ARIZONA ATHLETIC GROUNDS EXPANDS ELITE ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING THROUGH NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH SPORTS ACADEMY

PR Newswire

MESA, Ariz., May 21, 2026

NEXT GENERATION ATHLETE PERFORMANCE PLATFORM IS DESIGNED TO SERVE ATHLETES, TEAMS AND COMMUNITIES

MESA, Ariz., May 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Arizona Athletic Grounds, one of the nation’s premier sports and entertainment destinations, announced today a strategic partnership with Sports Academy that will enhance and expand AAG’s elite athlete development platform. This partnership represents a major step in national expansion for both AAG and Sports Academy as they look to establish a next-generation performance platform designed to serve athletes, teams and communities as a whole. Through this partnership, Sports Academy will assume operations of AAG’s state-of-the-art Sports Performance Center.

Built on a shared belief that athletes develop best within structured, high-performance environments, Sports Academy will bring its nationally respected training model across the AAG campus – delivering consistent systems, measurable outcomes, and a clearly defined path for athlete growth.

“Arizona Athletic Grounds was built to become a complete destination for athlete development, competition and community impact,” said Mike Burke, Vice Chairman of Arizona Athletic Grounds. “Partnering with Sports Academy accelerates that vision by bringing one of the most respected performance systems in the country onto our campus.”

Through this partnership, Sports Academy will implement its full athlete development ecosystem, including performance training, data-driven diagnostics, recovery services, and structured membership models designed to support athletes at every stage—from youth and team sport participants to adult members, with future expansion into elite and professional training.

“This expansion is about more than opening another location,” said Chad Faulkner, CEO of Sports Academy. “It’s about extending our culture and our standard into a market ready for it. Arizona gives us the opportunity to deliver a complete performance system at scale.”

Athletes and families across Arizona will gain access to a comprehensive training environment supported by professional coaching, advanced performance technology, and a unified development system. Programming will include performance schools, team training, private and semi-private coaching, return-to-play services, and adult fitness, with continued expansion planned in the months ahead.

“Our belief is simple, greatness isn’t born, it’s trained,” said Nate Borunda, Co-Founder and COO of Sports Academy. “This partnership allows us to bring that mindset to a broader community. Every athlete deserves a system, a path, and a place to develop.”

The launch of Sports Academy at Arizona Athletic Grounds will roll out in phases, including early access opportunities, community events, and program announcements leading up to the official opening.

Stronger together. Greater together.

ABOUT ARIZONA ATHLETIC GROUNDS

Arizona Athletic Grounds is one of the largest and most active sports and events destinations in the United States, serving more than 2.9 million visitors annually. Located in Mesa, Arizona, the campus hosts a wide range of youth, amateur, and professional events, providing a scalable platform for competition, community, and growth. AAG continues to expand its integrated sports ecosystem through strategic partnerships focused on athlete performance, wellness, entertainment, and community engagement. For more information visit www.AzGrounds.com.

ABOUT SPORTS ACADEMY

Sports Academy, the legendary performance organization wholly owned by The Human Performance Company (HPC), is a premier sports performance and training organization delivering sport-specific coaching, performance diagnostics, and integrated athlete development programs for youth, collegiate, and professional athletes. Operating within HPC’s broader platform, Sports Academy advances human performance through the convergence of sports science, training, health, and technology to optimize outcomes across the entire athlete and consumer lifecycle. For more information visit www.SportsAcademy.us.

Media Contact

Ryan Woodcock
Arizona Athletic Grounds
Woody@Azgrounds.com, 480.766.1221

Wes Briscoe
Sports Academy
WesB@SportsAcademy.us