Multi-Year Collaboration to Focus on Sports-Science, Data Analytics, and Student-Athlete Success
LAS VEGAS – October 8, 2019 – UNLV and Switch (NYSE: SWCH) today announced that they have entered into a multi-year technology initiative focused on sports-science, data analytics and student-athlete success. This collaboration, enabled by a substantial financial commitment from Switch, is motivated by a mutual aspiration to establish Las Vegas as the world’s epicenter of sports. Switch, the global technology infrastructure company that develops hyperscale data center ecosystems for enterprise colocation, differentiated multi-cloud, and industry-leading telecommunications solutions, sees the relationship with UNLV Athletics as accelerating its entry into sports, and health and wellness research.
“Switch is excited to build the technology foundation to accelerate the emergence of the UNLV Athletic Department as a nationally preeminent program through the intersection of data analytics, sports technology and physical athletics,” said Switch Founder and CEO Rob Roy. “We believe in the leadership and direction of the UNLV Athletic Department and are proud to take this exciting step forward together.”
Anchoring the relationship, is the soon-to-be Switch Sports Science Studio located in the heart of UNLV’s planned Center for Student-Athlete Excellence. The Excellence Center will provide holistic services fundamental to the success of student-athletes with the Switch Studio to represent an interdisciplinary, leading edge context to drive sports performance.
“We are thrilled about what our partnership will mean for our student-athletes,” said UNLV Director of Athletics Desiree Reed-Francois. “This is a cutting-edge collaboration with a world-class technology company that will deliver unprecedented impact. We are truly honored to call Switch a critical partner and we thank Rob Roy and Thomas Morton for this vote of confidence.”
This partnership with Switch will also feature collaboration with UNLV’s Division of Research and Economic Development. Space in the Switch Sports Science Studio will be devoted to aligned campus faculty members and staff engaged in sports-science related research, innovation and scholarship.
“This is a great example of UNLV coming together as a campus community to begin a transformational partnership with an industry-leading company,” said Zach Miles, UNLV Associate Vice President for Economic Development. “Together, we will utilize technology to optimize performance, recovery and safety, and we will impact lives by using data to reduce certain risks to athletes.”
Effects of physical exertion across both amateur and professional sports have been well documented. Through this new step in partnership with Switch, UNLV will look to emerge as a national leader in safeguarding, through technology and innovation, the health and welfare of student-athletes.
“Establishing the Switch Sports Science Studio reflects our core value of innovation and begins our journey to becoming the industry leader in the use of information to drive new levels of safety, efficiency, and ultimately competitiveness,” continued Reed-Francois.
Community impact is also a focal point for both parties. “Switch is proud to provide the technology infrastructure at the forefront of Las Vegas’ and UNLV’s transformation,” said Rob Roy. “We are excited to accelerate positive growth while we work together to develop UNLV’s student-athletes into leaders of character to take our city forward.”
Planning for the UNLV Center for Student-Athlete Excellence, to be located within a renovated Lied Athletic Complex is underway. Additional services to be featured in the center will include nutrition, counseling, academic support, and sports medicine, alongside professional placement and leadership development.
About UNLV Athletics
The UNLV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is home to 17 NCAA Division I teams and 515 exceptional student-athletes who have produced a record four consecutive semesters of a combined grade point average higher than 3.0. While just six decades old, the Department boasts a rich history of championship success with two national team titles (men’s basketball and men’s golf) and an array of individual NCAA winners from its 10 women’s and seven men’s programs. The Runnin’ Rebel men’s basketball program remains one of the nation’s most prominent with several other UNLV programs recently claiming Mountain West Conference championships. The Department is currently modernizing its facilities infrastructure to enhance the student-athlete experience. Along with moving into the $2 billion Allegiant Stadium in 2020, the new Fertitta Football Complex will open in fall 2019 to offer UNLV football 73,000 square feet of cutting-edge space, while a full renovation of the Lied Athletic Complex will commence in early 2020. As part of the renovation, UNLV will establish the Center for Student-Athlete Excellence offering student-athletes second-to-none support services essential to the fulfillment of the Department’s mission: Graduate Leaders, Win Championships and Excel in All That It Does.
About Switch
Switch (NYSE: SWCH), the technology infrastructure company headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada is built on the intelligent and sustainable growth of the Internet. Switch Founder and CEO Rob Roy has developed more than 500 issued and pending patent claims covering data center designs that have manifested into the company’s world-renowned data centers and technology solutions.
The Switch PRIMES, located in Las Vegas and Tahoe Reno, Nevada; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Atlanta, Georgia are the world’s most powerful hyperscale data center campus ecosystems with low latency to major U.S. markets. Visit switch.com for more information.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “could,” “intends,” “target,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, strategy, plans or intentions. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Switch as of the date hereof, and Switch disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions, or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. For additional information regarding forward-looking statements, please refer to Switch’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 (including information under the caption “Risk Factors”) and other reports filed with the SEC. Switch’s SEC filings are available on the Investors section of Switch’s website at https://investors.switch.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.