Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company Announces Groundbreaking Health Initiative in Partnership with NFL Alumni Health

By: Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company via Business Wire

July 20, 2021 at 09:14 AM EDT

Medical and leadership teams will operate out of a state-of-the-art, 5,000-square-foot research facility, laboratory and office space at the Constellation Center for Excellence

Collection of highly experienced medical professionals will work to identify solutions through research, technology, and training that enhance player performance, safety, health and wellness

Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company (“HOFV”) (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW), the only resort, entertainment and media company centered around the power of professional football, today announced a groundbreaking sports safety research initiative in partnership with NFL Alumni Health, a wholly owned subsidiary of the NFL Alumni Association.

NFL Alumni Health will leverage its relationships across the health spectrum to bring together a team of leaders in neuroscience recovery and brain optimization for athletes, who will operate out of a state-of-the-art, 5,000-square-foot research facility and laboratory that will be located inside the Constellation Center for Excellence at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls in Canton, Ohio. These medical professionals will focus on identifying solutions that will enhance the cognitive performance, along with the overall health and wellness, of athletes around the world through research, technology and training. The program will study the impact of both professional and juvenile sports on the minds and bodies of current and former players, with the goal of cultivating scientific breakthroughs that will ultimately improve game performance, make sports safer overall, and optimize the quality of life following a sports career.

“When envisioning the Constellation Center for Excellence, our goal was for it to one day serve as the epicenter of sports-related research and programming. As a result of this partnership with NFL Alumni Health and this initiative dedicated to improving brain health, that day is now in sight,” said Michael Crawford, President and CEO of HOFV. “The Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls will now be a destination that houses some of the top minds and research facilities in sports medicine in addition to one that draws in thousands of youth and professional athletes each year from all over the country. This is an important and exciting day for our company, and we look forward to all the potential health and safety benefits that will result.”

“NFL Alumni Health is designed to serve our membership,” said Kyle Richardson, Co-Director of NFL Alumni Healthcare Initiatives, “and establishing our facility elevates the opportunity to improve the quality of life following their NFL careers. Having the Constellation Center for Excellence as the home of our performance research team is the start of making a positive impact for many people for many years to come.”

Located in the west endzone of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, the 75,000-square-foot Constellation Center for Excellence is currently under construction and on track to open in late summer 2021. It will house corporations, brands and professionals, who, like the NFL Alumni Health initiative, are dedicated to making a difference in their respective fields. In addition to the medical research facility and laboratory, plans are currently being evaluated to add an on-site treatment center at the Hall of Fame Village. Programming related to the NFL Alumni Health initiative is slated to kick off in summer 2022.

Dean Dalton, former NFL coach and current Executive Director of the NFL Alumni Academy, who has dedicated his career to ensuring athletes receive proper training to improve their well-being and longevity, was integral to the formation of NFL Alumni Health and the initiatives that it will spearhead.

Dalton stated, “Bringing NFL Alumni Health to the Hall of Fame Village is a tremendous victory for improving the health and wellness of our membership while it also is a fantastic win for player prospects invited to attend the NFL Alumni Academy, as they will receive the benefits of cognitive performance training to further improve their opportunities to sign an NFL contract.”

About the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company

The Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: HOFV, HOFVW) is a resort and entertainment company leveraging the power and popularity of professional football and its legendary players in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Headquartered in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company is the owner of the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls, a multi-use sports, entertainment and media destination centered around the Pro Football Hall of Fame's campus. Additional information on the Company can be found at www.HOFREco.com.

About the NFL Alumni Association

The NFL Alumni Association is oldest and most recognizable national organization of retired former athletes. The NFL Alumni Association serves former National Football League players, coaches and other employees whose “Caring for our Own” mission is to serve, assist and inform former players and their families. NFL Alumni Health is an entity focused on health and wellness initiatives to improve the quality of life for NFL Alumni membership and their families. The association offers a variety of medical, financial and social programs to help members lead healthy, productive and connected lives, as well as philanthropic and community initiatives under the NFL Alumni’s “Caring for Kids” programs. The NFL Alumni Association hosts the NFL Alumni Academy Player Development Program each football season at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls in Canton, Ohio. www.NFLalumniHealth.org

About the NFL Alumni Academy

The NFL Alumni Academy provides a pathway for the top-graded free agent players that were released from NFL training camps to return to the NFL by giving them the opportunity to further develop their skills and realize their potential by training under the tutelage of elite former NFL coaches, players and performance coaches. The Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at the Hall of Fame Village powered by Johnson Controls will initially serve as the NFL Alumni Academy’s headquarters and training facility. The Academy will then move to the Center for Performance, which will be located on the Village’s campus and is anticipated to be completed in 2022. The Center for Performance will feature an 80,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art indoor field house and training facility, among other amenities.

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