While asks for sports-related funding rise, one Ohio university approves construction for a $242 million arena

Sports organizations and sports-affiliated organizations, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Cleveland Guardians, the Columbus Clippers, and FC Cincinnati, are seeking funding from the Ohio government, while Miami University is spending $242 million on a new multipurpose arena.

The wave of requests began after the Ohio government approved construction of a new stadium for the Cleveland Browns in the city’s suburbs.

The Ohio Office of Budget and Management shared all eight rejection letters, signed by the OBM’s Director Kimberly Murnieks, and the entire list of applicants for the Ohio Sports Facility Performance Grant Program with Ohio.News.

The organizations that received the rejection letters were Total Athlete Performance, Clark County Convention Facilities Authority, Impact60, Inc., City of Obertz, Village of New London, Monkey Business Parkour, Sandusky County Base Bandiuts, and Faith Baptist Church in Shelby County.

Among the organizations that received neither a rejection nor an approval letter are Cleveland Soccer Group, Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority, Hamilton County, Toledo Mud Hens Baseball Club, USL Toledo, DBH Dayton LLC, Akron Baseball LLC, and HWS Baseball VI LLC.

As of Wednesday, no organization that applied for government funding had been approved for the program.

According to Gongwer, the original 22 applicants requested a total of $688.8 million in grants to fund nearly $2.7 billion in projects. After eight organizations were removed from the list of applicants, the grant requests now stand at $646.5 million for $2.6 billion in projects.

Meanwhile, while other organizations are struggling and asking the state government to fund their sports-related projects, Miami University’s Board of Trustees approved a resolution on Feb. 27 to build a new multipurpose arena to replace the former primary athletic arena.

The newly announced $242 million construction project, funded via donations and university bonds, would begin in May 2026 and be completed by September 2026, with the start of the athletic season inside the new building starting in fall 2028, according to the university’s press release.

“We are in a unique and dynamic time for Miami University athletics,” Miami athletic director David Sayler said. “It is time to innovate, invest, and inspire. A new arena benefits all of Miami and will serve as a gateway and beacon for the university.”

The new multipurpose arena is expected to address space limitations and ongoing issues with systems, operations, and maintenance the university has experienced, officials wrote in the press release. The arena will also allow the university to host multiple events simultaneously, including commencements, concerts, creative arts performances, and career fairs.

The new arena was recommended last year by a committee of faculty, staff, and alumni that reviewed potential sites, with university officials saying that the new location on campus offers space for future expansion, including the potential construction of a hotel or restaurant.

The arena would include facilities notavailable at the current arena, such as two basketball practice courts and a dedicated volleyball arena, the press release said.