Ball State University Athletics
October 23, 2026 | General
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State University officially opened the Eric Foss Championship Performance Center as its newest athletics facility on Thursday, Oct. 22, with President Geoffrey S. Mearns and Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell welcoming donor and alum Eric Foss as an honored guest to cut the ribbon and unveil the 11,000-square-foot facility that bears his name. The new sports venue serves as a cutting-edge strength and conditioning space that includes recovery areas and a nutrition bar for roughly 350 Ball State student-athletes.
Attached to Worthen Arena and adjacent to the Shondell Practice Facility, the new sports performance center includes office space for staff and is has flexible space to support training with multiple teams at one time. Buoyed by Foss as the project's largest donor, the facility advances Ball State's commitment to championship performance by providing student-athletes with the resources to reach their full potential -- in competition, in the classroom, and for life.
Grand Opening Storylines
Muncie Star-Press (Oct. 23, 2026): Ball State Opens New Performance Center for Student-Athletes
Muncie Star-Press (Oct. 23, 2026): What the Eric Foss Championship Performance Center Means for Ball State Athletes
Indiana Public Radio (Oct. 22, 2026): Ball State Cuts Ribbon on New Athletic Performance Center
**********
Reprinted with permission
By Andrew Walker
Ball State Magazine (Sept. 30, 2026)
When Eric Foss, '80, returns to Ball State University during Homecoming Week, the opening of the performance center bearing his name will bring his family's connection to the University full circle.
He expects the moment to be emotional.
It will take him back to arriving on campus as an 18-year-old, uncertain where college might lead. It will remind him of his parents—hardworking educators and Ball State graduates—and the Summers he spent with them in Muncie long before enrolling himself.
But for Mr. Foss, the Eric Foss Championship Performance Center is ultimately less about looking back than about what happens next.
"Hopefully, the student-athletes who are there to use it—on a day when they think they have nothing left—will do five more reps," he said, "and find a way to get more out of themselves than they thought possible."
That possibility—helping people recognize and reach their potential—connects the many chapters of Mr. Foss' life.
Please read the complete story on Eric Foss and the Cardinals' new championship performance center.
