Regent University’s groundbreaking this week for a $50 million Athletic & Fitness Center is proof that faith-driven institutions still get things done for students and communities, not for political headlines. The project, set on a 31-acre site in Virginia Beach, was celebrated by university leaders who rightly framed it as a fulfillment of a long-held vision to build campus life, athletics, and student opportunity the right way.
The new complex will include a 2,000-seat arena, an NCAA-certified track, a sports medicine clinic, varsity fields for soccer, baseball and softball, and a modern fitness center connected to student housing — facilities any serious university would build if its priorities were in order. This is not fluff or another monument to administrative vanity; it’s infrastructure that directly serves student health, competition, and campus pride.
Chancellor Gordon Robertson invoked the faith that founded Regent, reminding the crowd that what was once called swamp land has been transformed by vision and stewardship, not by handouts or political favors. His remarks — that God provided for buildings the accountants said were impossible — resonate with millions who believe private initiative and prayer still move mountains in America.
Regent isn’t just building; it’s positioning itself for growth. The university has been on an upswing — expanding athletics as it moves toward NCAA Division III competition and reporting rising on-campus enrollment — and administrators expect the facility to be ready for use by the 2027 season window they’ve projected. That kind of forward planning matters at a time when many campuses have lost sight of mission and excellence.
Make no mistake: this is a conservative success story. Donors, alumni, and church communities stepped up to fund real facilities that serve students instead of financing a culture-war factory. While left-leaning institutions waste money on performative politics and ideological conformity, Regent is investing in what actually improves student lives: character-building sports, health resources, and a place for young people to belong.
Local businesses and civic life will also benefit when Regent opens its doors wider to host tournaments and community events, bringing paid hotel rooms, concession dollars, and family traffic to Virginia Beach. This kind of mutually beneficial partnership between a faith-based university and its hometown is how communities thrive — not with government mandates or campus decree, but through voluntary action and shared purpose.
Pat Robertson’s legacy is on full display in this project, and Gordon Robertson’s leadership shows that conservative, Christian institutions can still shape culture by building excellence rather than tearing it down. If you believe in supporting places that teach faith, work ethic, and responsibility, this is exactly the kind of investment that deserves our applause and our backing.
