few decades, the facility has hosted academic classes, graduations, CUW games, camps, clinics, concerts, NCAA regional games, Acrobatics and tumbling National Division III Tournament, a nationally televised high school showcase, leadership breakfasts, community events, and intramural and recreation programming. The renovation will address issues related to player and spectator safety as well as updating and modernizing the aesthetics of the facility. I hope our students and the CUW campus community will be pleasantly surprised in the fall when they return. I want to say a special thanks to our partners CUW Student Government Association and the Pat Connaughton Foundation along with gracious donors Catalyst and Three Leaf Partners for their financial support that made this project possible."

The R. John Buuck Field House will have new bleachers that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The new bleachers will be blue with the Concordia Wisconsin Falcons logo, with logos on the sides. The bleachers will feature railings for safety.

The flooring will be done in the field house as well this summer. The synthetic surface will be replaced with more modern colors. The main court will also be redone and will be properly marked for varsity contests on the court. The state of Wisconsin will also be prominently shown at center court.

The walls of the fieldhouse are also getting a facelift and will be a uniform shade of white, with branding updated throughout the fieldhouse.

The Pat Connaughton Foundation was founded in 2016 with the mission of creating access to athletics for the next generation of student-athletes through Courts, Clinics, and Character. The PCF focuses on teaching the translatable life skills sports teach us, including hard work, teamwork, leadership, accountability, and discipline. During the last eight years, the PCF has hosted 25 clinics, donated/refurbished 6 courts with 10 more underway, and impacted over 20,300 student-athletes in total. For more information/to support their mission, please visit www.patconnaughtonfoundation.org.

The renovations will take place over the summer and are expected to be completed for the 2024-25 athletics season. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Sept. 17 at 6:00 before the women's volleyball match.