One decade after the first announcement of a huge donation by UW-Eau Claire alumni John and Carolyn Sonnentag and two years after groundbreaking on the project, what is now known as The Sonnentag opened in July. The 226,000-square-foot, $122 million facility along Menomonie Street, east of Clairemont Avenue, is the new home to UW-Eau Claire Blugolds basketball, indoor football practice, sports medicine, and more.

Overseeing operations of The Sonnentag is General Manager Wyatt Tinnen. Events at the facility extend beyond athletics to concerts, and he envisions The Sonnentag contributing to the Chippewa Valley’s economic growth. “This state-of-the-art facility will not only serve as a premier venue for the university’s athletic programs, significantly elevating the experience for student-athletes and fans alike, but it will also become a central hub for concerts, community events, family shows, and conventions,” Tinnen says.

Arguably, the greatest public attention will go to the basketball programs’ transition from UWEC’s 72-year-old Zorn Arena to the Sonnentag Event Center. Inside, two video boards adorn the west and east walls; the latter sits above a seating section behind the east basket. According to Women’s Basketball Coach Tonja Englund, “The impact the Sonnentag Center has made already is immense and we are looking forward to seeing all of our fans fill the The Sonnentag for the first basketball game on Nov. 9!”

BLUGOLDS TAKE THE FLOOR. UW-Eau Claire Chancellor James Schmidt, far right, shows off the new Sonnentag Event Center to donors Carolyn and John Sonnentag, center, while Eau Claire Community Complex President Kimera Way, far left, looks on.

Men’s Basketball Coach Zach Malvik notes the effect of the move to the Event Center. “It will greatly benefit our current student athletes by giving them all the tools necessary to continue to grow as athletes with our locker room, weight room, team room, (and) training room all in one location,” he says. “It will also have a great impact on our recruiting as there isn’t another facility around that rivals what we have here.”

The new arena is billed as the largest indoor event venue in the region. It has 3,250 fixed seats and can accommodate 5,000 people when floor seating and standing-room spaces are included.

Another potential impact on UWEC’s athletic recruiting comes via the other sizable indoor space at The Sonnentag. This one is known as the John & Carolyn Sonnentag Fieldhouse, named for the couple who donated $70 million in cash and property to the university to make the project possible. The Fieldhouse is 81,300 square feet, including a regulation-sized artificial turf football field. Additionally, the venue is sufficiently large to host Blugolds softball games.

The John & Carolyn Sonnentag Fieldhouse, a full-sized indoor football practice field.

Those looking to maintain fitness are now able to use the Center For Health and Wellbeing. Located on the south side of the Event Center, this facility provides numerous types of equipment, with a view facing the Chippewa River. The facility is open to members of the university community (including students, faculty, and staff) and Mayo Clinic Health System employees.

The complex is also home to the Mayo Clinic Health System Diagnostic Imaging & Sports Medicine Center, an in-facility location for sports medicine infrastructure. Mayo Clinic Health System practitioners in other areas, including Orthopedics and Physical Therapy, will be available to work on those specialties at offices inside The Sonnentag.

In addition to the aforementioned primary features, one will find a Blugolds store immediately to the right of the main entrance facing Menomonie Street. Blugolds athletic history is displayed along the lobby walls, including some bleachers from Zorn Arena.

All Blugolds Athletics offices will now be based at The Sonnentag. According to Athletic Director Jason Verdugo, “The Sonnentag is a game-changer for Blugold athletics, promising immense benefits for all our student-athletes.”

The Center for Health and Wellbeing.

The land around the facilities is also evolving. A Springhill Suites Hotel is under construction to the west, while a roundabout on Menomonie Street was completed earlier this summer to assist with traffic from both The Sonnentag and Hobbs Ice Center. In the spring of 2025, a pedestrian underpass will be constructed at the location of the current crosswalk near Roadside Ice Cream & Diner.

Eau Claire Community Complex President Kimera Way sees The Sonnentag as “a welcoming space” for those on and off campus. “UW-Eau Claire and the UW-Eau Claire Foundation are fortunate to have tens of thousands of amazing alumni supporting our mission to create remarkable opportunities for Blugolds, and The Sonnentag will have a positive impact on students, faculty, staff, and the community for decades to come,” she says.

Learn more about the facility online at thesonnentag.com.

GRAND OPENING EVENTS

While The Sonnentag officially opened earlier this year on July 15, grand opening events are scheduled during the second full week of September. Here are highlights:

• The inaugural official athletic event is the Sandy Schumacher Memorial Tournament in the Sonnentag Event Center, hosted by Women’s Volleyball. The first Blugolds match is 1pm Friday, Sept. 13, vs. Colorado College.
• Three nights before, on Tuesday Sept. 10, the first entertainment event at The Sonnentag will be a performance by comedian Brian Regan. The first concert will be headlined by country musician Chris Young, taking place Thursday, Sept. 12.
• The grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting will occur at 11am on Thursday, Sept. 12.

More information, including dates and times for several open house events, can be found at thesonnentag.com/grand-opening.