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SOUTH BEND — The Notre Dame football program is still soaking in the novelty of Shields Family Hall, the sprawling facility that welcomed the team on July 31, just in time for preseason practices. The building, which spans more than 150,000 square feet and cost an estimated $100 million, replaces the aging Guglielmino Athletics Complex, a 97,000-square-foot structure that had served as the team's headquarters for 21 years.
Senior safety and captain Adon Shuler admitted Tuesday at Notre Dame Stadium that he is still navigating the new surroundings. "I'm still learning the building," Shuler said. "I keep joking around with Drayk (Bowen) like, 'We need a map.' That's how big the building is."
Shuler described the transition as a major upgrade and a welcome change during the grueling August training period. "It's just humbling," he added. "I haven't really been able to enjoy the whole thing yet, but we're going to be in there all day and night during camp. It's just really cool to be able to have all the intangibles to recover, meet with your coaches, the experience rooms. All of that will just help me be a better person and a better football player."
Recovery Room Takes Center Stage
Fellow captain Drayk Bowen, a senior linebacker, initially pointed to the dining hall as his favorite feature, but quickly pivoted to the recovery amenities. "The food is a huge win," Bowen said. "But as I've gotten older, I've realized how much more wear and tear you get on the body throughout long seasons. For me, the biggest thing is probably going to be the recovery room of all the things they have now that we can use that can help you get back to 100% a lot sooner."
Bowen, who earned Indiana Mr. Football honors at Andrean High School, played through a hip injury for much of 2025 before undergoing surgery in the winter. He returned to full health this summer and emphasized the importance of the new recovery facilities. "That's probably going to be the biggest thing for us and for our team is the recovery room," he said. "How fast guys are going to be able to get back from a game but also just overall injury. You're trying to get back from an injury that maybe we didn't have before that we do now. That's going to be a big piece for our team."
Head coach Marcus Freeman, entering his fifth full season, praised the facility as an invaluable asset for recruiting and player development. "It's unbelievable," Freeman said. "Credit to (chief operating officer) Ron Powlus and everybody that really spent a lot of time thinking about what our players need. It serves our players in a way they've never been served before, and they deserve it."
Freeman noted that the building's benefits extend beyond player comfort. "They have the best of the best — everything," he said. "I got a text from a coach I really respect that dealt with moving into a new building. He said you don't even realize how valuable that will be to the teaching and coaching. I'm excited for them to use it, for me to learn all the different teaching tools and how they can utilize it. I don't want to compare (this to) anybody else's. I know at some point it will get old, but every time I walk in there, I'm in awe."
Originally reported by yahoo.