VIRGINIA BEACH — Regent University broke ground Friday on its latest — and most tangible — step toward a massive upgrade to its athletic facilities: a 31-acre sports complex that includes an arena, multi-use stadium, fitness center, outdoor track and baseball and softball stadiums.
Regent, a Christian school founded by Pat Robertson, has in the past two years made measured advances for its fledgling 11-sport athletic department, including pursuit of NCAA eligibility, introduction of a new mascot and varsity teams and conference affiliation.
The $50 million capital campaign to build the on-campus sports complex began last September, dubbed the “Royals Rise” campaign. On Friday, Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer, Regent Chancellor Gordon Robertson and Regent board chair Phil Walker were among those turning dirt on a sports complex slated to include:
a 2,000-seat NCAA championship arena for basketball, volleyball and other sports
a varsity weight room and fitness center
an atrium with a café, student lounge, banquet room and outdoor seating
a fully equipped sports medicine clinic for treatment and rehab
a 400-meter outdoor track and field
baseball and softball stadiums
a multi-sport stadium and soccer field
tennis courts, basketball courts and pickleball courts
A release from Regent early Friday said the athletic and fitness center “will serve Hampton Roads as a world-class venue for sporting events, high-school athletic tournaments, career fairs, and other events.”
Friday’s groundbreaking was the latest step taken by Regent since the school announced in 2023 it would pursue NCAA membership — joining nearby Virginia Wesleyan and Christopher Newport in Division III. The process requires a four-year onboarding phase, including one year of exploration and three years of provisional membership status.
Last year, Regent unveiled a new mascot — Rex the Royal, a white horse — and announced that Orlando Magic star and former NBA first-round draft pick Jonathan Isaac was partnering with the school to sponsor the men’s and women’s basketball teams and provide their shoes through his apparel brand, UNITUS.
Regent’s teams this school year became members of the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference, joining schools such as CNU, Mary Washington of Fredericksburg, Salisbury University in Maryland, Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, North Carolina, and its only West Coast member, the University of California Santa Cruz.
Baseball became Regent’s 11th varsity sport this school year.
Pat Robertson — founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network — established Regent, originally called CBN University, in Virginia Beach in 1977. He died in 2023 at 93.
Regent has more than 13,000 students, and according to the school is the largest private nonprofit university in Hampton Roads and the second-largest in Virginia.
Jami Frankenberry, jami.frankenberry@pilotonline.com
https://www.dailypress.com/2025/10/10/regent-university-breaks-ground-athletic-complex/
