Medical and leadership teams will operate out of a state-of-the-art, 5,000-square-foot research facility, laboratory and office space at the Constellation Center for Excellence
Collection of highly experienced medical professionals will work to identify solutions through research, technology, and training that enhance player performance, safety, health and wellness
CANTON, Ohio – July 20, 2020 – Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company (“HOFV”) (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the only resort, entertainment and media company centered around the power of professional football, today announced a groundbreaking sports safety research initiative in partnership with NFL Alumni Health, a wholly owned subsidiary of the NFL Alumni Association.
NFL Alumni Health will leverage its relationships across the health spectrum to bring together a team of leaders in neuroscience recovery and brain optimization for athletes, who will operate out of a state-of-the-art, 5,000-square-foot research facility and laboratory that will be located inside the Constellation Center for Excellence at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls in Canton, Ohio. These medical professionals will focus on identifying solutions that will enhance the cognitive performance, along with the overall health and wellness, of athletes around the world through research, technology and training. The program will study the impact of both professional and juvenile sports on the minds and bodies of current and former players, with the goal of cultivating scientific breakthroughs that will ultimately improve game performance, make sports safer overall, and optimize the quality of life following a sports career.
“When envisioning the Constellation Center for Excellence, our goal was for it to one day serve as the epicenter of sports-related research and programming. As a result of this partnership with NFL Alumni Health and this initiative dedicated to improving brain health, that day is now in sight,” said Michael Crawford, President and CEO of HOFV. “The Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls will now be a destination that houses some of the top minds and research facilities in sports medicine in addition to one that draws in thousands of youth and professional athletes each year from all over the country. This is an important and exciting day for our company, and we look forward to all the potential health and safety benefits that will result.”
“NFL Alumni Health is designed to serve our membership,” said Kyle Richardson, Co-Director of NFL Alumni Healthcare Initiatives, “and establishing our facility elevates the opportunity to improve the quality of life following their NFL careers. Having the Constellation Center for Excellence as the home of our performance research team is the start of making a positive impact for many people for many years to come.”
Located in the west endzone of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, the 75,000-square-foot Constellation Center for Excellence is currently under construction and on track to open in late summer 2021. It will house corporations, brands and professionals, who, like the NFL Alumni Health initiative, are dedicated to making a difference in their respective fields. In addition to the medical research facility and laboratory, plans are currently being evaluated to add an on-site treatment center at the Hall of Fame Village. Programming related to the NFL Alumni Health initiative is slated to kick off in summer 2022.
Dean Dalton, former NFL coach and current Executive Director of the NFL Alumni Academy, who has dedicated his career to ensuring athletes receive proper training to improve their well-being and longevity, was integral to the formation of NFL Alumni Health and the initiatives that it will spearhead.
Dalton stated, “Bringing NFL Alumni Health to the Hall of Fame Village is a tremendous victory for improving the health and wellness of our membership while it also is a fantastic win for player prospects invited to attend the NFL Alumni Academy, as they will receive the benefits of cognitive performance training to further improve their opportunities to sign an NFL contract.”
About the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company
The Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW) is a resort and entertainment company leveraging the power and popularity of professional football and its legendary players in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company is the owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, a multi-use sports, entertainment and media destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame's campus. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.HOFREco.com.
About the NFL Alumni Association
The NFL Alumni Association is oldest and most recognizable national organization of retired former athletes. The NFL Alumni Association serves former National Football League players, coaches and other employees whose “Caring for our Own” mission is to serve, assist and inform former players and their families. NFL Alumni Health is an entity focused on health and wellness initiatives to improve the quality of life for NFL Alumni membership and their families. The association offers a variety of medical, financial and social programs to help members lead healthy, productive and connected lives, as well as philanthropic and community initiatives under the NFL Alumni’s “Caring for Kids” programs. The NFL Alumni Association hosts the NFL Alumni Academy Player Development Program each football season at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls in Canton, Ohio. www.NFLalumniHealth.org
About the NFL Alumni Academy
The NFL Alumni Academy provides a pathway for the top-graded free agent players that were released from NFL training camps to return to the NFL by giving them the opportunity to further develop their skills and realize their potential by training under the tutelage of elite former NFL coaches, players and performance coaches. The Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls will initially serve as the NFL Alumni Academy’s headquarters and training facility. The Academy will then move to the Center for Performance, which will be located on the Village’s campus and is anticipated to be completed in 2022. The Center for Performance will feature an 80,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art indoor field house and training facility, among other amenities.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made herein are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words and phrases such as “opportunity,” “future,” “will,” “goal,” and “look forward” and other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results, and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside the Company’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include the inability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the business combination; costs related to the business combination; the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the Company’s shares on Nasdaq; the Company’s ability to manage growth; the Company’s ability to execute its business plan and meet its projections; potential litigation involving the Company; changes in applicable laws or regulations; general economic and market conditions impacting demand for the Company’s products and services, and in particular economic and market conditions in the resort and entertainment industry; the potential adverse effects of the ongoing global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on capital markets, general economic conditions, unemployment and the Company’s liquidity, operations and personnel, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed from time to time in our reports and other public filings with the SEC. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Media/Investor Contacts:
For HOFV
Media Inquiries
Public.Relations@hofreco.com
Investor Inquiries
Investor.Relations@hofreco.com
For NFL Alumni Health
Kyle Richardson
Kyle.Richardson@NFLalumni.org