Liberty University added two new buildings to accommodate incoming students for the 2026 fall semester.
The Champion Center will soon be ready to welcome visitors in a unique space, and North Suites is housing hundreds of additional students on campus.
The new 68,000-square-foot Champion Center will open its doors later this semester, creating a space for events, gatherings and university visitors.
Extending from the Hancock Welcome Center, the Champion Center will serve as a welcome facility and event venue for Liberty. The multipurpose building will feature multimedia elements such as interactive digital boards and a 94-foot-wide LED video screen.
The building will highlight the history of Liberty’s campus and its founder, Jerry Falwell Sr., while emphasizing the university’s mission of Training Champions for Christ. The Champion Center will share how Liberty’s Christian values reflect Falwell’s vision.
Senior Vice President of Facilities Planning & Management Dan Deter shared how the Champion Center will create a lasting impact on campus.
“This is such a unique building,” Deter said. “I would challenge that there’s not a building like this in the entire country — at least, on a college campus.”
Deter explained some of the challenges involved in completing the Champion Center in time for its opening date, like the fabrication of custom features.
“There’s a lot of specialized, digital equipment,” Deter said. “These (digital features) are all custom made, custom engineered, custom designed things that take a while to get fabricated.”
Although there is no official opening date, the Champion Center is scheduled to do a ribbon-cutting ceremony in October 2026.
Liberty’s newest residential hall, North Suites, opened to students this semester. The building is located near the LaHaye Fitness Center and Arthur L. Williams Stadium, giving residents convenient access to Marie F. Green Hall and the surrounding buildings.
Purchased by the university in April 2026, the former hotel on University Boulevard has now been renovated into suite-style dorm rooms, with each including a private bathroom and a full in-room kitchenette. The residence hall houses 204 beds and is divided into male and female sides.
Deter explained how refurbishing North Suites allows more room for incoming students.
“Enrollment is going up … We just set a record this year for the incoming freshman class,” Deter said.
The freshman class included approximately 4,800 students.
Deter also said Liberty is seeing a rise in students choosing to remain on campus.
“We are seeing a trend where students — even upper-class students — are wanting to stay on campus,” Deter explained.
According to Deter, rising apartment prices have also contributed to students’ interest in living on campus, as students frequently decide Liberty’s housing prices more manageable than off-campus rent.
As the student population at Liberty increases, other future construction projects are under consideration. The most recent project underway is a seating expansion for the Vines Center, which will allow for greater capacity during Convocation and other events.
More information about current construction projects can be found at https://www.liberty.edu/planning-and-construction/.
Senes is the news editor for The Liberty Champion.