October 14, 2021

Ed Robson Arena Opens in Olympic City USA

Colorado College vs St. Lawrence, Robson Arena

Colorado Springs has a vision: one which embraces the city’s history as an athletic health destination, a training ground for servicemen and women, and a sports and fitness hub. For more than 40 years, Colorado Springs has been the home of Team USA and over 60 national and international sports organizations. More than 15,000 elite athletes visit and train in the city annually.

In September 2021, Colorado College held its ribbon cutting for the Edward J. Robson Arena — yet another rung in Colorado Springs’ ascent to its title of Olympic City USA. The 120,000 square foot arena was named after the college athlete who was granted leave from the U.S. Marine Corps to play for the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team at the 1956 Olympic Winter Games.

This is only the beginning of a growing dynamic sports ecosystem emphasized through Colorado Springs’ City for Champions (C4C) initiative.

Photo Credit: Colorado College

The Edward J. Robson Arena at Colorado College

For the first time in the history of the organization, the Colorado College Tigers are practicing and competing on campus in their own 3,400-seat arena — drastically reducing travel time and bringing new life to the downtown area. As the new home of the Colorado Tigers hockey team, Ed Robson Arena is much more than just an ice hockey field. The arena also includes retail space, restaurants, and a parking garage for a true tailgate experience for Colorado Springs hockey fans.

Unique in size and scope, the arena is optimized for high level athletic competition with a comprehensive sports-medicine facility, flexible floor space, and in-house production capability. The Ed Robson Arena has the capacity to host non-ice events for the entire Colorado Springs community.

Adjacent to the Ed Robson Arena is the new Yalich Center, which houses Colorado College’s health and wellbeing services, student bookstore, mail center, restaurants, and art studio. Yalich Center is named for Barbara Yalich, the renowned community leader who served as executive director of the Health Association of Pikes Peak and the El Paso County Mental Health Association.

Photo Credit: Colorado College

Winning projects in Olympic City USA

Colorado Springs’ City for Champions projects are quickly amplifying the city’s reputation as a destination for world-class athletes. Three other initiatives preceded the Ed Robson Arena: the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum (which opened in July 2020), the William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center (which opened in August 2020), and the Switchbacks FC’s Weidner Field (which opened in April 2021).

  • The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum is a 60,000 square foot museum which includes the Olympic Hall of Fame, 20,000 square feet of exhibition space, an outdoor public amphitheater, and 8,000 square feet of flex space for private and special events.
  • The Hybl Center is a $61 million sports facility at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), serving everyone from professional athletes to recreational individuals and solidifying Colorado Springs’ reputation as a sports and medical technology haven. The facility is the first of its kind to place graduate and undergraduate education directly beside clinical practice and research — allowing UCCS to train the next generation of sports medicine professions.
  • Weidner Field is the new, 8,000 seat home of the Switchbacks FC. Unique to the stadium is The Epicenter — a 164,000 thousand pound, 35-foot-tall silver ringed art sculpture representing Olympic City USA. Similar to the Ed Robson Arena, Weidner Field is available to host non-sporting events. Both facilities are estimated to have a total $32 million annual economic impact on the Pikes Peak region, amounting to $1 billion in revenue for the city over the next three decades.

Additional projects under the City for Champions initiative are coming into focus as well, such as The United States Air Force Academy Gateway Visitor Center. In tandem with this project will be 51-acres of new development in Colorado Springs, including hotels, new businesses, and available office space.

Colorado Springs is building for the future – from being the only city endorsed by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee as Olympic City USA to top ranked institutions like Colorado College becoming only the eighth institution in North America to achieve carbon neutral status. Contact us to learn more about growing your sports business in the Pikes Peak Region.