DePaul University Athletics
Sustainability
A Vincentian Commitment
DePaul Athletics is committed to advancing sustainability across every facet of our operations — from facility management and game-day experience to fan transportation and community engagement. Guided by the Vincentian question, "What must be done?", our department works alongside DePaul University's broader sustainability efforts to minimize our environmental footprint and model responsible stewardship within the BIG EAST and the city of Chicago.
As a Catholic, Vincentian, and urban university, DePaul considers sustainability a meaningful extension of our mission to serve the common good and build a just, equitable future. DePaul Athletics proudly shares in that commitment — investing in energy-efficient practices, reducing waste at our venues, and encouraging the Blue Demon community to travel, consume, and compete in ways that honor our shared home.
How You Can Help Go Blue & Green
Every Blue Demon fan can make a difference. Here's how to reduce your footprint on game day.
Sort Your Waste
Read the signage at trash, recycling, and compost bins at Wintrust Arena and McGrath-Phillips Arena before you toss.
Skip Single-Use
Bring a reusable bottle — DePaul has installed 90+ water refill stations across the Loop and Lincoln Park campuses.
Learn the Guidelines
Explore DePaul's sustainability resources and the City of Chicago recycling rules.
Travel Green
Skip parking costs and ride the CTA to Wintrust Arena. See transit options below.
Wintrust Arena by Transit
Red Line — Cermak-Chinatown station (~4 blocks west)
Closest stop: Michigan & Cermak
Plan your trip at transitchicago.com or metra.com.
Lincoln Park Campus by Transit
For events at McGrath-Phillips Arena, Wish Field, Cacciatore Stadium, Sullivan Athletic Center, and all Lincoln Park campus venues.
Red Line (24/7 service) · Brown Line · Purple Line (rush hours)
Exit the station and walk west on Fullerton to Sheffield.
#22 Clark · #36 Broadway
Closest stop: Fullerton & Sheffield
DePaul students ride CTA free with the Ventra U-Pass — included during enrolled terms.
Our Programs in Action
Sustainability shows up in the day-to-day work of our student-athletes and coaches.
DePaul Tennis & RecycleBalls
DePaul men's and women's tennis proudly partner with RecycleBalls at XS Tennis Village to keep used tennis balls out of landfills. Through the program, our practice and match balls are collected and shipped to RecycleBalls — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit — where they are reused or ground into Green Gold, a crumb rubber material used in new products like tennis courts and equestrian footing.
It's a small change with an outsized impact: approximately 125 million used tennis balls end up in U.S. landfills each year, and a single ball can take up to 400 years to decompose. By partnering with RecycleBalls, DePaul Tennis is helping to rewrite that story — one shipment at a time.
Learn About RecycleBallsSustainable Facilities & Venues
- Wintrust Arena, home of DePaul men's and women's basketball, is LEED Silver certified and incorporates energy-efficient lighting, water-saving fixtures, and recycling infrastructure throughout the venue.
- McGrath-Phillips Arena and other on-campus athletics facilities benefit from DePaul's commitment to constructing new buildings to LEED standards — including recent LEED-certified projects such as Arts & Letters Hall.
- DePaul has been recognized twice by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree Campus USA for urban forestry management across the Lincoln Park campus.
- Across campus, more than 90 water bottle refill stations reduce single-use plastic, supported by ENERGY STAR appliances and water-saving plumbing throughout athletics facilities.
Building for the Future
Our new student-athlete practice facility on the Lincoln Park campus is being designed with sustainability, community, and historic preservation at its core.
Following months of collaboration with Lincoln Park neighbors, community groups, and DePaul's Neighborhood Advisory Committee, the revised design for the new Blue Demon athletics practice facility incorporates several significant sustainability and streetscape enhancements — reflecting DePaul's Vincentian commitment to being a good neighbor and responsible steward of the campus and community.
Rooftop Solar
Solar panels on the facility's roof are projected to reduce the building's energy consumption by approximately 10%.
Enhanced Streetscape
Setbacks in the facility footprint allow for wider sidewalks with brick paving and enhanced landscaping, strengthening the pedestrian experience and the neighborhood's tree canopy.
Historic Preservation
DePaul will pursue historic landmarking of the Cortelyou Commons façade, explore landmarking of Byrne Hall, and invest in restoring the façade of O'Connell Hall — honoring the campus's architectural heritage.
Community Collaboration
Design revisions were shaped directly by feedback from DePaul's Neighborhood Advisory Committee, established in the 1980s to keep Lincoln Park neighbors at the center of campus planning.
"We understand it's not enough for us to build a great campus — we must help build a great neighborhood." — Peter Coffey, Associate Vice President for Community and Government Relations
Learn More
Explore DePaul University's campus-wide sustainability efforts, the Institutional Sustainability Plan, and how the Vincentian mission shapes our work for a more just and sustainable world.
Sustainability at DePaul