The Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) wanted more than a traditional visitor center. They needed a recruitment experience that authentically reflects the mission, culture, and legacy of United States Naval Academy Athletics — one that would connect with prospective student-athletes and their families on an emotional level while showcasing the full scope of what life as a midshipman offers.
The Ron Terwilliger Center for Student-Athletes needed to feel like a genuine first impression of the Academy itself: rigorous, inspiring, personal, and proud.
Our team designed a 25,000-square-foot experience that blends bold visual moments with deeply personal storytelling. Visitors enter beneath a suspended Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet — the same aircraft flown by the Blue Angels — dramatically anchored in the central stairwell as the immediate visual centerpiece of the space.
From there, the journey moves into the Akerson Theater, where a 180° panoramic film introduces the rhythm and reality of midshipman life. In Tosé Exploration Hall, interactive touchscreens highlight Navy legends and Heisman Trophy winners, while a "Who Will You Become?" augmented reality experience invites visitors to imagine themselves in a range of future Navy roles. Each zone was carefully sequenced to build emotional momentum — from awe to aspiration to personal possibility.
The Terwilliger Center delivers a first impression that is equal parts cinematic and personal. The suspended F/A-18E creates an immediate visual statement that no brochure or website can replicate. The AR experience in particular gives prospective students a visceral sense of the paths available to them — making an abstract future feel tangible and achievable.
Together, the spaces create a compelling narrative that celebrates the Academy's history and achievements while genuinely inspiring the next generation of midshipmen — exactly what recruitment experiences should do, and rarely do this well.
