Today, the New Orleans Saints (NFL) and New Orleans Pelicans (NBA), along with partner Ochsner Health System, announced that they have agreed to a long-term partnership for the naming rights to the teams’ official training facilities. Now officially known as the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, it is the only facility in all of North American sports that houses both an NFL training and an NBA training base of operations.
“This is a very special announcement for us,” said Saints and Pelicans Owner Tom Benson. “Ochsner has been a great partner for a long time, and to see the growth they’ve undergone in recent years has been nothing short of remarkable. We look forward to a long continued partnership together.”
The Ochsner Sports Performance Center is just the latest venture between the Saints, Pelicans and Ochsner Health System. Ochsner has been a corporate partner of both the Saints and Pelicans for nearly 10 years, and Saints and Pelicans Owners Tom and Gayle Benson have a long and proud history as ardent supporters of Ochsner and the Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center. The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center offers state-of-the-art cancer services for not only Louisiana residents, but also for patients that travel from all over the world to take advantage of the most advanced, compassionate cancer care available in the region. It is just one of the many extraordinary medical care services and facilities that thrive under the Ochsner umbrella.
“The naming signals a commitment from Ochsner, the New Orleans Saints and the New Orleans Pelicans to use the Ochsner Sports Performance Center to improve health and wellness across the state,” said Warner Thomas, President and CEO of Ochsner Health System. “While the Ochsner Sports Performance Center has been a hub for both basketball-and-football-themed community outreach programs and events annually including initiatives sponsored by both the Saints and Pelicans youth programs and community relations outreach programs, together the partners plan to do more. Dedicated events meant to provide education along with health screenings for the community will be geared toward not only catching diseases like cancer early, but also helping people more effectively manage chronic disease.”
Saints and Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha stated, “Ochsner’s innovative, forward-thinking, patient-first medical teams and facilities are unsurpassed, and their focus on not only treating, but also preventing injuries will translate into a very beneficial partnership. In addition, Ochsner’s community commitment is so closely aligned to that of both the Saints and the Pelicans that this makes Ochsner the perfect partner to further our collective goals and programs.”
“This is an opportunity to offer the same level of high-quality care and the proactive approach to wellness that we provide to our professional athletes and make it more accessible to athletes of all ages and all skill levels,” said David Gaines, Chief Executive Officer – System Retail Services & Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Ochsner Health System. “Together, we will enhance the existing Saints and Pelicans youth and community relations outreach programs portfolio so we can change the conversation and support the movement towards a healthier future.”
The Ochsner Sports Performance Center sits on a 19.5-acre campus on Airline Drive in Metairie, La. located in Jefferson Parish. The main football facility of The Ochsner Sports Performance Center totals 77,504 square feet which includes locker rooms, physical therapy and treatment areas, doctor offices, a multi-media studio, an organizational museum and operations and administrative offices.
In addition, there is a 75,000 square foot modernized indoor practice facility, which soars to 78 feet and allows the Saints to maintain regular practice schedules throughout the year. The indoor practice facility is also home to a 20,000 square foot workout gym, a modern full-service cafeteria, as well as an auxiliary nutritional station that adjoins the player gym.
The outdoor football practice fields at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, where the Saints will hold training camp this summer, amasses four acres of perfectly maintained grass practice fields used through the football season, while an additional 53,000 square feet of AstroTurf serves as a general practice and mixed-use area.
On the basketball side, the Pelicans relocated to the brand new, state-of-the-art Ochsner Performance Center practice facility prior to the start of the 2013-2014 season. The $16 million, 50,000 square foot practice facility houses a 39,000 square foot practice area that features two full-sized basketball courts, offices for coaches and basketball operations staff and a team theatre for film review and game planning. The building also includes a 12,000 square foot area where the Pelicans’ locker room, players’ lounge, the latest in physical therapy and medical treatment technologies, a cafeteria, barber shop, equipment room, meeting rooms, and a multi-media studio are located.
