When Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham has asked for something, he has generally gotten it.
When he asked for big donors to step up, they have.
The school has announced Align Technology as the naming rights partner for the new indoor practice facility set to break ground in the fall. It will be located next to the north end of Mountain America Stadium and called the Invisalign Performance Center.
“This partnership is a powerful example of how philanthropy and corporate engagement can work together to create lasting impact,” said Vince Volpe, senior director of development for Sun Devil Athletics, in the school's press release. “Align Technology’s commitment will help support student-athletes and the continued growth of Sun Devil Athletics.”
Since 2024, Align, a global medical device company known for designing the Invisalign System, has had signage at several ASU athletic venues, most notably Mountain America Stadium, Desert Financial Arena and Mullett Arena. It has also supported athletes through NIL (name, image and likeness) initiatives and worked with ASU on market research.
“We’ve had a strong relationship with ASU for many years,” Align Technology Chief Financial Officer John Morici said in the release. “What began as a marketing partnership has continued to evolve over time. We see this as a natural extension of that relationship — one that supports the university and its students while also strengthening our connection to the community.
“This is where we live, where our families are, and being engaged with the community is important to us.”
ASU President Michael Crow said the university is “grateful to Align Technology for its generous contribution to the ASU football program, the latest in an expanding wave of support for the success of our student-athletes and the leadership of Dillingham, who is heading into his fourth year heading the program.”
Crow said the facility will serve multiple purposes.
“The new indoor practice facility will not only be a fantastic training ground for the team,” Crow said, “but it will also be a great resource as a tailgating site for Sun Devil fans on game days.”
The state-of-the-art facility will feature 100,000 square feet of turf and include a full, 100-yard indoor field, an additional covered half-field, and a full outdoor practice field, as well as a new volleyball practice facility.
The Sun Devils currently practice half a mile away across Rural Road at the Kajikawa practice fields, adjacent to the Verde Dickey Dome. Players are transported back and forth on golf carts.
Renderings depict premium boxes and a sports bar atmosphere to maximize the Saturday football experience and protect fans from the Arizona heat.
ASU athletics director Graham Rossini said the facility will be the “ultimate player development tool.”
“It’s designed around that attribute, and then the flexibility that it can also flip into a hospitality space,” Rossini said. “Having the ability and, frankly, having the support and confidence of a coaching staff to say, ‘We need it from Sunday to Thursday, and then you can flip it,’ that’s having a great partner in coach Dillingham that sees the value in it also being an incredible asset in building a better game day experience. It does both, we think, and it’s going to do both at a very high level.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU announces naming partner for football practice facility
