Forming the Future of Wisconsin Athletics

Image courtesy of the University of Wisconsin

The steel bending and metal forming professionals at Max Weiss Company have helped build many stadiums and arenas in recent years.

Only one, Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, was in our local vicinity. Most have been in other states, some literally on the other side of the country.

Thus, we’re thrilled to work on another sports-oriented project that’s pretty much in our backyard!

Our metal bending pros are forming 37 wide flange beams for the new Football Indoor Practice Facility at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. The $285 million building, located next to Camp Randall Stadium, is scheduled to open in June 2027.

The new center will replace two existing athletic training facilities, one dating to 1954. A majority of the university’s 800 student-athletes, from up to 23 different sports, will train there.

The GR-A992 beams in our shop are being formed to a 219-foot radius. At 18 inches width, their lengths range from 47 to 53 feet.

Each beam weighs 2,350 and 2,650 pounds. Needless to say, planning and executing the shipping for this kind of weight is a considerable challenge by itself!

As with most projects, many hands are contributing to get the final product ordered, formed and delivered on time. Teamwork doesn’t just make the dream work – it ensures continued good relationships with our industry partners (such as LeJeune Steel Co., which subcontracted the work to us).

Sports facilities are always fun to work on, anyhow. They’re high-profile structures, with lots of anticipation leading to their opening. Our work for the UW Football Indoor Practice Facility allows us to say we helped “form” the future of athletics on Wisconsin’s biggest college campus. We’ll take it!