University news
Align Technology makes transformational gift toward construction of indoor football practice facility
ASU football coach Kenny Dillingham says gift exemplifies his ‘Activate the Valley’ mantra
Sun Devil Football will have a new indoor practice facility located next to the north end of Sun Devil Stadium thanks to an investment from Align Technology, a global medical device company known for designing the Invisalign System. Photo courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics
When Align Technology Chief Financial Officer John Morici looks out from his office on Tempe Town Lake, he can see Mountain America Stadium, home of Arizona State Sun Devil Football
In two years, he’ll also see the team’s new indoor practice facility, the Invisalign Performance Center.
Align Technology, a global medical device company known for designing the Invisalign System, has made a naming-rights gift toward the construction of the facility, which will be built directly next to the north end of the stadium and is scheduled to open ahead of spring football practices in 2028
The investment — called “transformative” by Vince Volpe, senior director of development for Sun Devil Athletics with the ASU Foundation for a New American University and associate athletics director — is part of ASU’s Changing Futures campaign to inspire tomorrow’s game changers
“This partnership is a powerful example of how philanthropy and corporate engagement can work together to create lasting impact,” Volpe said. “Align Technology’s commitment will help support student-athletes and the continued growth of Sun Devil Athletics.”
Align’s gift continues a partnership between the company and ASU’s athletic department. Since 2024, Align has had signage at Mountain America Stadium, Desert Financial Arena and Mullett Arena, supported athletes through NIL (name, image and likeness) initiatives and worked with ASU on market research
The partnership will expand those opportunities through increased scale and access while also connecting ASU students to career pathways through internships and professional development initiatives with Align Technology.
ASU and Align Technology also will collaborate on research initiatives in various areas
“We’ve had a strong relationship with ASU for many years,” Morici said. “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 coach Kenny Dillingham.”
“The new indoor practice facility will not only be a fantastic training ground for the team,” Crow added, “but it will also be a great re
Joe Hogan, Align’s president, chief executive officer and director, said his company has been impressed with the vision Crow has had in redefining the landscape of public institutions of higher education and turning ASU into the New American University
“I can’t think of many universities in the country that have a reputation of being as business literate and welcoming,” Hogan said. “So the genesis (for procuring naming rights to the football facility) was just, ‘How can we work together?’ Obviously, ASU has a good brand, and we have a good brand, and we think our brand is going to align with what ASU is doing. So why not do that?”
The state-of-the-art facility will have 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
It will eliminate the half-mile walk players currently make to the Verde Dickey Dome across Rural Road and serve as an air-conditioned tailgating hub on game days. Renderings envision premium loge boxes and a sports bar atmosphere to maximize the Saturday football experience and protect fans from the Arizona heat
Dillingham, the Swette Family Endowed Football Coach, said Align’s gift is “incredible” and an example of the “Activate the Valley” mantra he’s been preaching since he was hired in November 2022.
“They saw an opportunity for their business to align, no pun intended, with the Arizona State football program because of the direction we’re going and want to be associated with it and give a gigantic gift,” Dillingham said of Align’s gift, adding that the new facility will aid the program’s recruiting efforts. “That right there is activating the Valley.”
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.”
For Hogan and Morici, Align’s involvement with the football program and the university comes down to a simple notion: They believe in ASU
“ASU has needed that facility for a while, and it’s going to be great for a lot of different activities,” Hogan said. “It’s good for us as a company, too, to be associated with a winning program.”
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