Supporters of the New York Red Bulls say the opening of the RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center in Morris Township is about much more than creating a place for the first team to train. Instead, they frame the facility as a long-term investment in development, health and organizational culture — one designed to position the club among the elite globally while reshaping how players are developed in the U.S.
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The 80-acre campus, anchored by an 88,400-square-foot main building designed by Gensler, unifies the entire Red Bulls pathway — from academy players to the first team — under one roof. Eight full-size outdoor pitches, advanced training technology, integrated medical services and purpose-built recovery spaces are all meant to support year-round preparation at the highest level.
“This is a statement,” Julian De Guzman, the club’s head of sport, said at Wednesday’s ribbon cutting. “We are serious about building something that lasts.”
Club leadership emphasized that the facility was designed around daily habits and long-term growth, not just matchday performance. Academy players train alongside professionals, eat in the same kitchen and use many of the same resources — a deliberate decision meant to show young players what it takes to reach the highest level.
“This unifies everything,” General Manager Marc de Grandpré said. “The kids in the academy are going to be able to see their idols train in front of them. They’re going to eat in the same kitchen. Play on the same pitches. And that is intentional.”
The project also deepens a strategic partnership with RWJBarnabas Health, which serves as both naming rights sponsor and medical provider. For the health system, the relationship fits a broader model already in place with Rutgers Athletics and the New Jersey Devils, tying elite sports performance to preventive care, healthy living and youth development across the state.
The result, supporters say, is a facility designed not only to attract talent, but to keep players healthier longer — and to set a new benchmark for professional soccer training in North America.
Here are 10 more things we learned about the RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center:
10. The scale reflects a global ambition
The RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center spans more than 80 acres in Morris Township and includes eight full-size outdoor pitches, combining heated natural grass, turf surfaces and a match field for Academy games. Club officials said the footprint was deliberately designed to compete with elite training sites worldwide.
9. The entire organization now lives under one roof
First team players, the second team, Academy athletes, scouts and staff all train and work on the same campus — something the club spent more than a decade trying to achieve.
“This unifies everything,” de Grandpré said. “The kids in the academy are going to be able to see their idols train in front of them. They’re going to eat in the same kitchen. Play on the same pitches. And that is intentional.”
8. Development — not just current success — drove the design
Team leadership repeatedly emphasized the facility’s long-term purpose: developing the club’s next generation of players, not just helping this year’s team.
“This is a statement,” Julian De Guzman, the club’s head of sport said. “We are serious about building something that lasts.”
7. Gensler designed the campus around wellness and integration
Global architecture firm Gensler designed the Performance Center to function as a seamless, always-on environment that connects performance, recovery, nutrition, education and medical care.
“This innovative facility sets a new benchmark for training centers, with unique amenities focused on wellness and combined resources and services for the full New York Red Bulls community — from academy to first team,” Gensler Project Director Brent Cutshall said.
6. The facility is a key differentiator in a competitive facilities landscape
Club officials acknowledged that modern training centers have become a competitive necessity in attracting players, coaches and staff.
“Facilities have become an arms race between college facilities and professional facilities,” de Grandpré said. “For us, it was really making sure we thought about the athlete at every turn.”
5. Medical care and recovery are embedded — not adjacent
Rather than housing medical services separately, the Performance Center integrates a comprehensive medical suite, innovation lab, hydrotherapy spaces and recovery areas directly into daily training operations.
“This facility isn’t just about treating injuries; it’s about preventive care, optimizing recovery and supporting each athlete’s long-term well-being,” Dr. Gerardo Chiricolo, the team’s chief medical officer, said. “This ensures that every decision we make is precise, proactive and centered on the individual athlete.”
4. Rehab no longer isolates injured players
One practical impact of the integrated design is cultural: injured players remain fully connected to their teammates while rehabbing.
“It used to be to be that when players were rehabbing, they felt separated from the club,” de Grandpré said. “Now, you’re going to be with the team in this facility.”
3. Nutrition and daily habits are treated as performance tools
Players eat in a full-service kitchen providing high nutritional-value foods, supported by professional chefs and dedicated nutrition spaces. A demonstration kitchen is used for education across Academy and professional levels, reinforcing that performance extends beyond the training pitch.
2. RWJBarnabas Health is extending a proven sports model
For RWJBarnabas Health, the Red Bulls partnership matches an approach already used with Rutgers Athletics and the New Jersey Devils — combining sponsorship with embedded medical care and a shared emphasis on healthy living.
“We unite around a common mission, around youth athletics, health, healthy living, healthy lifestyles,” RWJBarnabas Health CEO Mark Manigan said. “That’s just core to our mission.”
1. Global validation came early
One of the strongest outside endorsements came when the Brazilian national team selected the facility as a training site during the World Cup.
“When one of the best teams in the world wants to train here, preparing to hopefully win a World Cup, that’s a statement,” de Grandpré said.
