St. Thomas Aquinas College and our founding Dominican Sisters of Sparkill are delighted to announce a long-term lease agreement for the use of a 4-acre property — former St. Agnes Gymnasium and open field — nearly adjacent to the College. This major investment in our NCAA Athletics program will further support our student athletes. It is the latest in a series of strategic facilities investments expanding our campus footprint by 30% over the past two years.
The St. Agnes Gymnasium property — formerly Hallel — has approximately 4-acres of property with 9,000 square feet of Gymnasium space and includes a parking lot and nearby fields.
The College will build a new Volleyball Center, an outdoor Track with Track & Field facilities, as well as additional athletic amenities including golf simulators, softball and baseball batting cages, and equipment for Club, Intramural, and Summer Camp programs.
“St. Thomas Aquinas College has a long and proven legacy of providing outstanding athletic opportunities for our student athletes, who excel both in the classroom — within the top 10% of all NCAA Division II schools — and on the field,” said STAC President Ken Daly. “We are passionately committed to the holistic development of our students and are proud to add these popular athletic offerings for our student athletes.”
Sister Irene Ellis, Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill and STAC Board member, said: “We are thrilled to share the news of this agreement as a continuation of the longstanding support by the Dominican Sisters. Since our founding of the College in 1952 as a teaching institution, we have developed a shared mission to ‘enlighten the Mind through Truth’ and are committed to the holistic development of students so that they can make a profound difference in the world.”
The College was proud to announce the addition of Women’s and Men’s Volleyball programs as our 21st and 22nd NCAA sports. With the launch of our DII Women’s Volleyball Program and Men’s Volleyball Program anticipated to begin in the Fall of 2023 and Spring 2024, STAC leads the East Coast Conference (ECC) in NCAA sport programs.
The College has previously announced several other major completed construction projects including the Fitzpatrick Hall 72-bed housing facility, Camp Venture 12-acre property and building acquisition, as well as new student support investments, such as the Romano Student and Alumni Center, Career Center, Admissions office, and Student Financial Services office, which have revitalized and expanded the campus footprint from 60 to 76 acres.
