The Massillon City School District recently announced the installation of a new football locker room for Paul Brown Tiger Stadium, which be located adjacent to the south end zone. The accommodate the facility, the south end scoreboard has been removed and will be replaced on the north end with a new state-of-the art scoreboard. In addition, the south end zone stands have been removed. The catalyst behind the project is the Paul and Carol David Foundation, Jeff David President.
Below are artist renderings of the new facility, along with a press release from the school that describes the project in detail.
Massillon City School District press release, dated May 27, 2026
The Paul and Carol David Foundation Re-Ignites its DREAM
In 2007, The Paul and Carol David Foundation embarked on a robust project in partnership with the Massillon City School District, Walsh University, Stark State University and the Aultman Foundation. Its Developing Resources in Education and Athletics in Massillon (D.R.E.A.M.) project was the culmination of a multi-year planning process to expand education and athletic development opportunities for Massillon students. The project includes the Paul L. David Athletic Training Center facility as well as career tech programming additions such as nursing and athletic training (both of which still exist today). In addition, in partnership with Walsh University, a Center for College Readiness was established. The program mentored and advised a cohort of students from their freshman to senior years, assisting them with all aspects of preparing themselves for college, including college fit analysis, subject major evaluation process, application and ACT test prep assistance, along with campus visits to local colleges. Hundreds of Massillon students have benefitted from these programs, most of which continue to thrive today.
For reasons outside of the foundation’s control, the final phase of the project, a new locker room with state-of-the-art sports medicine facilities, was never completed. This fact has weighed on Jeff David, the foundation’s President, for over 15 years. “My father was close friends with the great Paul Brown, who our stadium is named after. Each time Coach Brown came into town he and my dad would get together and Coach Brown would inevitably ask my father if he was taking care of his stadium and program…my dad took that responsibility to heart. It always bothered me we weren’t able to complete the original FDREAM campus plan, but we just weren’t at the place where our vision aligned with the school’s. The current administration and school board under Paul Salvino’s leadership and guidance are very much in alignment. They have been tremendous partners over the last two years in the planning process and we are grateful for their support.”
“The new facility will be named the “Legacy Alumni Center of Excellence” to honor all of those who came before and to reinforce the great responsibility that comes with representing the Massillon Tigers and the Massillon community now and in the future.”
The first phases of the re-ignited DREAM project included a complete renovation of the Paul L. David Athletic Training Center, which included a new turf field, lighting, wall padding, graphics, netting and a complete paint refresh. The indoor facility was also expanded to include a men’s and women’s locker room with showers, additional storage space and a new wrestling room. While negotiating the new turf for the indoor facility, the foundation agreed it was time to upgrade the conditions of the baseball field by installing an artificial turf infield. It will also be breaking ground soon on a unique new entrance into the David Athletic Training Center.
“We are proud to have brought comprehensive and synergistic offerings to the students of Massillon while honoring the importance of athletic competition in the development of the whole person,” Jeff stated. “Massillon is known for its commitment to athletics and we do not apologize for that. However, many company owners and executive share with how characteristics developed while participating in athletics – such as goal setting, time management, perseverance, delayed gratification, working within a team environment, personal accountability and competitiveness are attributes of their best employees and they actively seek these types of people out in their recruiting efforts. We strongly believe athletics teach young people important life lessons and we will continue to support them for that very reason.
The Paul and Carol David Foundation’s grantmaking is not limited to athletics. In the Massillon community it has supported entities and programs such as the Boys and Girls Club of Massillon, the Massillon Museum, the Lincoln Lions Theater, Akron-Canton Foodbank’s pop up food pantry, NASA STEM camp at the Massillon Rec Cener, the Legacy Project, the Massillon Library, the Duncan Plaza renovation, Veterans Memorial Park, the Western Stark YMCA, the SPARK early childhood learning program, and many others. In addition, its David Scholar program awards four year, renewable, $8,000 a year undergraduate scholarships to Stark County high school graduates, including those from Massillon. The total value of scholarships granted to Massillon Washington High School students over the life of the scholarship program now exceeds $5 million dollars.
Jeff also stated, ”We’re very proud to have played an instrumental role in bringing the nursing program and expanding the athletic training program to the career tech offerings at Massillon Washington High School. Many people are not aware of the breadth of high-quality programs available in the CTE (Career Technical Education) department as Massillon. We think the new facility will present opportunities to add programs and enhance learning as well as providing employers with a venue to connect Massillon CTE students with internships and job opportunities. Local employers are offering real, family-sustaining employment opportunities to graduates in those programs and we need them. We hope to see those offerings grow in the future.”
Although the foundation will be funding a substantial portion of this project, it has reached out to notable alumni, friends and business leaders to share details of the project with them. Many have pledged significant financial support, which only serves to reinforce the project as an important community asset.
“Massillon is a wonderful community of people who take pride in being a Massillon Tiger. We’ve had very rewarding conversations with people like Rollie and Frankie Layfield, and a former Tiger alum who wishes to remain anonymous, as well as others. These people have pledge significant support to this project and we’re very grateful and honored to have them as partners,” Jeff noted.
The plans for the Legacy Alumni facility have taken shape over two years with members of the school, outside consultants, vendors, foundation staff and contractors. John Patrick Picard has provided architectural services for all phases of this project and has saved significant dollars through his creative problem solving and design expertise. The 24,000 square foot Legacy Alumni facility will occupy the south endzone area of Paul Brown Tiger Stadium and include the locker room, state of the art sports medicine – which includes aqua treadmills, recovery plunge pools, sauna, steam room and an array of training and recovery equipment for all Massillon student-athletes. It will also include a players’ lounge, 2,500 sq. ft. assembly hall, high efficiency equipment storage and laundry area, and a conference room. Lastly, Paul Brown Tiger Stadium will be enhanced with a new Daktronics digital scoreboard, one of the largest high school scoreboards in the country, which will occupy the north endzone area and include state of the art digital controls and functionality to vastly improve the gameday experience. The Massillon Football Booster Club, with the help of local business sponsors, helped to partially fund this larger scoreboard.
Jeff stated, “The foundation is proud to have partnered with its most trusted friends at Beaver Constructors, who is the Design-Build Construction Manager of the project. Mark Sterling and the Sterling family have become valued partners and friends of the David family and Foundation. Its Vice President, John Gaetano, is the son of Tony Geatano, whose firm built every Camelot Music store for my father. John is like family to us and has played a key role in many of the foundation’s capital projects. On site for these projects from Beaver include Mike Bushman, also a Massillon graduate, and Lucas Kelly. Both of these men have added significant value to the project through their professional experience and dogged project management skills. Daktronics, Longhorn Lockers and 49 Degrees Design have also played key roles in assisting us with important elements of this project as well. These are best in class providers within their respective industries.”
Paul Salvino, Massillon City School’s Superintendent, commented, “Not many public schools are afforded an opportunity to partner with the local foundation’s initiative to not only add amazing physical facilities to a high school campus, but also integrate important and needed programmatic offerings to benefit students. The school board and the administration here at Massillon quickly recognized the significant enhancements this project would afford Massillon students and the community at large and we’re proud to be a part of it. The wide support for this project only affirms its importance and the Paul and Carol David Foundation’s ability to forge strong coalitions.”
Summing up his thoughts, Jeff David stated, ”I think my father would be proud to see what we’ve done to continue to honor his commitment to the Massillon community and to Coach Brown. At the unveiling on August 1, 2027, those two gentlemen will be looking down fondly at our great community.”