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Florida Atlantic University Celebrates Schmidt Family Complex Opening

Florida Atlantic University celebrated the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence yesterday with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The event marked a major milestone for the transformational facility that plays a central role in elevating FAU’s academic and athletic standing while helping students reach their greatest potential.

The Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence received initial funding of $16 million from the Schmidt Family Foundation, the largest single gift in FAU’s history.

florida atlantic“FAU has demonstrated excellence in the arts, engineering, the sciences, business, education, and medicine,” said Dick Schmidt. “We all know about it, and in the coming years as we demonstrate our athletic excellence, the whole world will know about it.”

Located next to FAU Stadium, the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence houses several centers of learning and athletics. In addition to locker rooms and outdoor practice fields, the complex’s elements include:

  • Approximately 52,000 square feet of the new complex is dedicated to classrooms, conference-style study rooms, and an expansive atrium for networking and studying for students pursuing the college’s executive, professional, and sports management MBA programs. The complex also houses 60 offices for the executive education faculty and staff members.
  • The 12,000-square-foot Academic Success Center provides FAU student-athletes with a comprehensive support program focusing on academic, personal, and professional excellence. The center includes nine tutor suites, a career center, computer laboratories, and two study hall rooms to create an environment that fosters well-balanced development and reinforces the highest academic standards and performance while providing the resources to prepare them for careers beyond collegiate athletics.

A permanent exhibit featuring artifacts from the former Kansas City Royals owner and longtime Boca Raton resident’s private collection, this 3,500-square-foot space showcases the museum’s more than 1,200 pieces in exhibits that offer visitors an intimate and visual progression of American sports alongside vignettes of the country’s growth. The museum is free to visit and open to the public.

  • The Christine E. Lynn Sports Medicine Center
  • Lynn, a long-time and dedicated benefactor of FAU, named the center to provide FAU student-athletes with an environment in which preventative treatment and post-competition healing are at the forefront. The center includes specially designed areas for pre-habilitation, rehabilitation, and hydrotherapy treatments, as well as offices for training staff.
  • As one of FAU’s “Football Founders,” Baldwin has been one of the university’s strongest supporters and has helped grow and develop Florida Atlantic Athletics, and in turn, the student-athletes. The hall continues to do that as it brings together the Owls’ finest moments and helps foster the connection between the student-athletes and FAU.