Vanderbilt Unveils $350M Huber Center for Basketball Excellence

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt University celebrated the grand opening of the Huber Center, a state-of-the-art basketball operations and practice facility, on Jan. 24, 2025. The $350 million project, funded by alumni George B. Huber and his wife Cathy alongside over 4,000 donors, marks a pivotal moment in the university’s Vandy United campaign to elevate its athletic programs.

The four-story facility, located in the north end zone of FirstBank Stadium, features separate practice gyms for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, cutting-edge training amenities, and direct access to the historic Memorial Gymnasium. It is one of the largest standalone basketball facilities in the nation.

“The Huber Center suits a university that dares to grow in so many ways,” said Candice Storey Lee, Vanderbilt’s vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director. “I can say with complete confidence that there is no better basketball facility in the nation.”

Chancellor Daniel Diermeier emphasized the facility’s alignment with Vanderbilt’s values. “The Huber Center embodies our effort to build the great university of the 21st century—a place where the best and brightest will realize their full potential,” he said during the dedication ceremony.

George Huber, whose family’s name graces the building, expressed pride in the community effort behind the project. “Athletics are an essential part of a university’s identity—how it defines itself and how the world sees it,” he said. “We believe our basketball programs can embody the excellence that Vanderbilt strives for in everything it does.”

The Huber Center includes a hydrotherapy suite, a top-tier weight room, and locker rooms equipped with recreational amenities like ping pong tables and arcade games. Both basketball teams have already begun using the facility, with the men’s team boasting a 15-4 record and the women’s team at 16-4 this season.

Women’s basketball head coach Shea Ralph praised the facility’s impact on student-athletes. “What you have created for our student-athletes is a day-to-day representation of what it’s possible for them to achieve on and off the basketball court,” she said.

Men’s basketball head coach Mark Byington echoed the sentiment, calling the Huber Center “the nicest weight room I’ve seen regardless of sport.” He added, “With all these things, it’s just about taking care of our student-athletes in the best possible way.”

The Huber Center is the second major project completed under the Vandy United initiative, which has raised over $350 million to date. The campaign aims to enhance Vanderbilt’s athletic facilities and support student-athletes in achieving success both on and off the court.