If the Robert Day Sciences Center pushed CMC to the very eastern edge of campus with its grand unveiling last year, the next wave of the Roberts Campus is ready for its long-awaited step across—and under—Claremont Boulevard.
The Sports Bowl at the Roberts Campus, a new set of state-of-the-art facilities and playing fields for CMS Athletics, officially opened with football activities this month. It is also open to the CMC community for recreational use—with access now available under Claremont Boulevard via the Arcade, a brand-new walking passage that leads directly into the main bowl.
Part of the Roberts Campus master plan announcement in 2022, the addition of the Robert Day Sciences Center, along with the reorientation of various athletic fields in the Sports Bowl, will open up spaces for future improvements to the CMC campus. This includes new academic facilities, pathways and gathering spaces, and additional campus housing opportunities—Roberts Campus projects made possible through the next decade by a generous $140 million gift from CMC Trustee George Roberts ’66 P’93.
As for CMC’s newest architectural gem, the Sports Bowl further reflects the excellence and ambition demonstrated by CMS scholar-leader-athletes both in competition and inside the classroom. Following the blueprint of two of CMC’s finest multi-use examples, Roberts Pavilion and the Biszantz Family Tennis Center, the Sports Bowl is a bold, innovative investment in championship-caliber facilities for the entire campus to use and enjoy.
“The Roberts Campus enhances our ability to fulfill our educational mission,” President Will Dudley said. “The creation of the Sports Bowl to the east of Claremont Boulevard not only provides extraordinary opportunities for athletic competition, training, health, and wellness, but also unlocks potential across the entire CMC campus for academic and social facilities and activities.”
Designed by world-renowned architects BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, who also worked on the award-winning Robert Day Sciences Center, the Sports Bowl’s Phase One completion includes the Arcade, Patrick G. Rogan Stadium (football, track and field, and lacrosse), Brown Family Central Plaza (a courtyard area between baseball and softball fields), a golf training center, and a variety of walkable pathways and environmentally supportive landscapes. By the end of September, a 400-space parking structure, Rogan Stadium field houses (with restrooms and vending at the north field house), and baseball and softball fields (with their associated training facilities) will be completed.
Significantly, the Roberts Campus doubles the overall CMC footprint to over 150 acres, extending the border from the existing main campus across Claremont Boulevard to the east. A signalized intersection at Ninth Street and Claremont Boulevard creates a new, safe, and convenient pedestrian path for travel to the Sports Bowl, with streetlights, bike lanes, and other improvements set for completion in October.
“When CMC had the chance to acquire the land east of Claremont Boulevard previously known as ‘The Pit,’ we knew it presented a unique opportunity for the College,” said Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus David Mgrublian ’82 P’11, who has overseen the project on behalf of the Board. “Starting with the Robert Day Sciences Center, we could open the main campus for future development but also deliver a best-in-class NCAA Division III athletic facility. Thankfully, George Roberts supported this vision, and the Sports Bowl at the Roberts Campus is now a reality.”
The unique concept of a “sports bowl” sprouted from the idea of reusing the existing form of the 75-acres ‘Pit’ as a gravel quarry, said Aran Coakley, associate with BIG, who also worked on the science building. Rather than importing large volumes of earth to level the site—“which would have been time consuming, costly, and energy intensive”—the design turns the quarry into a series of sports fields nested within a larger bowl. “By recontouring elements of the existing topography into tiers, enough space was created for multiple sports fields, with parts of the embankments able to be used for spectator seating,” he added.
The new Sports Bowl’s sustainability also extends beyond the creative use of the terrain. Because of its lower elevation, the quarry had naturally been functioning as a gathering point for stormwater runoff. BIG saw this as an “opportunity for the Sports Bowl to help replenish the regional water supply. Through a combination of native plantings, permeable soils, and a large stormwater chamber under the football field, over seven million cubic feet of water can be filtered and recharged through the Sports Bowl each year.
“By repurposing the form of the quarry and allowing for onsite groundwater replenishment, the design for the new Sports Bowl transforms an abandoned quarry into an innovative and sustainable athletic complex,” Coakley said.
On the horizon for the full completion of Phase One’s southern half: A home for CMC ROTC (a shared program with several California colleges), which will be sited in the east field house by Rogan Stadium, along with new facilities for groundskeeping and maintenance. Further changes include the relocation of CMC’s Public Safety & Emergency Management department to the Sports Bowl’s parking structure on the lower level, providing expanded facilities for the College’s security team. Public Safety has hired additional officers to patrol and respond to calls for assistance on CMC’s larger campus footprint.
The opening of Sports Bowl fields and facilities will also trigger a series of notable changes starting this fall, including Nakasone Field’s availability next to Roberts Pavilion. With soccer, softball, and baseball moving into their new designated areas, Pritzlaff Field will be open to more intramural, club, and recreational sports activities. Additionally, this will create multiple-use opportunities among campus groups at Parents Field.
“What’s been especially impressive is how thoughtfully the Sports Bowl has been designed to connect and enhance the entire CMC campus,” said Ken Valach ’82, Chair of CMC’s Board of Trustees. “I’m deeply grateful to the outstanding CMC and CMS Athletics teams, along with the architects, planners, and construction crews whose talent, dedication, and hard work have brought this ambitious vision to life and created a remarkable new chapter for our campus.”
While the Sports Bowl is open for daily recreational use, mark your calendars for the first official game when CMS Football hosts its season opener against the University of Northwestern (Minn.) on Sept. 5. It’s a moment that CMS Athletics has been looking forward to since ground first broke at the Sports Bowl, a “dream come true for all of us—our new launching pad for scholar-leader-athletes to showcase their skills and dedication,” said Erica Perkins Jasper, William B. Arce Director of Athletics, Physical Education & Recreation and George R. Roberts Fellow.
“We encourage everyone, especially those on campus and close to Claremont, to visit and cheer on CMS Athletics during these early games at the Sports Bowl,” she added. “For students, there are so many new opportunities for you to get a morning run in, socialize with friends, or show your campus spirit to create an unbeatable home field advantage. This is truly a one-of-a-kind venue where you can enjoy the Southern California outdoors and all that makes CMC special.”
Look for more information about the Sports Bowl at the Roberts Campus, including general use and hours for the community, soon.