UC Davis unveils $265M ‘Aggie Ascent’ plan to ‘expand, elevate’ sports facilities
A planned $50 million stadium expansion is the centerpiece of a $265 million project to remake UC Davis’ athletic facilities, university officials announced this week.
The initiative, labeled “Aggie Ascent,” will expand the campus’ UC Davis Health Stadium to include premium seating, suites and an events center; erect a new $14.5 million Woody Wilson Track & Field Complex, named for the coach and university legend who led the track and field team for 32 years; and build a $18.5 million golf training center that will support the university’s golf programs and be open to the public.
A new softball stadium with locker rooms and team spaces was also included in the plan, alongside improvements that would, in university officials’ words, “expand and elevate” UC Davis’ baseball, soccer and University Credit Union Center venues.
UC Davis leaders unveiled the project as the university plans its move next year from the Big Sky Conference to the NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference, calling it a “bold new facilities master plan that defines the next chapter for UC Davis Athletics.”
Sixteen sports are moving to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27. More than 650 UC Davis student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, said university officials.
“This plan captures the climb ahead of us and the belief that our student-athletes and fans deserve an experience that matches the excellence of UC Davis,” said Rocko DeLuca, the university’s director of athletics. “Every project, from the stadium district to the golf center, represents a step forward and building something uniquely ours.”
The master plan will rely on what leaders Friday called a “gift-driven approach,” to include private support, venue naming opportunities at UC Davis Health Stadium and strategic opportunities. The project early on will prioritize venues most likely to generate revenue and community interest on game days, officials said in their statement.
Design and architecture firm ELS Architecture and Urban Design was selected to lead the project. The Berkeley-based firm has developed athletic and performing arts facilities at UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, Stanford and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“Our campus has always been defined by progress,” said Chancellor Gary S. May, in the statement. “Aggie Ascent captures that forward momentum by combining thoughtful design, sustainable growth and a commitment to student success. It reflects the same excellence that defines UC Davis across academics, research and innovation.”
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 12:11 PM.
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