Jonesboro, AR — (JonesboroRightNow.com) — April 11, 2025 — Officials broke ground on the upcoming sports complex in Jonesboro and unveiled its official name in front of a crowd of about 200 people Friday morning.
The complex will be officially called the Ridge Athletics Center, or RAC for short.
“[The name] has been a closely guarded secret for a couple of weeks now. Jonesboro Sportsplex was always just a placeholder,” said Craig Rickert, executive director of the Jonesboro Advertising and Promotion Commission. “This name [Ridge Athletics Center] and this brand is strong and unique like the people here in Jonesboro and Northeast Arkansas. Like Crowley’s Ridge, this place is unlike anything out there.”
The 203,000 square foot complex, to be located on Race Street, will feature 12 basketball courts, which will convert to 24 volleyball courts. The same space has room for 36 pickleball courts
It will have a 50-meter pool with diving boards and a recreational warm-up/cool-down pool. The complex will also feature an outdoor aquatic center with a pool, a moving water feature, a large slide and other spray-ground features for children.
The second story will feature viewing areas for the courts, pool and more, but will also have two smaller meeting rooms. In addition, there will be 1,245 spectator seats overlooking the 50-meter pool. The complex will have 678 parking spaces.
The complex is projected to cost $74.6 million. The goal is to complete the project in 18 months and open in late summer or early fall of 2026.
“This facility will be incredible for our community. The things it’s going to do, it’s going to benefit Jonesboro economically. It’s gonna help us recruit a talented workforce,” Rickert said. “It’s gonna create better health benefits for the people of this community and it’s gonna engage and support our children and investments. That is worth every single penny.”
Eric Sullivan, with The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), detailed some features of the complex, which he said allowed the space to be used for more activities outside of sports. SFC is one of the partners involved in the planning and management of the RAC.
“What’s really unique is the way that it’s configured into two different spaces. We have both the competition gym and the events center. So while sports is, certainly athletics, are in the name, this is going to be home to so much more,” Sullivan said. “For the community, we’ll have a splashpad, water outside that we can enjoy during the warm months and really serve as a gathering place for the community or family outings.”
Sullivan added that the complex will have low-impact fitness options for senior citizens and people with disabilities and provide lifesaving swimming lessons.
Jonesboro Mayor Harold Copenhaver spoke about the economic impact of the complex, saying the RAC has the potential to generate $43 million in economic output.
“Nine hundred and fifty plus sustainable jobs throughout the City of Jonesboro. Forty-two million [dollars] in labor income and 54,000 annual hotel nights driven by sports tourism,” Copenhaver said. “This is a win for our community. It’s a win, though, for our people. It’s about more opportunities for our youth, more activities for our families and more visibility for our city.”
The ceremony was livestreamed on the Jonesboro Tourism and Visitors Bureau Facebook page. Watch it here.