Florida State University’s Dunlap Football Center Gives Seminoles Football a New Home for Training and Recovery
February 27, 2026
TALLAHASSEE, FLA. — Amid the 2025-26 football season, Florida State University celebrated another milestone in a multi-year athletics-focused transformation: the opening of the Dunlap Football Center, a performance facility that’s designed to deliver a superior training and recovery experience to FSU’s football team.
Equipped with state-of-the-art amenities including one of the largest indoor walk-thru spaces in college football, hydrotherapy, nutrition stations, meeting spaces, weight room and an inviting recruiting lounge, every facet of the center is designed to help student-athletes excel on and off the field.
“The Dunlap Football Center combines a focus on student-athlete development, performance and recovery, along with a celebration of FSU football’s storied legacy,” said Megan Rand, Populous architect. “Subtle features reinforce the center’s connection to the university and surrounding Tallahassee community.”
The result of this thoughtful design: a facility steeped in tradition and designed for success.
“This facility embodies a holistic approach to the student-athlete experience — cultivating the mind, strengthening the body, and inspiring the spirit,” said Denver Finlinson, Populous senior architect and principal. “Every element of the facility is purposefully crafted to support peak performance and personal development, creating an environment where champions are forged both on and off the field. Through innovative design and seamless functionality, the Center stands as a model for the next generation of athletic excellence.”
The opening of the Dunlap Football Center follows the debut of the new Doak S. Campbell Stadium experience earlier this season, a $256 million renovation led by Populous and Seminole Boosters, Inc. For the $138 million Dunlap Football Center, the project team included FSU, Seminole Boosters, Inc., Populous, The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company and Catalyst as the owner’s representative.
“We are incredibly proud to celebrate this world-class facility and the positive impact it will have on the student-athletes at Florida State University,” said Chad C. Henderson, Founder/CEO & Managing Partner of Catalyst. “As an FSU alumnus, this project is especially meaningful as it represents a transformation in the future of athletics at FSU. Catalyst is deeply grateful to have contributed to such a special project. Go Noles!”
ABOUT FLORIDA STATE ATHLETICS
Representing a top-10 public university, Florida State is among the nation's elite athletic departments as it supports more than 500 student-athletes across 21 intercollegiate sports. Florida State has won 19 national championships and has claimed 148 conference titles since joining the ACC in 1991-92. The Seminoles have placed in the top-20 of the Learfield Director's Cup standings in 17 of the last 19 years, showcasing the comprehensive success of Florida State Athletics, and are consistently among the country's best in student-athlete academic performance. For more information, visit http://seminoles.com.
ABOUT SEMINOLE BOOSTERS, INC.
Seminole Boosters, Inc. is the Direct Support Organization for Florida State Athletics. Through the financial support of its 16,000 members, Seminole Boosters annually contributes more than $100 million to capital projects and the athletics department's operating budget. Visit http://boosters.fsu.edu for more information.
ABOUT POPULOUS
Populous is a global design firm that began with a singular focus — to draw people together around the things they love, through experiences that capture all the senses and amplify the pure emotion shared in human moments. Over the last 40 years, the firm has designed more than 3,500 projects worth over $60 billion across emerging and established markets. Populous’ comprehensive services include architecture, interior design, event planning and overlay, branded environments, wayfinding, and graphics, planning and urban design, landscape architecture, aviation and transport design, hospitality and sustainable design consulting. Populous has over 1,600 employees in 33 global offices on four continents with regional centers in Kansas City, London and Brisbane. For more information, visit www.populous.com.
ABOUT THE WHITING-TURNER CONTRACTING COMPANY
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company provides construction management, general contracting, design-build and integrated project delivery services on projects small and large for a diverse group of market sectors and customers. Since 1909, the firm has been guided by the principles of integrity, excellence and an unwavering dedication to customer delight. Headquarters are in Baltimore, Maryland with 60 locations across the country.
ABOUT CATALYST
Catalyst is a national healthcare-focused real estate development and investment firm. Our platform of integrated real estate services is tailored to meet the evolving needs of the healthcare industry, with expertise spanning development, acquisition, and strategic advisory. Our mission is to positively impact healthcare delivery by creating spaces that enable providers to thrive and patients to receive exceptional care. Learn more at catalysthre.com.