The wheels for the new Virginia Football Operations Center had been put into motion long before Tony Elliott arrived last December, but that did not mean he would inherit a building without input. Since the groundbreaking ceremony and the final stages of approval had not arrived, there was still time for Elliott to provide feedback.

UVA athletics director Carla Williams said she didn’t speak with potential candidates about the facilities too much during the hiring process, but once Elliott accepted the job, he did get the opportunity to look through the plans and discuss the new center.

“We were not finished when we hired him, so he had a chance to look at the schematic designs and have some influence in that. And he did,” Williams said. “There were some small changes, not many, but there were some small changes that we made to accommodate what he thought was really important.”

Coming from Clemson, Elliott understood what areas he wanted to prioritize. At the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex, many things are featured and the fun accommodations – namely a slide and putt-putt – often lead fan chatter. For Elliott, though, other areas had his attention.

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