The small but determined institution on the north side of Jacksonville is making major strides. Under the visionary leadership of University President and CEO Dr. A. Zachary Faison Jr., Edward Waters University (EWU) has transformed nearly every facility its football student-athletes use. Reinforcing the commitment to athletic and academic excellence at the HBCU.
New Facility
In 2021, EWU made history by unveiling its first-ever on-campus football facility — the Nathaniel Glover Community Field & Stadium. Now the official home of the Tigers, the venue features a modern press box and an executive skybox with a Presidential Suite, offering Dr. Faison an impressive setting to host HBCU supporters and potential donors.
The momentum continued into 2023 and 2024 with converting a former space into a state-of-the-art weight room and sports medicine complex. Branded from floor to ceiling with Tiger colors and logos, the facility rivals those at many FCS programs. The sports medicine area even includes a turf field to aid in player recovery and rehabilitation.
The final component of the athletic facility upgrades was unveiling a newly renovated locker room. Drenched in a vibrant purple and orange color scheme and adorned with the official Tiger logo, the space made an immediate impression on players, faculty, trustees, and supporters alike, who got their first look during a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony.
With these upgrades come heightened expectations — and Dr. Faison has made it clear that excellence is not optional. Addressing the new interim head football coach, Brian Jenkins, Faison laid out his vision confidently and clearly.
“Coach Jenkins, you are a proven leader and a builder of champions,” Faison stated. “You’ve won at the highest levels, and we have no doubt you were brought here for such a time as this. You’re inheriting a program with unprecedented institutional investment, student-athletes of immense promise, and a community ready to stand behind you. But with that support comes expectation. So let me say this very plainly: this is a no-excuses season.”
Ribbon Cutting
That message resonated with the standing-room-only crowd who attended the ribbon-cutting. Attendees included EWU Trustee Rev. R.B. Holmes, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Genyne Boston, and several other trustees and faculty members, all present to show their support.
EWU Deputy Athletic Director Ashley Connor, a rising star recently selected to participate in the NCAA’s prestigious Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, presided over the event. This program develops future leaders in college athletics administration.
Coach Jenkins, who has a strong record of HBCU success, expressed enthusiasm for the university’s growth and future.
“When I first came to Edward Waters years ago, I heard about the vision of the football field — and I saw it come to life,” said Jenkins. “Now, I’m seeing the vision of the new weight room, the basketball courts, and now this incredible locker room. One thing I can tell you: the brand of Edward Waters University is real. Like I’ve said before, here we go again — we’re doing it again. Please understand — Edward Waters is on the rise.”
